Can You Do a Partial Transfer of an IRA?
Though most individuals will opt to roll over all of their funds when leaving an employer, some might find it more cost-effective to transfer only part of them into a self-directed IRA if their new provider charges lower fees for investment and service purposes than their old provider did.
An indirect rollover and direct transfer may both help avoid early distribution penalties, but they must be completed within 60 days in order to qualify.
Partial rollovers
Sometimes it may make sense to transfer only part of your retirement savings to the new employer’s 401(k). For instance, you might have specific investments available only through company plans that you need access to after leaving their employ but still want some savings accessible without incurring penalties or losing access.
Partial rollovers can be accomplished by conducting a trustee-to-trustee transfer between accounts at different financial institutions. Your retirement account custodian must withhold 20% for tax purposes and, if that amount isn’t covered by you, will be treated as a taxable withdrawal and could incur income taxes and early withdrawal penalties.
People typically perform partial rollovers for two reasons. Either they don’t like their current investment options in their 401(k), or don’t think there will be enough funds available for retirement, in which case rolling some of your 401(k) funds into an IRA may give more flexibility in how it is invested.
An additional advantage of partial rollover is reduced fees. Investing via traditional IRA is usually less expensive than directly into company plans because companies pool many retirees’ accounts into one fund, lowering fees for investors in turn.
Rollover your 401(k) assets to a Roth IRA to avoid paying taxes down the line, but it is essential that you weigh the benefits against potential drawbacks carefully if you are in a low tax bracket now; paying extra in taxes now might not justify tax-free growth in future. It is also essential to remember that any temporary tax break in a Roth IRA is temporary; and you are still required to take RMDs at age 59.5.
Direct rollovers
Direct rollover is a tax-free strategy to move funds between retirement accounts. When an individual receives their employer plan or IRA distribution, they have two options for depositing it: either directly into their new account or withdrawing all of it and redepositing later. To complete a successful direct rollover within 60 days in order to avoid incurring taxes and penalties.
Transfers differ from direct rollovers in that when someone conducts a transfer, the firm conducting it does not issue an IRS Form 1099-R or other tax reporting forms to report what was transferred; but when a direct rollover occurs, receiving firm must file tax forms to report transferred amount with IRS.
Selecting between direct rollover or transfer depends on an individual’s investment goals and desired rate of transition for their retirement savings. A financial advisor can assist with understanding all their available funding strategies as well as their advantages.
Direct rollovers can be an efficient way to combine multiple retirement accounts into one easier to manage portfolio, potentially lowering management fees and simplifying investments across an expanded portfolio. Furthermore, depending on the type of IRA involved in the direct rollover it may open up additional investment options and simplify estate planning processes.
As much as direct rollovers offer many advantages, it’s important to keep in mind that they should only be performed once per year. Otherwise, any second one becomes taxable. Furthermore, required minimum distribution (RMD) eligible distributions cannot be rolled over without paying tax; exceptions apply; therefore it’s wiser to consult a financial advisor first in order to identify the most efficient method of funding your IRA and avoid unnecessary taxes or penalties.
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