Retirement Plan Rollovers

When you leave an employer or retire, you generally gain access to any assets you have set aside in your employer-sponsored retirement plan (401(k), 403(b), etc.) account. The decisions you make about how to manage those assets—such as taking a lump sum distribution or rolling the assets into an IRA or your new employer's plan—can have a significant impact on the value of your retirement savings over time. If you make poor choices, you may owe taxes and penalties on the money you have saved. A few of the topics you talk with a financial advisor about before you touch the assets are:

The benefits of direct rollovers
The advantages of Roth and Traditional accounts
The rewards stretch IRAs may provide over generations