Here, you will need to find two numbers: total plan expenses and benefits paid. Subtract the benefits paid from the total plan expenses. Next, you will divide that number by the total value of the plan. The resulting number is your plan's administrative cost percentage.
Typically, 401(k) plans cost somewhere between 1% and 2% of the plan assets, or the money saved in the account. Some outliers can see fees as high as 3.5%, but these high fees can have a significant impact on your employees' ability to retire and should be avoided if at all possible.
If you withdraw money from your 401(k) account before age 59 1/2, you will need to pay a 10% early withdrawal penalty, in addition to income tax, on the distribution. For someone in the 24% tax bracket, a $5,000 early 401(k) withdrawal will cost $1,700 in taxes and penalties.
Many retirement planners suggest the typical 401(k) portfolio generates an average annual return of 5% to 8% based on market conditions.
One good way to lower costs is to invest in low-fee funds like index funds, institutional funds, and target-date funds. Review your plan's literature and ask your human resources or benefits coordinator to explain anything you don't understand.
How to Figure Out Your 401K Expenses
To locate these costs, find the fund expense ratio on the latest fund prospectus. Multiply that expense ratio by the total amount you have invested in that fund. Do this same calculation for all of your funds. Finally, add up all those expenses and this is the total investment fee for the year.
The IRS allows penalty-free withdrawals from retirement accounts after age 59 ½ and requires withdrawals after age 72 (these are called Required Minimum Distributions, or RMDs). There are some exceptions to these rules for 401ks and other qualified plans.
This also usually lumps in “custodial fees.” Typically 2-3%, but they can range between 0.08%-4% of the total plan assets. Per-person, or per-participant: expenses based upon the number of eligible employees or actual participants in the plan. Can range from $2 to $750+ per month per person.
If you withdraw money from your 401(k) before you're 59½, the IRS usually assesses a 10% penalty when you file your tax return. That could mean giving the government $1,000 of that $10,000 withdrawal. Between the taxes and penalty, your immediate take-home total could be as low as $7,000 from your original $10,000.
It states that you can comfortably withdraw 4% of your savings in your first year of retirement and adjust that amount for inflation for every subsequent year without risking running out of money for at least 30 years.
By 40, you should have three times your salary saved. By 50, you should have six times your salary saved. By 60, you should have eight times your salary saved. By 67, you should have 10 times your salary saved.
Historical returns on safe investments tend to fall in the 3% to 5% range but are currently much lower (0.0% to 1.0%) as they primarily depend on interest rates. When interest rates are low, safe investments deliver lower returns.
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