Retirement basics: Know the difference between 401k and IRA

What is a 401(k) Retirement Plan?

It is an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan where eligible employees can contribute towards their retirement savings on either an after-tax or pretax basis. The employer offering a 410(k) may choose to make a matching contribution to the plan or add a profit-sharing feature.

What is an IRA?

An IRA is an Individual Retirement savings account that offers pre-tax or after-tax advantages. Every IRA must have a custodian and the choice of investments available to you will greatly depend upon the custodian you choose.

There are three types of custodians. The first will help you establish a new self-directed IRA but your investment options are limited to what they have to sell. The second will allow you to invest in anything allowed by the IRS BUT you have to run everything through them and of course, that incurs continuing fees. The third is a passive custodian, they don’t have products to sell AND let you invest in any alternative investment without going through them.

401k vs IRA: Key differences

While both 401(k) and IRA make great options for retirement savings, it is important to know the key differences between them to determine which best suits your unique situation:

Making a sound choice

If your employer is offering a 401(k) plan, it is smart to make the most of your employer’s matching contributions. Plus, automatic deductions from your payroll make retirement savings easier, either Traditional or Roth. If your employer does not offer a 401(k), you can still ensure that your earnings grow tax-deferred and/or tax-free by utilizing investment options in an IRA.

One last thing on your retirement savings

Retire from work, not retirement savings. If you are eligible for both 401(k) and IRA, save as much as you can while keeping within contribution limits. If you are fortunate to have a 401 k plan, contribute and take advantage of any “match”. Consider maxing out an IRA and then go back to funding the 401 k as much as you can.

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DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation for writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.