Retirement information and services can help you plan your retirement, apply for a pension, and get your owed benefits. Learn about the various retirement plan kinds and how they operate.
Employees can contribute to a savings plan, reducing their taxable income and improving their retirement security. Tax credits and other benefits may also help reduce the costs of starting a retirement plan.
Employees
Employees can benefit from retirement information and services by learning to save for retirement. Having an employer-sponsored retirement plan can be a great way to encourage employees to keep it, and it can also have tax advantages for employers.
Employer-sponsored plans can be a good incentive for employees to stick around with a company. They’re an easy way for people to set aside money and have it grow tax-deferred.
Some employer-sponsored plans offer vesting schedules, which give employees a portion of the money they earn each year they stay with the company. It helps ensure that employees don’t take the free money they’ve made and then leave.
Another employee-sponsored plan is the SIMPLE IRA, which allows workers to make pre-tax salary deferrals and receive a matching contribution from their employer. These plans can be a good option for small business owners.
To help employees optimize their savings, look for a retirement plan provider that provides online and mobile access and education and automation tools. The best ones will also send representatives to meet with employees face-to-face so they can better understand their goals and how their retirement plan works.
Retirees
Whether you’ve been in the workforce for several decades or just a few years, retirement can be a significant transition. It requires a new definition for you and your financial goals and a plan to meet them.
Retirees can benefit from several tools and services, from specialized retirement accounts to available investment options. They can also benefit from a financial advisor with a retirement planning background.
While it is a personal decision, many retirees choose to work with a financial advisor during their transition into retirement. It can help you develop a retirement strategy that covers you for the long term and protects you from events that could put you off track.
For example, if you’re a retiree concerned about the cost of long-term care, your retirement advisor can help you identify your resources and decide on a plan that will best address those needs. Similarly, your advisor can help you decide when to take Social Security and donate to charity.
Another key benefit of a retirement advisor is their ability to help you stay level-headed during market volatility, preventing you from buying or selling at the wrong time. Your advisor can also help you ensure your savings and investments work together to provide the income you need when it matters most.
Survivors
The survivor benefit plan is designed to help survivors of active duty or reserve component members. A Department of Defense (DoD) program provides up to 55 percent of the deceased member’s retired pay to an eligible beneficiary upon the member’s death.
The program is free to members serving on active duty or reserve component and having 15 years of creditable service. It is also available to retirees with 20 years of qualifying service for reserve retirement benefits.
Survivors can receive lump-sum or monthly benefits based on their service records. The survivor benefit plan can be paid under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).
For members who have less than ten years of creditable service, their spouse is entitled to a spousal pension that equals three-fourths (75%) of the member’s service pension. This pension begins the month after the member’s death.
A spouse with children who qualify for survivor benefits under Schedule I, II, or III can receive monthly benefits until the member has reached average retirement age. If there are no children, the spouse can receive a lump-sum refund of their contributions instead of monthly benefits.
Survivors can switch to a higher benefit as early as 60 or 50, depending on their circumstances. They can also apply for the survivor benefit plan as an alternative to retirement benefits later if they still need a higher benefit.
Dependents
If you’re planning for retirement, you must save significant money. Thankfully, there are various options on how to do this. For example, you can put money into a retirement savings plan or annuity. These plans will help you set aside some funds for retirement, and the balance in your account can grow over time.
However, only some are good candidates for one of these options. The best plan for someone with a small sum of cash is a traditional IRA, often referred to as a defined contribution plan because the amount you receive in your account depends on how much you and your employer contributions each year.
You can also get a retirement income through an annuity, which pays a monthly check for life. These can be purchased from a company as a lump sum or a pension for several years.
You may qualify for tax benefits that reduce your income taxes if you are a dependent. These include the child and dependent care credit and several educational credits. Additionally, the amount of money you spend on your dependents can affect the earned income tax credit you’re eligible for. So, you must ensure you’re using all the deductions and credits available.
