Retirement Planning

Review and Revamp Your 401(K) Strategy in the New Year

Review and Revamp Your 401(K) Strategy in the New Year

The holiday celebrations may be behind us, but that doesn't mean it's too late for New Year's resolutions. If you haven't already done so, now is the perfect time to take a closer look at your current 401(K) strategy and see whether it's time for a redo. Not only will jumping on it early in the year allow you to maximize your savings, but it will allow you to consider any changes that your employer may have made to their plan.

As you know, 401(K) plans offer multiple benefits:

  • They're made on a pre-tax basis so you don't pay income tax on the money that you invest. That not only lowers the amount of income that you have to pay taxes on, but has the potential to drop you into a lower tax bracket (where you'll pay a lower tax rate), qualify you for child tax credits, or eliminate the need to pay certain surtaxes based on your income.
  • They are a smart investment in your future that you will be happy to have when it's time to retire.
  • Employers can elect to match your deposit dollar-for-dollar up to a certain income level.

Investing in a 401(K) is always a good idea, and so is periodically reviewing your investment strategy. When it comes to your 401(K), it's a mistake to set and forget, whether in terms of the amount or percentage you're having taken out each paycheck. That's because your circumstances are constantly changing, and because employers change their own terms surrounding the company's benefits around the first of each year.

Here are some of the top reasons for revising the 401(K) directives that are currently in place:

  • Every year 401(K) annual contribution maximums change to reflect the cost of living, and in 2022 that number went up by $1,000 to $20,500, and $6,500 for those who are 50 and over. If you have calculated your weekly deductions in order to be sure that you hit the maximum, you may need to increase your amount. 
  • Your employer may have made changes to their matching benefit. If they lowered it then you may want to increase the amount of your weekly deduction to hit your own savings goals, and if they increased it you will want to make sure that you are having enough deducted to take advantage of every dollar that they are willing to contribute.
  • Depending upon your individual circumstances and plans for the year, you may want to boost the amount that you have deposited at the beginning of the year so that you can take advantage of the maximum growth of your investment and leave yourself with more take-home pay towards year-end.
  • Similarly, if you are not currently signed up, the earlier you begin having deductions taken out, the less of an impact working towards the annual maximum will have on each of your paychecks.
  • If your plans for the year include a big expenditure (such as the purchase of a home or paying for a wedding) or you have racked up some bills that you're paying high interest on, you may want to reduce the amount that you're investing to make sure you have enough cash on hand. Though we always encourage maximizing your savings, it's far better to limit the amount that you're putting away than to withdraw funds and pay a big penalty for doing so. 

Before making any changes, take the time to review your company's 401(k) rules, as there may be restrictions on how they match your funds. You don't want to frontload your savings and then find out that in doing so you lost out on potential contributions.  It is recommended to consult with a professional if you need advice on how to tailor your 401(k) strategy to your long- and short-term plans.

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Steward Financial

Steward Financial

Jon Osborn is a tax preparer based in San Dimas, California. His company, Steward Financial Services, offers a broad range of tax preparation, accounting and business consulting for small businesses. He loves to work with clients who are looking for answers to complex tax and business planning issues. He has owned several small businesses and worked with over one hundred small business owners. He helps his individual and business tax clients find the best ways to spend their money in order to minimize IRS tax. Small businesses looking to grow, sell or just increase cash flow are one of Jon's specialties.

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