retirement

3 Risks in Maximizing Your 401(k)

Kristin Hitchcock

Published: June 22, 2024 11:30 am

Planning for retirement is one crucial step to achieving financial well-being. For many Americans, the 401(k) plan serves as the cornerstone of their retirement savings strategy. 

Maxing out a 401(k) might seem like a guaranteed path to retirement security, but limitations on accessing funds, tax penalties for early withdrawals, and the complexities of required minimum distributions can hinder financial preparedness for unexpected events or those with shorter time horizons.

We’ll explore why aggressively contributing to your 401(k) may not be the best way to go. Don’t get stuck repeating the same mistakes as so many other Americans. Keep reading to find out how. 

The Benefits of 401(k)s

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Yes, there are some drawbacks to maximizing 401(k) contributions. However, that doesn’t mean that all 401(k) contributions should be avoided. 401(k)s are so popular for saving for retirement for a reason. Here are two key advantages:

• Tax Advantages: Contributions to a traditional 401(k) are made with pre-tax income, which can lower your annual taxable income. This translates to instant savings and lets you contribute more than you might be able to otherwise. Your contributions and investment growth are also tax-deferred, meaning you won’t have to pay any taxes until you withdraw. 
• Employer Matching Contributions: Many employers offer matching contributions as an incentive to participate in the 401(k) plan. This essentially translates to free money for your retirement. Even if a 401(k) doesn’t match all your needs, claiming this free money is often a no-brainer. 

That said, these benefits don’t necessarily mean everyone should maximize their 401(k). It’s important to understand how your particular 401(k) works. We have guides on the E*Trade Solo 401(k) and Fidelity Solo 401(k) to help with this. 

3 Risks to Maximizing Your 401(k)

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1. Limited Access to Funds

While contributing heavily to a 401(k) offers long-term benefits, it’s important to understand that these contributions are largely inaccessible until retirement. Unlike a traditional savings account, you cannot withdraw money whenever you like. It’s stuck there until you reach retirement age (typically around 60). 

Some rare expectations, such as hardship withdrawals, allow you to access some of your contributions. However, these withdrawals come with a significant drawback and shouldn’t be counted on. 

If you make one of these early withdrawals, you’ll still be taxed on the withdrawn amount like regular income. Second, any earnings on those contributions are forfeited. Both of these factors can heavily slash the growth potential of your retirement savings. 

We’d all like to never need to withdraw early, but life is unpredictable. Even if you’re financially stable, you never know when an emergency or medical event will change all that. It’s very hard to get your money out of a 401(k) early, potentially putting you in financial distress.

2. Penalties for Early Withdrawl

As we’ve touched on a little bit, you do get penalized for withdrawing early. While your money grows tax-deferred within the plan, withdrawing funds before you reach age 59.5 (with some exceptions) triggers a 10% penalty in addition to regular income taxes on the withdrawn amount.

This penalty can cut back on your retirement savings substantially. 

For example, let’s say you’ve contributed $10,000 to your 401(k), and that amount grows into $15,000 over several years. Suddenly, a financial hardship has occurred, and you need to withdraw $5,000 to pay your bills. You’ll not only lose access to that money for future growth but you’ll also be hit with a 10% penalty. 

That translates to $500, which means you’ll actually only receive $4,500 in funds. This can be a serious setback, especially when you’re already in financial straights. 

There are some ways to get around the penalty, such as a qualifying medical expense or disability. However, this involves jumping through hoops. The money isn’t as freely available as a traditional savings account would be. 

3. Required Minimum Distributions

Even after you reach retirement age, there are limitations on how you can access and use your 401(k). Once you turn 72, the IRS mandates that you begin taking Required Minimum Distributions from your 401(k) each year. These forced withdrawals are a way to ensure that you pay the required taxes on this income. 

The amount you must withdraw from your 401(k) depends on your account value and life expectancy. The IRS doesn’t want you to sit on that income, even if you have other retirement income. 

Since withdrawals from a traditional 401(k) are taxed as ordinary income, RMDs can push you into a higher tax bracket. This can lead to a larger tax bill than you might have anticipated, potentially impacting your overall retirement income.

If you aren’t careful about managing your withdrawals, you could run through your savings too quickly, too. While the required withdrawals are based on life expectancy, not everyone lives right to life expectancy. Potentially, this could lead to you draining your savings too early. 

Mitigating These Risks

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Now that you know about these risks, there are some ways to mitigate them. 

The best way is to diversify your savings. Don’t rely solely on a 401(k) only. You should preferably put enough into your savings to get your employer match. However, after that, you should build separate savings. For instance, an IRA can be a valuable tool for saving alongside your 401(k), as it offers more flexibility in terms of investment options and withdrawal rules. 

While maximizing your contributions might seem like the right choice, you should also consider your individual circumstances. If you have short-term financial goals or anticipate needing your cash in the near future, contributing at a lower percentage may be a better option. 

Remember, there is no penalty for increasing your contribution later as your financial need evolves. Don’t back yourself into a corner by thinking you have to contribute a certain amount. It’s better to contribute less than need to pull out contributions early. 

When in doubt, a financial advisor can help you develop a retirement savings plan that works for you. Again, contributing everything to your 401(k) may not be the best option.