Paragon Perspectives

Retirement is a popular topic of discussion and, in some cases, an item of concern. There have been television commercials of “What is your number?” and “Do you have enough money for retirement?” This Quarter's newsletter discusses some of the factors that lead to a successful (financial) retirement. These factors can be complex and our discussion here is purely a cursory one.


We, at Paragon Financial Advisors, will be happy to have a more in-depth conversation with you about your personal circumstances. One particular success factor listed in Part 2 (portfolio expense) is one we monitor. Any mutual funds chosen for our client portfolios have no sales charges (for sales or purchases) and we try to select appropriate mutual funds with minimal expense ratios. For appropriate accounts, we select individual securities; this selection eliminates expense ratios completely.


 In addition, we at Paragon have negotiated lower security transaction fees for client transactions—again reducing the expense of investment management. The final item discussed is a graphical chart of funds flowing into and out of stock and bond mutual funds. The bottom line is most investors do the wrong thing—selling when they should be buying and vice versa.


If you did not receive a copy of this Quarter's Newsletter and would like to request one please email info@paragon-adv.com

Required Minimum Distributions

Have You Taken Your Required Minimum Distribution Yet?  The April 1^st deadline is almost here!

Unfortunately, you cannot keep funds inside a Traditional IRA forever; eventually the IRS will require you to take taxable distributions.

What is an RMD?

During the calendar year you turn age 70 ½ is when the IRS mandates that you start taking annual taxable distributions from your Traditional IRA and Qualified Retirement Plans. Accounts that could possibly be affected are:

• IRA
• Rollover IRA
• SEP IRA
• SIMPLE IRA
• Profit Sharing Plan
• Money Purchase Pension Plan
• Individual 401(k)
• 401(k)
• 403(b)
• Some beneficiary “Inherited” IRAs

Does this affect me?

The April 1^st, 2015 deadline applies specifically to those individuals who turned 70 ½ in 2014.  If you have or are turning 70 ½ in 2015, your first RMD must be made by April 1, 2016.  It is very important to note that the April 1 deadline only applies to the first RMD; all subsequent withdrawals must be made by December 31^st of that calendar year.

The April 1 deadline is mandatory for all owners of traditional IRAs and most participants in workplace retirement plans. However, some individuals with employer plans can wait longer to receive their RMD but this is usually because the individual is still working, and if their plan allows, can wait until April 1 after the year they officially retire.

How is an RMD calculated?

Affected taxpayers who turned 70 ½ during 2014 must figure the RMD for the first year using the life expectancy as of their birthday in 2014 and their account balance as of Dec. 31, 2013.  For all other years individuals must calculate the distribution by dividing the Year-End balance of their account by the Uniform Lifetime Factor, which is obtained from a standardized IRS Table. If you have more than one Traditional or qualified account then the calculation must be made separately on each of them. However, you can total these minimum amounts and take the total from any one or more of the IRAs.

Is there a penalty if I don’t?

Yes, IRS imposes a penalty for allowing excess amounts to accumulate, ie.. failing to take the required minimum distribution. If your distribution for the year is less than the required minimum you may have to pay a 50% excise tax for that year on the amount not distributed as required.

The Bottom Line

The good news is if you have chosen to take periodic withdraws from your traditional accounts you may have already surpassed the minimum distribution required by the IRS.  Here at Paragon Financial Advisors we want everyone to hang onto their hard earned money. Contact your advisor today to see if you are affected.  If you are turning 70 this year, CONGRATS! Now it’s time to plan for next year’s RMD.

Please consult with your tax advisor to discuss your particular situation. Paragon Financial Advisors is a fee-only registered investment advisory company located in College Station, Texas. We offer financial planning and investment management.

Resources and Further Reading

IRS Publication 590 (Individual Retirement Arrangements)

       - Page 34: When Must You Withdraw Assets (Required Minimum Distributions

IRS Publication 575 (Pension and Annuity Income)

       - Page 35: Tax on Excess Accumulation

IRS Form 5329 (Additional Taxes on Qualified Plans (Including IRAs) and Other Tax-Favored Accounts

       - Part 8: Additional Tax on Excess Accumulation

 

 

IRA Transfers

Happy New Year; 2014 is a year of memories and 2015 is a year of promises. Some of those promises might not be pleasant for individuals transferring an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) unless they follow very specific rules.

The Transfer

IRAs can be transferred to a new advisor or trustee in one of two ways:

 

1. Direct transfer- where the IRA funds move from one trustee to another trustee without the account owner ever receiving the money, and
2. Indirect transfer- where the account owner receives funds from the IRA in the form of a check made payable to the account owner. The account owner can then deposit the IRA check into another IRA within 60 days and have no tax obligation for the “rollover.”  This 60 day withdrawal has also been used by some IRA owners to temporarily access IRA funds for short term purposes. An account owner has been allowed to access each IRA account he/she owned once in a 12 month period with no tax consequences as long as the 60 day rule was met. This once per year rule was allowed for each IRA account an individual had.

 

The Change

There has been a major change in these IRA rollover rules beginning January 12, 2015. Now, only one IRA (defined as traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, and Simple IRAs) can be transferred or accessed in the preceding twelve months regardless of the number of IRAs the individual has. A tax court case in early 2014 changed the interpretation of once per year per account to once per year per individual.

The Consequences

The result of this change is that any subsequent transfer or access to another IRA within the same 12 month period will be considered a taxable distribution—subject to income tax and 10% pre-mature distribution tax if applicable (i.e. the individual is under age 59 ½). There are no provisions for remediation of an erroneous second transfer in the same 12 months—the second transfer is taxable.

Consider the following example. An account owner accesses his/her account for a small distribution in March. In January of the following year, the account owner decides to transfer the same (or a different) IRA to another trustee. If the account owner receives the funds for the transfer, the second distribution is a taxable distribution. A significant tax burden may be incurred inadvertently.

Clarifications

Given the complexities involved, some clarifications are warranted. This rule does not apply to rollovers from an employer sponsored plan (401(k), 403(b), etc.) into a self-directed IRA. Rollovers from an IRA back into an employer plan are also exempt. Roth conversions (rolling funds from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA) are excluded from the rule.

In Summary

In summary, individuals transferring IRA accounts to another trustee should always use a direct transfer (where funds are transferred directly from the old trustee to the new trustee or the check is made payable to the new trustee if it comes to the IRA owner). Short term, 60 day access to IRA funds should be done with great care—only once in any 12 month (not calendar year) period regardless of the number of IRA accounts owned.

We at Paragon Financial Advisors will assist our clients as they prepare for accessing their IRA accounts. Which accounts should be accessed first and asset allocation within accounts for investment purposes can have significant long term implications on your retirement planning. Consult your tax professional if you are contemplating indirectly transferring your IRA in this new year of “promise.”  Paragon Financial Advisors is a fee-only registered investment advisory company located in College Station, Texas. We offer financial planning and investment management.

Retirement Plans

Corporate retirement plans have been, historically, either defined benefit (DB) or defined contribution (DC) plans. With a DB plan, the employer is “guaranteeing” a life-long retirement benefit to the employee at the time of retirement. That benefit is usually a function of the years worked at the company and the salary earned over a previous time period. Annual contributions are made into the DB by the employer to ensure that the plan will be able to pay benefits over the retiree’s life expectancy.

 

With a DC plan, the employer is guaranteeing only a certain “contribution” amount for the employee’s retirement. The actual benefit or amount received by the employee at retirement will be based on the amount to which the plan account has grown over the years until retirement. One can readily see that the shift to DCs (and it has been pronounced) from DBs places the investment burden on the employee and away from the employer. That shift in investment responsibility has been a primary driver of the elimination of DBs (pension plans) in favor of DCs (401(k), 403(b), etc.).

 

Since 401(k)s now require employee management, it behooves us to look at some of the factors affecting the final amount in the 401(k) that generates the income stream in retirement. Some of these factors include the following:

 

1. Sign Up- Participation in the plan is usually voluntary and requires the employee to take action to participate. Most plans offer an “employer match” whereby the employer matches the employee’s contribution (i.e. the employee contributes 3% of his/her salary and the employer matches that 3% contribution). Every employee should at least contribute the maximum the employer will match; if not, the employee is leaving “money on the table.”
2. Asset Allocation- The employee is responsible for investment selection in the 401(k) plan. How the money is invested (stocks, bonds, etc.) and in what percent is an employee choice. Again, this investment selection is critical for the long term benefit in the account.
3. Plan Expenses- Most individuals are familiar with the preceding two items; they may not be as familiar with plan costs. Plan costs basically include the following:
• Investment Management Expenses- These are the expenses charged by the individual mutual fund managers for investments in mutual funds allowed as investment options in the plan. It is the fund’s “expense ratio” and the pro-rated amount is deducted daily from the fund.
• Administration Fees- These fees cover the costs associated with operating the plan: accounting, legal, record keeping, trustee services, etc.
• Individual Fees- These fees cover charges associated with account owner actions (such as taking a loan against the 401(k)).

Who pays the fees associated with a 401(k)? It depends. The employer may pay a portion or all of the fees; however, the employer may shift some of the costs to the employee. For example: A common share class of mutual fund offered in retirement plans is the “R” class. However, that R share comes in several “flavors:” R1, R2, R3, etc. One popular mutual found in many 401(k)s—a four star, gold Morningstar rating—has seven separate share classes for the same fund. The difference in the R class is the expense ratio charged. Of the seven different classes, the highest expense ratio is 1.55%; the lowest expense ratio is 0.05%. The higher the expense ratio in the plan’s R class, the greater the proportion of plan expense shifted from the plan sponsor (the company) to the employee. Plan expenses are a significant concern. There is now a lawsuit working its way through the legal system to the Supreme Court; it was filed by an employee against his employer for excessive 401(k) fees (Glenn Tibble v. Edison International). There may be significant changes in plan expense structure as a result.

There are multiple items to consider toward maximizing your retirement plan results. Investments in retirement plans should be integrated with investments held outside retirement plans; this integration provides for a more diversified total portfolio.  

We at Paragon Financial Advisors are happy to help our clients evaluate their company retirement plan options and their potential consequences.  Please call us anytime to see if our services are a good fit with your needs.  Paragon Financial Advisors is a fee-only registered investment advisory company located in College Station, Texas. We offer financial planning and investment management.

Paragon Perspectives

This quarter's edition of Paragon Perspectives discusses mistakes to avoid in your Individual Retirement Account and some simple steps for late contributions.

Individual Retirement accounts (IRAs) have been great savings devices for many individuals.  Contributions have been limited to several thousands of dollars per year; however, rollovers of corporate retirement plans into self-directed IRAs have resulted in significant dollar values in many IRAs.  Because many individuals have significant amounts in IRAs, we discuss some of the planning issues involved with IRAs in this quarter’s issue of the Paragon Perspectives Newsletter.

Please contact us if you have questions about your IRA or company retirement plan, the asset allocation therein, and required minimum distribution.

Sincerely,

Wm. Jene Tebeaux CFP® CFA® CAIA®


If you did not receive a copy of this quarter's newsletter please email info@paragon-adv.com to request a copy. 

Spending (Time) in Retirement

The December 1, 2014 Wall Street Journal (Encore Section, pg R3) had an interesting article about how people spend time in retirement. The implication was that time spent in retirement was different than time spent when working. That time utilization difference in retirement is intuitively obvious. What is not so obvious, however, is the financial impact of the time difference.

When we do a retirement plan, we assume that the individual/family spending needs will increase on an inflation adjusted basis until the end of the projection period. We do that knowing that, at some point, spending will start to decrease (barring catastrophic medical needs) as people age. The ability or desire to engage in expensive activities tends to decrease. Projections in such a plan are basically over estimating expenses and trying to match income to those expenses. This conservative planning is trying to ensure running out of “time” before running out of “money.”

The Journal article (from the Bureau of Labor Statistics data “How Retirees Spend Their Time: Helping Clients Set Realistic Income Goals,” Charlene M. Kalenkoski and Eakamon Oumtrakool) showed the following data: (Note-The original data measured weekday activities in average minutes per day for full time workers vs. retirees. We have converted the differences to a percent using the full time worker number as the base; thus a “+” percent means more time spent by the retiree than the full time worker in that activity).

Full Time Worker                                                                            Retiree

Sleeping                                                                                           +13%

Television/Movies                                                                         +130%

Socializing/Communicating with others                                   +42%

Reading for Personal Interest                                                     +269%

The study also found that retirees spent increased time in activities that were not exceedingly expensive (lawn/garden care, house cleaning, eating out less and preparing more meals at home).  In essence, although time spent may change dramatically in retirement, the change may not necessarily be significantly more expensive—especially as one ages.

We, at Paragon Financial Advisors, help our clients analyze the financial impact of retirement decisions; we’ll leave the time utilization to their desires. Paragon Financial Advisors is a fee-only registered investment advisory company located in College Station, Texas. We offer financial planning and investment management.

Live Long and Prosper

On Monday, October 27, 2014, the Society of Actuaries issued new estimates of life expectancies in the U.S. A 65 year old female has a life expectancy of 88.8 years, an increase of 2.4 years from the 2000 age projection. Males age 65 have a life expectancy of 86.6 years, an increase of 2 years from the 2000 projections. The good news—we’re living longer; the bad news—we’re living longer.


This increase in life expectancy has financial planning implications. Many defined benefit pension plans are currently underfunded. The Society of Actuaries predicts that the underfunded status of these plans could increase between 4 and 8% because of the increased life span. Defined contribution plans—such as 401(k) and 403(b) plans which shift retirement benefits to the employee’s successful management of funds invested—will require a greater time period of income coverage. Such increased coverage should come from increased savings, more aggressive investment management, delayed retirement, reduced spending in retirement, or some combination of all the preceding.


Syndicated columnist Scott Burns provided additional statistics with planning implications. He quoted data from a 2012 study by the Census Bureau that showed what the average group of 65 year olds could expect by age 80:


          Thirty eight (38) percent will have passed away.


          Thirty four (34) percent will have some form of severe disability.


          Nine (9) percent will have some disability.


          Eighteen (18) percent will have no form of disability.  (There is some rounding error in totals.)


The first three categories may require special financial planning problems. Given their relative likelihood, planning now may be a prudent course of action.


We at Paragon Financial Advisors can help our clients as they plan for their “golden years.” Please call us with questions. We do not sell any products (i.e. insurance, etc.) but we will help clients analyze those options available to them.  Paragon Financial Advisors is a fee-only registered investment advisory company located in College Station, Texas. We offer financial planning and investment management.