Financial Advisor Ann Arbor

Contributions and Tax Savings

A commonly-overlooked benefit of 401k investing is that contributions can be made pre-tax, so that even a small contribution can go a long way. In this situation, 401k contributions are not taxed until you retire.  Therefore, the more you contribute to your retirement account, the smaller your taxable income becomes, and the more federal taxes you are able to defer.

Consider the tax savings (reduction in tax liability) achieved by a 401k contribution of $100 for six marginal tax rates. For example, if you are subject to a 35% marginal tax rate and you choose not to contribute, you will pay $35 in taxes and only have $65 available to invest in another account. If, however, you invest pretax in your 401k, you will have $100 that is yours and can grow tax-deferred until you retire.

Wealth Management Ann Arbor

Take Advantage of Tax-Deferred Accounts

One of the main reasons why retirement accounts are so beneficial is the power of tax deferral. In a tax-deferred investment vehicle such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, your earnings are not taxed until you begin withdrawing money from your account in retirement.

Consider this: a hypothetical value of $10,000 is invested in both a taxable and a tax-deferred account. The difference in value between the two accounts becomes quite substantial after 20+ years. Depending on your tax bracket, your total portfolio under this scenario could achieve a value of  as much as $250,000. For investors with a long investment time horizon, a tax-deferred portfolio is an excellent choice.

Please keep in mind that once you begin to withdraw money from your retirement account, you will be taxed accordingly. However, since you will most likely earn less in retirement, withdrawals from a deferred portfolio may be taxed at a lower rate.