A Roth 401(k) is a feature that allows participants to contribute to their retirement on an AFTER TAX basis. As long as the money remains in a plan for at least 5 years, the distribution (even the earnings!) will be TAX FREE.

of this time, the IRS has not finalized regulations about Roth 401(k) contributions. Therefore, distributions (including hardship distributions and loans) will not be able to be made from Roth 401(k) money until the final rules are issued. We expect these rules early in 2006. Of course, a participant would still have access to his account balance from other money sources.

No, it is not a new type of plan. Designated Roth contributions are a new type of contribution that can be accepted by new or existing 401(k) or 403(b) plans. This feature is permitted under a Code section added by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA), effective for years beginning on or after January 1, 2006.

Roth 401(k) contributions are added to regular (tax deferred) 401(k) contributions in calculating the maximum that can be contributed to a plan. The maximum contribution (both Roth 401(k) AND regular 401(k) contributions) for 2007 is $15,500 plus up to an additional $5,000 if the participant attains age 50 during the plan year.

Roth 401(k) contributions are treated the same as regular 401(k) contributions for purposes of a regular or safe harbor match.

No. Only monies from a participant's prior Roth 401(k) qualified retirement account can be rolled over into a participant's Roth 401(k) account within your Plan.

No, designated Roth contributions are treated the same as pre-tax elective contributions when performing annual nondiscrimination testing. Yes, a plan can provide that the highly compensated employee (HCE), as defined in section 414(q), with elective contributions for a year that include both pre-tax elective contributions and designated Roth contributions may elect whether excess contributions are to be attributed to pre-tax elective contributions or designated Roth contributions.

If you have enough money to contribute to your 401(k) plan and a Roth IRA, you may invest in a Roth IRA if your income level allows you to do so. Generally speaking, you should contribute to your 401(k) at least up to the amount that your employer matches your contributions. Beyond that level, it may make sense to invest the maximum allowed in a Roth IRA.

No. Employer sponsored 401(k) plans must offer Elective Deferrals as an available option to participants in order to allow for Roth 401(k) contributions.

Roth 401(k) contributions are added to regular 401(k) contributions for ADP nondiscrimination testing.

Participants will need to access their individual accounts online and select the Contribution Summary link under Section Guide. Participants can then click on the button "Change Contribution Rate" to elect a contribution rate for their Roth 401(k) money source.

All Roth 401(k) contributions are to be included with the same payroll date and frequency as Elective Deferrals. A Roth 401(k) money source will be available in the Contribution Processing section via Plan Sponsor Access referencing participants that have elected Roth 401(k) contributions.

You must first rollover your 401(k) into a traditional IRA. Once you've done this, you may convert your traditional IRA to a ROTH IRA. The rollover from a 401(k) into a ROTH IRA usually triggers tax-consequences since the taxation of ROTH IRA withdrawals is more liberal than 401(k) withdrawals..

A 401(k) plan is a defined contribution plan that is a cash or deferred arrangement. You can elect to defer receiving a portion of your salary which is instead contributed on your behalf, before taxes, to the 401(k) plan. Sometimes the employer may match your contributions. There are special rules governing the operation of a 401(k) plan. For example, there is a dollar limit on the amount you may elect to defer each year. The dollar limit is $11,000.

an employee, you are eligible to participate in your employer's 401(k) plan once you have attained the minimum required years of age and have completed the required number of hours of service. These requirements are determined by your employer and may be found in your plan's Summary Plan Description.

A 401 (k) plan loan must bear a reasonable rate of interest similar to the prevailing rate of interest charged by a bank or other professional lender making a loan in a similar circumstance. This rate varies, but it becomes fixed at the time your loan is processed and remains fixed until it is paid off. Generally, the interest rate is the Wall Street Journal prime rate plus 1%. All of the interest is credited back to the participant's account balance.

Taking a loan from your 401(k) may have a negative impact on your account, because your money is being taken out of the market. This may cause a loss of investment gains or dividends. Read More

In addition to lowering your taxable income, 401 (k) plans offer convenience, flexibility, compounded savings, and the ability to self direct your investments.

If you elect to receive your statement electronically, you will be notified via email when it is ready, generally about five business days after quarter end. If you elect paper statement, it will be mailed 15 business days after quarter end.

Federal and state income taxes are exempt in a 401(k) plan. City or local taxes may also be exempt. Check with your local tax authorities to verify this information.

If you were still employed at the time of death, your account generally becomes 100% vested and would be distributed according to your beneficiary elections. Please refer to your summary plan description (SPD) for additional information.

If you are married your spouse must be listed as the beneficiary on your account unless they sign a form waiving their right. Because the 401(k) is considered a marital asset your spouse is automatically the beneficiary, if you wish to list somebody other then your spouse as the beneficiary they must waive their right to the benefit.

Deferrals cannot be withheld from compensation paid to employees after termination of employment unless the compensation is paid within 2 ? months after the termination of employment and the compensation represents: Payments that the employee would have received if there had been no termination of employment (e.g., payment for hours actually worked prior to termination of employment or payment of commissions); OR Payment for accrued sick or vacation pay.

You will be able to withdraw your funds based on your individual balances, and the plan requirements, for the following reasons:

You can only take a distribution from you 401(k) account if you are no longer considered an employee. If you are temporarily laid off and there is a reasonable expectation that you will be called back to work then you would not qualify for a distribution. If your employment is considered terminated due to lay off then you would be eligible for a distribution of your funds. Even though you are no longer working for the company, you are still participating in the company 401(k) plan.

If your plan includes a loan provision, and you are still actively employed, then you may apply for a loan from your 401(k) account. The only portion of your balance that is eligible to borrow is your vested balance. In addition, the plan trustee must give their approval for the loan. Please see your plan's Summary Plan Description to determine if your plan has a loan provision.

The maximum amount an employee can contribute to a 401(k) plan is determined annually. You may be allowed catch up contributions in addition to annual limit, if you are age 50 or older. Refer to "Elective Deferrals" in Publication 525,taxable and Nontaxable Income. The maximum amount applies to an employee's aggregate pre-tax contributions to a 401(k) plan and 403(b) plan. There are several different limits that apply to a 401(k) plan in addition to the overall contribution limit.

In some very specific circumstances you can use money from a 401k to buy certain kinds of credit in TMRS.

Most 401(k) plans offer a variety of stock and bond investment options. However, real estate is largely not accessible in most of today's defined contribution plans. Real estate stocks' competitive rates of return, stable levels of risk, and low correlation with the investment returns of other stocks and bonds offer significant diversification benefits to a multi-asset portfolio.

If you control the 401(K) account you can implement our Legal Structure Program of your self directed IRA Assets with those funds. However, if you are an employee of a corporation that controls the 401(K) then you probably will NOT be able to implement this strategy until you leave the company or retire.