long as your 401(k) balance is greater than $2,000, you can take up to 50% of your account balance for purposes of a loan (minimum loan amount is $1,000). There is a $75 loan origination fee and the loan is paid back through payroll deductions (the interest charged is prime plus 2%). Participants are also charged a $50 annual loan fee. Loan requests are made through the Great West Life Annuity and generally take about 2-3 weeks to process all the necessary paperwork.

Usually no. Any money that you borrow for college must be paid back to your plan within five years or else you have to pay income taxes on the withdrawal plus the IRS 10% early withdrawal penalty. Money borrowed for freshman year tuition would have to be all paid back in five years, often the year after graduation when parents' assets may still be stretched.

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.

with your plan administrator for the details and availability of the loan and the repayment provisions. The mortgage lender will need to know the amount owed, repayment term and monthly payment.

Under the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act, first-time homeowners can withdraw up to $10,000 penalty free from an individual retirement account (IRA) or 401(k) for a down payment to purchase a principal residence (though you might have to pay income tax on the amount withdrawn.) Borrowing against your 401(k) offers several advantages: This $10,000 is a lifetime limit -- and the money must be used within 120 days of the date you receive it.

CalSTRS does not offer a program where members can borrow against their retirement account. However, CalSTRS does offer two types of mortgage programs that may meet your needs. The Zero-Down Preferred Program and the 80/17 Program both provide down payment assistance. For more information on the CalSTRS Home Loan Program, visit the Home Loan Program Summary page.

A company may choose to supplement the employee elective contributions and matching contributions with discretionary non-elective contributions based on profitability or employer performance. More frequently, a 401(k) plan containing only elective contributions will be supplemented by discretionary non-elective contributions. The profit sharing element of discretionary non-elective contributions can provide significant performance incentives to participants.

A 401(k) is a fairly simple plan. It is set up by your employer as a set contribution retirement agreement. That means you are the one who pays into the plan, although your employer and the plan provider who offers your 401(k) do just about all the work. Your 401(k) contribution is automatically deducted from your paycheck each pay period. This money is taken out and invested before your paycheck is taxed.

Participants in a 401(k) plan generally have a decent number of different investment options, nearly all cases a menu of mutual funds. These funds usually include a money market, bond funds of varying maturities (short, intermediate, long term), company stock, mutual fund, US Series EE Savings Bonds, and others.

Your 401(k) plan helps you start regular investing, and stick with it. Your contributions are automatically deducted from your salary before you receive your check. Since the money is deducted from your gross income, you will have a lower taxable income, which means you will pay less in annual taxes. The money you save will accumulate on a tax-deferred basis. This means you pay no federal or state taxes on your contributions or investment earnings until you start withdrawing money from the plan.

For Employees: 401(k) plans are popular with employees because they are able to divert a portion of their salary into an account that is set aside for their retirement while simultaneously reducing their current tax bill. Employees are not required to pay income tax on these salary deferrals until they take the money out of the 401(k) plan, at some time in the future.

All reporting and disclosure requirements must be satisfied by the plan administrator. The completion of the forms which must be submitted when a participant enters the 401(k) plan, the preparation of series 5500 forms, a Summary Annual Report and a statement to participants of their account balance are a few of the administrative functions of a 401(k) plan.

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.

You may contact Putnam Investments at 1-877-JIB-401K (1-877-542-4015) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to obtain account balance information, to change investment funds, or to request a distribution or loan. Remember to have your PIN number available when you call. You may also obtain your account balance online at www.ibenefitcenter.mercerhrs.com. Yes, and it varies by year in accordance with IRS regulations.