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. See similar questions...

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

The Savings Plan gives you an easy and effective way to save for retirement. The Savings plan allows you to contribute a percentage of your pay either before-tax or after-tax (up to certain IRS limits). If you are a salaried employee, Siemens will match a specified percentage of your contribution. See similar questions...

Yes. Returns have been ahead of the market indexes using such small sets of funds, but not as high as those using a much larger universe of funds. A small number of choices does not allow our system to reach its potential. Also, your available funds must be some of the top performing funds or their TIs will not appear on our web site. We suggest you find another 401(k) with more fund choices, or "roll over" your 401(k) to an IRA if possible. See similar questions...

Yes, we integrate these assets into our portfolio allocation. This is usually included in your management fee. See similar questions...

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. See similar questions...

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. See similar questions...

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. See similar questions...

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 See similar questions...

You need to use it with a URL in the form "/foo/bar" and not one with a method and hostname such as "http://host/foo/bar". See the ErrorDocument documentation for details. This was incorrectly documented in the past. See similar questions...

If your employer doesn't offer a retirement plan, or if you're a non-working spouse, you can use an IRA to save for your retirement. You can contribute $3,000 (in 2004) or $4,000 (each year, 2005 through 2007) to a traditional or Roth IRA. See similar questions...

We've built several safeguards into the 401(k) Easy do-it-yourself 401k system to help you keep your 401k in line with ever-changing IRS regulations: We program relevant IRS regulations about contribution limits and compliance testing, among other things, into your 401(k) Easy software. See similar questions...

Because we're long-experienced in all aspects of 401k administration for plans of all sizes, we know plan administrators' needs and have created series of brief, easy-to-read reports that enable plan administrators to find the information they need -- fast -- so they can do their jobs -- fast. See similar questions...

A 401(k) plan is a type of retirement plan offered by an employer under section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. A 403(b) plan is a somewhat different type of retirement plan, which has many of the same features of a 401(k). Since Duke is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization and educational institution we can offer a 403(b) plan. See similar questions...

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. See similar questions...

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. See similar questions...

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. See similar questions...

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. See similar questions...

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. See similar questions...

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