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.

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.

No. It is up to you as to how much money you would like to contribute to your Health Savings Account or 401(k), subject to each plan's limits. A Savings Maximizer tool will be available in September to help you plan your savings. After you estimate your potential costs, the Savings Maximizer tool can help you consider how much to contribute to your various savings accounts - for example, HSA, limited purpose Health Care FSA, and 401(k).

In order to view your balance, go to our home page and click on "Manage Your Account." Enter your Social Security Number (SSN) (without hyphens) and your Personal Identification Number (PIN). The default PIN Number is the last four digits of your SSN. You may change your User ID and PIN once you have already logged into your account. Send us a fax with a note explaining you need your PIN Reset. Include your full name, SSN, date of birth, phone number and signature.

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.

MATRIX does not require participants to close out their accounts upon ending contract employment. You may therefore either (1) leave your 401(k) account active with Great-West, or (2) close your account and transfer your monies to either an IRA, another qualified 401(k) plan or cash out.

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.

In many instances, as long as the shares were purchased during the class period. However, you should make sure the Plan is not filing a claim on behalf of all class purchases. If you are no longer in a Plan, ask the Plan Administrator whether you should file on your own behalf. That depends on the Plan of Allocation in the case. Sometimes transactions with gains have a zero recognized claim. We Are ProudWe are proud to be ranked consistently among the top accounting firms in the Delaware Valley.

Yes. You can open these accounts directly with the fund by downloading an application from the website, calling our toll-free number, 1-800-930-3828 or through any one of the participating brokers.

No. But your participation ensures that you will be on the list of shareholders who are notified of how to claim their share of any recovery. You also have the right to pursue a claim individually, although it may not be efficient for you to do so from an economic standpoint.

You cannot borrow from your mandatory retirement account. You may only borrow money from your supplemental retirement account. You will need to contact the Supplemental Retirement Vendor directly. Vendor information is available on the HRS website.

Yes. If you are a client and are actively participating in your company's 401(k), 403(b) or 457 plan, we will provide guidance assisting you to choose among the available funds in your company plan without additional charge. As a quid pro quo, we ask that you consider our firm for asset management when you withdraw your assets from your plan.

No, current IRS regulations do not allow you to transfer funds between these two tax-favored accounts.

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.