Could You Retire From Your Cooperative At Age 55 or Before?

Yes is the short answer. The IRS gives you two options to access your retirement funds early without penalty. The IRS Rule of 55 applies to your NRECA 401k account and the Section 72(t) distribution applies to your NRECA 401k and your R&S plan. Let's look at the two options.

The Rule of 55

If you have a 401(k) plan, you probably already know that there is usually a 10-percent penalty for withdrawing any of the funds before you reach age 59 1/2. But there are some exceptions to this early distribution rule and one of them affects early retirees in particular. It is often referred to as the Internal Revenue Service's "Rule of 55." If you are age 55 or older, it is something you should know about because it affects how and when you can gain penalty-free access to your retirement savings.

The IRS Rule of 55 allows an employee who is laid off, fired, or who quits a job between the ages of 55 and 59 1/2 to pull money out of his 401(k) or 403 (b) plan without penalty. This applies to workers who leave their jobs anytime during or after the year of their 55th birthdays.

Of course, there is a slight catch you need to be aware of. The Rule of 55 only applies to assets in your current 401(k) or 403(b)—the one you invested in while you were at the job you are considering leaving at age 55 or older. If you have money in a former 401(k) or 403(b), it's not eligible for the early withdrawal penalty exemption. You would have to wait until age 59 1/2 to begin withdrawing funds from those accounts if you wanted to do so without paying the 10-percent penalty.

One strategy to give yourself access to retirement plan assets with a former employer prior to age 59 1/2 is to roll those assets into your current 401k prior to retiring from your current job. This strategy will give you access to those funds penalty-free if you do not want to wait until 59 1/2 to begin taking money out of the plan.

It is important to note that the Rule of 55 does not apply to individual retirement accounts (IRA). If you were to move assets into a rollover IRA upon leaving your job, you would not be eligible for early withdrawal under the Rule of 55.

If you are looking for more information on this retirement planning strategy, contact us. We can walk you through the options.

A Section 72(t) Distribution

The Rule of 55 is not the only way to take penalty-free distributions from a Retirement Account. There's another way to take money out of a 401(k), 403(b), and even IRA retirement assets if you leave a job before the age of 59 1/2. It's known as the Substantially Equal Periodic Payment or SEPP exemption aka the IRS Section 72(t) distribution. This would allow you access to your R&S funds before retirement age and penalty free.

Using this type of distribution rule, you would start by calculating your life expectancy and use that to calculate substantially equal payments from a retirement plan for at least five years in a row or until the age of 59 1/2 depending on which is longer. The distributions can occur at any age. They're not bound by the same age 55 threshold as the Rule of 55.

The 72(t) distribution can be complicated, but we can help you figure out if it's an option for you. We can run calculations for you that show exactly how much you could withdrawal each year.

For more help with your early retirement, please contact 80/20 Financial Services. We charge nothing for a second opinion.

We are financial planning firm located in Ozark, Missouri and we specialize in helping electric cooperative employees retire. Do you have enough money saved for retirement? Will you run out of money in retirement? We can help you answer both questions. Contact us today.

You Need A Plan

A goal of retiring - without a plan to get there - is simply a plan to never retire. Retirement isn't some magical age. It's a dollar amount. If you're age 50 or over and still in the accumulation phase (pre-retirement) we can help you figure out where you need to go and how to get there. If you are retired or nearing retirement, we can create a plan which will outpace inflation and possibly leave a legacy to your family. The consultation is free and without obligation. Contact us to set up a consultation.

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Thanks for reading!

Brian Coleman-Owner/Advisor

80/20 Financial Services is an Independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) registered in the state of Missouri (CRD# 300772). Being independent allows us to work exclusively for YOU. 80/20 Financial Services is the legal name of our Registered Investment Advisory Firm (RIA). Electric Cooperative Retirement Planning is what we do.