Receiving A Lump Sum Retirement Distribution From Your Co-op? Don't Make This Mistake!

When you retire from your cooperative you have several options on how to receive your R&S pension. For example, you can take it as series of payments, you can take it as a lump sum distribution or you can do a combination of both. For those of you interested in the lump sum distribution, I want to make sure you avoid a critical mistake that I have seen retirees make.

In simple terms, a lump sum distribution can be described as "cashing out" of your cooperative's retirement plan. You are then faced with the decision of what to do with that distribution. You can either take it in the form of cash (check payable to you, the individual) or take it in the form of a rollover (check written to your new IRA custodian on your behalf).

Which should you choose?

If you can avoid it, you don't want to receive your distribution in the form of cash (check payable to you). Say that again out loud with me please. If you can avoid it, you don't want to receive your distribution in the form of cash (check payable to you). Why, you ask?

Because you will trigger a taxable event like you have never seen or may ever see the rest of your life. Let's say your Lump Sum is $1 million dollars and you elect to have those funds distributed to you. You have now jumped into the 37% tax bracket. Meaning that, at worst, you could pay up to 37% of that $1 million dollars straight to Aunt Iris (IRS) and Uncle Sam. I'm betting you don't want to give the government $300,000 or more.

Of course, the decision of what to do with your money is yours, but when you receive a lump sum in cash, it means that you have lost the favorable tax treatment of the retirement savings. In different words, the distribution becomes 100% taxable. This is because your pension will be counted as ordinary income and will be taxed accordingly.

How to avoid and control taxes on your lump sum?

One thing you can do with your retirement lump sum is to choose the IRA rollover option. An IRA is an Individual Retirement Account in your name. This may still technically be a lump sum distribution but instead of receiving a check payable to you, you will receive a check payable to your new IRA custodian for your behalf. When you receive your pension distribution options, you will select the option that says something like, "Rollover to IRA" and the check will be written to your new IRA and not to you.

*You will receive a ton of paperwork to make this simple transaction. Don't worry about that. 80/20 Financial Services can walk you through the process.

When done correctly the check will also say FBO [your name}. FBO means "for benefit of." When the rollover check is made payable to your new IRA you do not physically receive the money, which in tax accounting terms means you didn't receive the cash, and you DO NOT pay taxes on the distribution.

Now can you get out of paying taxes all together? Not a chance. However, there are strategies to reduce your tax burden on that amount. We can show you how to do that.

In summary, if you can avoid it at all, do not have your lump sum distribution payable directly to you. Contact 80/20 Financial Services and let us help you formulate a plan to use that money in the most tax efficient ways possible.

You need a plan. We can help.

At 80/20 Financial Services, we are retirement planners and we specialize in working with electric cooperative employees. We can help you answer questions like:

Should you take your cooperative's monthly pension or lump sum offer?
Do you have enough money between your R&S and/or 401k to retire?
Could you possibly retire at age 55?
Is your cooperative 401k invested correctly for your retirement goals?
Should you be investing in a Traditional 401k or a Roth 401k?
Are you contributing too much or too little to your 401k?
Should you quasi-retire from your cooperative?
Should you accept an early retirement offer from your cooperative?
When should you claim Social Security benefits?
How can you lower your tax bill in retirement?
How do you invest your retirement money so that you increase your income in retirement?
How do you create an income stream in retirement that is similar to when you were working?

I started this firm specifically to help electric cooperative employees with retirement planning. I worked for an electric cooperative for 11 years and I know your profession and benefit plans better than any other financial advisor will. You have excellent retirement benefits available to you. I can help you optimize those benefits while creating a retirement income and investing plan that aligns with your retirement goals.

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Thanks for reading!

Brian Coleman-Owner/Advisor

Schedule your free retirement consultation here.

80/20 Financial Services is an Independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) registered in the state of Missouri (CRD# 300772). We help cooperative retirees in Missouri and throughout the United States prosper in retirement. 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. We are a small boutique type firm that only works with current and former electric cooperative employees and their families. We only work with approximately 50 households at any given time. This allows us to know our clients on a more intimate level. Unlike the big financial advisory firms, you're more than just a number to us.