Scattered accounts, gathered into one.

What changes whenit is all in one place

• 

  One place to look

  See the whole picture and run one strategy across it.

• 

  A wider set of choices

  Stocks, bonds, funds and annuities, not just a short plan menu.

• 

  Check the pension offer

  The payout offered is not always the best. We compare it with a lump-sum rollover.

• 

  Someone keeping watch

  Adjusting as markets and goals move, and cutting fees that do not earn their keep.

• Recommended Recommended

  Direct rollover

  The money moves from the old institution straight into your new IRA, never passing through your hands. It is not treated as a withdrawal, so there is no withholding and no penalty. I handle the forms.

• Use care

  Indirect rollover

  You receive a check and have 60 days to deposit it in the new account. Miss that window and it counts as income, with tax and possibly an early-withdrawal penalty.

If an employer plan pays you directly, it usually withholds 20%, and you would need to make up that amount from other money to roll over the full balance.

• What your plan allows

  If you are still employed, find out whether your plan permits an in-service rollover at all.

• SIMPLE IRA timing

  Moving a SIMPLE IRA to another plan within two years of opening it can trigger a penalty.

• Roth works differently

  A Roth IRA cannot be rolled into other plan types. Moving from Traditional to Roth is a conversion, with its own rules.

• Goals and costs

  Compare the new account’s options, management costs and fees, and make sure it fits what you need.

Rollover and tax rules change, so check before you act. Work through the tax side with your CPA or tax advisor; I do not provide tax advice. Investments can lose value.