By Phyllis C. Borzi, Assistant Secretary, Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration

Business closings, downsizings and reductions in hours may lead you to wonder what happens to your retirement benefits if you lose your job? Saving for retirement through an employer’s plan is an important part of your future financial security. The good news is you have protections under Federal law.

The Right To Receive Information

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) provides rules for those responsible for the management and oversight of your retirement plan. It also provides you with some rights and protections, including the right to receive information about your retirement plan.

When you leave your job, make sure you have a copy of your plan’s current summary plan description (SPD) and your individual benefit statement. If you don’t, request a copy.

The SPD tells you if and when you can collect your benefits or how to roll over your 401(k) account to a new employer’s plan or to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Your individual benefit statement lets you monitor your account balance or benefit.

What If Your Former Employer Goes Out of Business?

If your retirement savings remain in your former employer’s plan, your retirement funds generally should not be at risk even if a business closes. Employers must comply with Federal laws when establishing and running retirement plans, and the consequences of not prudently managing plan assets are serious.

Keep current on any changes the company makes, including changes of address, employer name, or mergers and give the plan any changes to your contact information.

If your benefits are in a traditional pension plan and your plan ends without enough money to pay the promised benefits, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation will pay benefits up to a maximum guaranteed amount set by law.

Accessing Your Retirement Money

If you want to access your retirement money, review your SPD and individual benefit statement. Generally, if you are in a 401(k)–type defined contribution plan, your plan may provide for a lump sum distribution or a rollover of your retirement money to a new employer’s plan or an IRA when you leave the company.

If you are in a defined benefit pension plan, your benefits begin at retirement age and are less likely to be available earlier. Contact your plan administrator if you have questions about accessing your benefits.

Keep in mind unless you rollover your funds into another retirement account you may have to pay income taxes and a penalty for early withdrawal. Also check with your state unemployment office to see if it will impact your ability to receive unemployment compensation. Withdrawing retirement savings early means you will have less money for retirement.

The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) administers ERISA. EBSA has a number of publications about retirement benefit plans and the protections noted above available at www.dol.gov/ebsa. If you have questions about your retirement plan, contact EBSA at www.askebsa.dol.gov or call 1-866-444-3272.

To learn about other free resources to help you no matter what your financial situation, sign up for our e-mail list or visit our page.

Asked by Charlie on Facebook.

If you have a traditional IRA, you must receive a minimum distribution starting when you are 70 1/2 years old. In order to figure out what that amount is, you must first find your account balance on December 31 of the previous year. Then divide that number by the applicable distribution period or life expectancy. You can find those numbers in the Life Expectancy Tables in the IRS publication on IRAs. 

Learn more about traditional IRA distributions. 

If you have a Roth IRA, you are not required to take distributions at any age. The minimum distribution rules that apply to traditional IRAs do not apply to Roth IRAs while the owner is alive.

Learn more about distribution rules and Roth IRAs. 

These educational comic strips from Kids.gov illustrate ways everyone in the family can pitch in to save money.

Currently, most Americans don’t save enough money for retirement or don’t have enough saved for emergency expenses like home or car repairs. If you’re in that position, you have a chance to take a look at your saving habits and learn ways you can make your financial future more stable during America Saves Week.

You can start by assessing your current savings progress:

• Do you know your net worth — the total amount of your assests minus your debts?
• Do you have a spending plan in place with specific goals?
• Do you have credit card debt?
• Do you save a portion of your tax refunds, gifts or other windfall payments?
• Are you building equity in a home?

Based on your answers to these and other questions, you’ll get advice on next steps you can take to form a strong savings plan.

Learn more about America Saves Week and how to test your money saving knowledge.

By Dan Rutherford from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

About 75 percent of taxpayers are expected to receive a federal income tax refund this year. If you’re one of them, here are five ways to help you keep more of the money you’re getting back from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS):

1. Automatically deposit your savings. Use IRS Form 8888 (PDF) to automatically deposit your refund into up to three accounts. You have the option to deposit some of your refund into your checking account and some into your savings account. You can also use the form to deposit refunds into retirement accounts, mutual funds, or U.S. Savings Bonds. All you need are your account numbers and routing numbers. Contact your financial institutions if you need assistance locating these numbers.
2. Use free filing services. Store-front tax preparers can charge you hundreds of dollars to file your taxes. But many taxpayers can use the IRS’s FreeFile service to complete and file their taxes free online.
3. Compare instant refund offers to direct deposit. Many commercial tax preparation companies market “free filing” or “instant refunds.” But these offers may come with hidden fees and strings attached.
4. Be sure to claim all credits or deductions. A tax credit lowers your tax bill dollar for dollar. A deduction lowers your taxable income, so the amount you save will depend on your tax bracket. Knowing which credits and deductions you qualify for can be complex and you may want to find a qualified tax preparer to help. Although a qualified tax preparer will generally charge for their service, if you qualify for the earned income tax credit, have children, have a mortgage, contributed to a retirement plan, or paid tuition, the added tax savings may be worth the extra effort and cost.
5. If you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, contact your local VITA site for free help. There are more than 12,000 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites across the United States. These sites offer you free tax preparation and assistance by trained volunteers if you meet the income limits. Call 1-800-906-9887 to find the VITA site nearest you. To learn more about the VITA program, visit the IRS website.

Learn more about how you can keep more of your tax refund from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.