SIMPLE IRA

A SIMPLE IRA, or "Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees Individual Retirement Account", is a type of tax-deferred employer-provided retirement plan in the United States that allows employees to set aside money and invest it to grow for later use. Specifically, it is a type of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) that is set up to be an employer-provided plan. It is an employer sponsored plan, like better-known plans such as the 401(k) (profit-sharing plans) and 403(b) (Tax Sheltered Annuity plans), but offers simpler and less costly administration rules. Like a 401(k) plan, the SIMPLE IRA is funded by a pretax salary reduction. Like other salary reduction contributions, these deductions are subject to social security, medicare, and Federal Unemployment Tax Act taxes. Contribution limits for SIMPLE plans are lower than for most other types of employer-provided retirement plans: $11,500 for 2010, as compared to $16,500 for convention defined contribution plans (Section 402(g) limit) like 401(k), 401(a), and 403(b) plans.

Technicalities

• Only an "eligible employer" may establish a SIMPLE IRA. An eligible employer is one with no more than 100 employees. An employer who has already established a SIMPLE IRA may continue to be "eligible" for two years after crossing the 100 employee limit.
• Employees are not required to make regular IRA contributions to their SIMPLE IRA account.
• The plan requires a certain minimum contribution from the employer. The employer may either (see http://www.irs.gov/retirement/article/0,,id=108941,00.html) match the contributions of employees dollar for dollar up to 3% of the employee's compensation (subject to certain rules that allow for lower contributions—see IRC Sec. 408) or the employer may contribute a flat 2% of compensation for each employee with at least $5,000 in compensation for the year, regardless of the amount the employee contributes.
• The employee contribution limit is $11,500 for 2010, and $11,500 for 2011.^[1]
• A catch-up provision is available for participants over the age of 50. The extra catch-up contribution allowed remains $2,500 for years 2009 and 2010, as compared to $5,500 catch up available in a 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans.^[2]
• The SIMPLE plan can technically be funded with either an IRA or a 401(k). There is almost no benefit to funding it with a 401(k), since the lower contribution limits of the SIMPLE are required as is the expensive extra administration of the 401(k).
• Unlike a 401(k), a SIMPLE IRA cannot be rolled over to a Traditional IRA without a waiting period (two years from the date the employee first participated in the plan).
• SIMPLE IRAs allow for smaller contribution limits than 401(k) or Deferred Contribution Plans.
• SEP IRAs and Traditional IRAs (among other retirement plans) cannot be "rolled over" into a SIMPLE IRA.
• Surrender fees - Financial institutions frequently impose significant fees for rollovers. Be very careful in understanding what fees your financial institutions charges you for rollovers. Example, suppose you invest $2000/year for ten years and rollover all $20,000 before age 59.5. If surrender fees are 5%, reduced by 1% per year then surrender fees would be (100+80+60+40+20 or $300).

Early withdrawal penalty

If a participant under the age of 59.5 wishes to take a distribution and it has been less than two years since their first contribution into the plan, they could be penalized up to a hefty 25% (10% if more than two years) by the Internal Revenue Service. This rule also applies to Rollovers from the Simple IRA. The amount withdrawn, regardless of age would also be subject to income taxes for the year in which the distribution is made.

See also

• List of finance topics
• Personal finance

References

• Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service. Publication 590: Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) 2004 Pages 62–65 100 pg pdf file
• Littell, David and Tacchino, Kenn. Planning for Retirement Needs 5th ed. 2002, The American College, Bryn Mawr PA. ISBN 1-57996-039-1

External links

• Retirement Plans FAQs regarding SIMPLE IRA Plans