When you retire, how does a 401k work?

@roderick_marquardt 

A 401k is a retirement savings plan offered by employers in the United States. Here's how it generally works:

1. Enrollment: When you start working for a company that offers a 401k plan, you become eligible to enroll in the program, usually after a certain period of employment.
2. Contribution: Once enrolled, you can contribute a portion of your salary to your 401k account on a pre-tax basis, meaning the amount you contribute is deducted from your paycheck before taxes are applied. Your contributions typically have a limit defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) each year.
3. Employer Match: Many employers provide a matching contribution to their employees' 401k plans. This means that they will contribute a certain percentage of the employee's salary into the 401k account as well. The match varies from company to company, but a common example is a 50% match on the first 6% of your salary.
4. Investment Options: Within your 401k account, you have the option to invest your contributions in a variety of investment options such as stock funds, bond funds, or target-date funds. The specific investment options available depend on the plan chosen by your employer.
5. Tax Advantages: One of the significant advantages of a 401k is that your contributions and any investment gains are tax-deferred. This means you don't pay taxes on them until you withdraw the money during retirement, which allows your savings to potentially grow faster over time.
6. Vesting: Some employers implement a vesting schedule that determines how much of the employer match you are entitled to if you leave the company before a specific period. Vesting schedules vary, but typically you become fully vested in your employer's contributions after a few years of service.
7. Withdrawal: Generally, you can start withdrawing funds penalty-free from your 401k account after reaching age 59 ½. However, if you withdraw before this age, you may be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty along with income taxes.
8. Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs): Once you reach age 72 (70 ½ if you were born before July 1, 1949), the IRS requires you to start taking minimum distributions from your 401k account annually. This is to ensure that you start withdrawing and paying taxes on your retirement savings.

It's important to note that specific rules and regulations can vary between different 401k plans, so it's advisable to consult with your employer or a financial advisor for details specific to your situation.