Insights
Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersMany investors spend years optimizing their investment allocation while giving little thought to their contribution allocation.
A decision between Roth and Traditional contributions gets made once and stays untouched for years.
Meanwhile:
Income changes.
Tax brackets change.
Career trajectories change.
Retirement goals change.
A Roth contribution election that made sense five years ago may not be the best fit today.
The Traditional election that made sense at age 55 may not have been the best choice at age 35.
Reviewing contribution strategy deserves attention alongside reviewing investments.
#401k #RetirementPlanning #RetirementSavings
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersA Roth contribution and a Traditional contribution can feel very different during your working years.
Traditional contributions often create an immediate benefit through a lower tax bill.
Roth contributions usually require giving up that tax benefit today.
That's why a Roth account can sometimes feel more expensive while you're building wealth.
The tradeoff is that future qualified withdrawals can be completely tax-free.
Neither approach works best in every situation.
The value comes from matching the strategy to the tax situation.
#RetirementPlanning #FinancialPlanning #RothIRA
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersOne of the biggest advantages of Roth contributions has nothing to do with investment performance.
The investments can be identical.
The difference is where the tax bill shows up.
Traditional contributions typically reduce taxable income today and create taxable withdrawals later.
Roth contributions require paying taxes today, but qualified withdrawals are tax-free.
When people compare Roth and Traditional accounts, they're really making a decision about when they want to pay taxes.
That single decision can affect retirement income for decades.
#RetirementPlanning #Roth401k #401k
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersDo you have a retirement junk drawer?
An old 401(k) here. Another one from a job you left years ago. Maybe an IRA you rarely check.
Each account may be fine on its own, but together they can become difficult to manage.
Rolling old 401(k)s into one IRA may help simplify things and give you a clearer picture of your retirement savings.
How many separate accounts are you currently trying to keep track of?
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersHow long has your old 401(k) been sitting with a company you no longer work for?
A year? Five years? Longer?
That account may still be invested according to decisions you made at a completely different stage of life.
A rollover could give you the opportunity to bring it into your current retirement strategy and manage it alongside your other investments.
When did you last give that account a real review?
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersDo all your retirement accounts follow one strategy?
If you have old 401(k)s spread across different companies, you may own several investments that overlap or take more risk than you realize.
Rolling those accounts into one IRA may make it easier to see what you own and manage everything around the same goals.
Would one coordinated account be easier to understand?
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersDo you know what your old 401(k) costs?
Many people know the balance but have never reviewed the plan fees or compared them with the alternatives.
A rollover may offer different investment choices, services and expenses. Those differences can matter over a long retirement timeline.
Before leaving an old account untouched, make sure you understand what you are paying for.
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersStill have a 401(k) at a company you left years ago?
It may be worth considering a rollover.
One account can be easier to monitor. You may have more investment choices. You can also build the account around your current goals instead of choices made at a previous job.
When did you last give that old account a serious review?
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersThe closer you get to retirement, the more important organization becomes.
If your retirement savings are spread across several old 401(k)s, it can be difficult to understand your total allocation, fees and withdrawal strategy.
Rolling old accounts into one IRA may make the transition into retirement easier to manage.
Would you rather organize everything now or figure it out when you need the money?
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersWho is managing your old 401(k)?
For many people, the answer is nobody.
The account stayed behind when they changed jobs, and they haven’t made an active decision about it since.
Rolling it into an IRA may provide more control over the investments and make it easier to manage alongside your other accounts.
Is your old 401(k) still part of your plan, or is it simply still there?
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersCould you log in to your old 401(k) right now?
A lot of people know they have an account somewhere. They just don’t remember the provider, investments or password.
A rollover may help bring that money back into your financial plan and put it somewhere you will actually monitor.
Your old 401(k) represents years of work. It deserves more attention than an account you occasionally remember exists.
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersDo you know what your old 401(k) is invested in?
You may have selected those investments years ago, when your income, family and retirement plans looked completely different.
Rolling the account into an IRA may give you more investment choices and an opportunity to build a strategy around your current goals.
When was the last time you reviewed more than the balance?
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersHow many retirement account logins do you have?
I’ve met people with old 401(k)s spread across three or four former employers.
At that point, it becomes harder to know what you own, how much risk you’re taking and whether the accounts work together.
A rollover may help consolidate those accounts into one IRA and give you a clearer view of your retirement savings.
Would you rather manage four old accounts or one coordinated account?
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersHow many old 401(k)s do you have?
One? Two? More than you’d like to admit?
There may be nothing wrong with the old plans, but keeping retirement money scattered across former employers can make it harder to see the full picture.
Rolling those accounts into one IRA may give you one place to track your investments, review your risk and manage your retirement strategy.
Would having everything in one place make your financial life easier?
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersThe Power of Small Improvements
A retirement plan doesn't have to be perfect to make a meaningful difference.
Sometimes the biggest wins come from small improvements:
• Lowering investment expenses • Increasing participation rates • Improving employee education • Simplifying investment choices • Encouraging higher savings rates
Over time, small changes can lead to better outcomes for hundreds of employees and their families.
#401k #RetirementPlanning #EmployeeBenefits
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersA Question for Employers
When was the last time your retirement plan was benchmarked?
Many employers review expenses in every area of their business, but rarely examine their retirement plan with the same level of scrutiny.
Regular reviews can help identify: • Lower-cost investment options • Improved participant outcomes • Better service models • Administrative efficiencies
Small improvements today may have a meaningful impact on employees' retirement outcomes over time.
#401k #RetirementPlan #Fiduciary #BusinessLeadership
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersWhen people think about retirement plans, they often think about investments.
In reality, the investment lineup is only the start,
Strong retirement plans are built on: • Thoughtful plan design • Fiduciary oversight • Participant engagement • Cost management • Ongoing education
Helping employees save for retirement can be one of the most valuable benefits an employer offers.
#RetirementPlanAdvisor #401kPlan #Benefits #RetirementReadiness
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersThe Best Retirement Plans
The best retirement plans aren't necessarily the ones with the most investment options.
They're the plans that make it easy for employees to take action.
Clear education. Reasonable costs. Strong fiduciary oversight. Simple decisions.
When employers focus on those areas, participation and engagement often follow.
#RetirementPlans #401kAdvisor #EmployeeBenefits #LeadershipThoughts
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersWhere do your employees turn when they have questions about the company retirement plan?
Many employees are unsure who to contact when they want to review their contribution rate, understand their investments or determine whether their account allocation still fits their goals.
Regular employee education meetings can provide:
Clear explanations of plan features
Help understanding investment choices
Opportunities to review account allocations
Guidance on using the company match
A dedicated resource for retirement questions
How accessible is retirement support within your company?
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Thrivent Social Media Privacy Policy, Guidelines, Disclosures & DisclaimersHas your company retirement plan outgrown its current provider?
As your company grows, your retirement plan may gain more participants, assets and administrative needs. That growth should lead to a review of:
Provider pricing
Investment options
Employee education
Plan design
Payroll coordination
Service and response times
Has your provider’s support evolved with your company?
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