Resource · Retirement Income
Job Change: 401(k) Rollover
Your four options when you leave an employer — and the tax traps that catch most people.
When you leave a job, the 401(k) you leave behind needs a decision. This guide walks through your options, along with the deadlines and details that are easy to miss.
What’s inside
Your four options
Leave it in the old plan, roll it to a new 401(k), roll it to an individual retirement account (IRA), or cash it out, with when each tends to make sense.
When an IRA can fit
Broader investment choices, and keeping your retirement savings in one place.
When a 401(k) can fit
Lower-cost institutional funds, access to plan loans, and certain age-based withdrawal rules.
Direct and indirect rollovers
How the two rollover methods work, and why the 60-day deadline for an indirect rollover matters.
Other benefits tied to the job
Health savings accounts (HSAs), stock compensation, deferred compensation, group insurance, and pension choices.
Talk with us before your last day
Download the guide before you leave if you can. Many decisions in the months after a job change become permanent, and we can review your options against your full plan.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not individualized advice.