Education, not advice.
Answer a short quiz and learn how to read your own 401(k) plan.
Changing jobs
Rolling over or staying in your old plan?
Neither choice is automatically better. Compare fees, investment menus, withdrawal rules and services in each place before you decide.
Read the rollover guideEducation is especially relevant for households with about $500,000 or more in investable financial assets. This is an audience guide, not a minimum. Readers below that amount are welcome.
Investable assets means cash savings and financial investment accounts, including retirement accounts, not home equity. There is no eligibility gate for reading or the quiz.
The math
A 1% fee difference on $500,000 is $5,000 a year.
Example only; your numbers will differ.
Reading library
Each guide opens with a short answer, then walks through the details with links to official sources.
Core concepts
Brokerage windows
Some employers add a brokerage window to their plan, often called a self-directed brokerage account or SDBA. It is linked to the plan's core account and can widen the investment choices beyond the core menu. It stays part of the employer plan, and it can carry separate rules, costs and responsibilities that are worth reading before any change.
Read the guideTax treatment
Traditional contributions generally defer income tax until withdrawal. Designated Roth contributions go in after tax, and qualified distributions are treated differently. Which mix fits depends on plan features and personal tax circumstances, which a tax professional can help weigh.
Read the guideChanging jobs
Neither choice is automatically better. Readers often compare fees, investment menus, withdrawal rules, creditor protections and the services available in each place before deciding.
Read the guideInvestment mix
Over time, market movement can pull an account away from its intended mix. Rebalancing is the process of bringing it back. Plans differ in the tools they offer, such as automatic rebalancing or target-date funds.
Read the guideThe last stretch
The years before retirement tend to raise practical questions: how the account will fund income, how risk is spread, and how withdrawal timing interacts with taxes and plan rules.
Read the guideFactual examples
Several recordkeepers and brokers offer brokerage windows under their own names. Availability depends on each employer's plan and provider, and inclusion here is not an endorsement.
Contributions
The IRS sets annual contribution limits for workplace plans and allows additional catch-up contributions for eligible older participants. These limits change over time, and plan provisions also matter, so confirm current figures directly with the IRS and the plan administrator rather than relying on an older example.
Distributions
Withdrawals from pre-tax workplace accounts are generally taxable. Qualified Roth distributions have different tax treatment. Early distributions may carry an additional tax unless an exception applies. Required minimum distributions apply to certain accounts once applicable rules are met, with timing that depends on account type and circumstances. A qualified tax professional can address a specific situation.
Quiz preview
Start with your ZIP code, answer seven questions, then provide your name, email and phone to see suggested reading. No account numbers are requested. Results are educational, not a risk grade.
Before any conversation
A short list worth gathering before talking with a plan administrator, tax professional or financial advisors.
Common questions
SBC 401(k) Education is a marketing and education service of SBC Social Marketing LLC, a Michigan limited liability company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It does not provide individualized investment, tax or legal advice.
A self-directed brokerage account, or SDBA, is an optional feature in some workplace retirement plans. It can expand the investment choices beyond the core menu, with additional rules, costs and responsibilities. Check the plan documents and provider materials to see whether it is available.
Not necessarily. Some plans allow advice or account management within the existing workplace plan. Availability depends on plan rules, provider features and the agreed advisory services. A rollover is a separate decision and is not required simply to read these resources.
Neither choice is automatically better. Compare fees, investment choices, withdrawal rules, creditor protections, plan-specific benefits and the services available before deciding. Ask appropriate professionals about the tax and legal implications.
For business owners
Ten educational pages describe state retirement program context for employers. Metro names identify an audience, not an office.