20260214 - 个人理财和退休储蓄：401(k) 和 IRA 的优势 - Dave Ramsey, AARP sound alarm on 401(k)s, IRAs

• 分类: Clippings
• 创建: 2026-02-14
• 标签: 个人理财, 退休规划, 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, Dave Ramsey, AARP, 社会保障金, 储蓄, 投资, 税收

20260214 - 个人理财和退休储蓄：401(k) 和 IRA 的优势 - Dave Ramsey, AARP sound alarm on 401(k)s, IRAs

摘要

本文强调了仅依靠社会保障金的退休风险，并介绍了 401(k) 和 Roth IRA 作为补充退休收入的重要工具。个人理财专家 Dave Ramsey 和非营利组织 AARP 分别阐述了这两种退休储蓄方式的优势和注意事项，特别是 401(k) 的税前供款和雇主匹配，以及 Roth IRA 的税后增长和免税提取。文章还详细分析了将 401(k) 转换为 Roth IRA 时可能遇到的税务和保费影响。

要点

• 仅依靠社会保障金的退休收入是不可取的，平均每月福利不足以维持舒适的退休生活。
• Dave Ramsey 强调 80% 的百万富翁通过 401(k) 积累财富。
• 401(k) 的优势包括：提高的供款限额（2026 年为 24,500 美元，50 岁以上人士可额外供款 8,000 美元）、雇主匹配、税前供款降低当前税负、以及资金归个人所有可转移。
• Roth IRA 的优势包括：退休后提取免税、无最低提取要求、受益人可享受免税提取。
• 将 401(k) 转换为 Roth IRA 的潜在缺点包括：需要为税前部分缴税、可能推高税收等级、增加 Medicare 保费、以及可能增加社会保障金的应税部分。

正文

The bestselling personal finance author and the nonprofit organization for people over 50 years old send a key message.
畅销个人理财作家和非营利性 50 岁以上人群组织发出重要信息。

TheStreet

In my 30-plus years reporting and publishing personal finance stories, I’ve observed one major piece of advice on which money experts agree: Don’t rely on Social Security alone for retirement income.
在我三十多年的报道和发布个人理财故事的职业生涯中，我观察到金钱专家们一致认同的一条重要建议：不要仅依靠社会保障来获取退休收入。

I have found that one way to drive this point home is to examine the sobering reality of the average Social Security monthly benefit.
我发现，要强调这一点，最好的方式是审视社会保障平均每月福利的严峻现实。

“For example, the estimated average monthly Social Security retirement benefit for January 2026 is $2,071,” explained the Social Security Administration (SSA).

I took that number and multiplied it by 12 to calculate an annual total of $24,852 in Social Security income.

The poverty level in the U.S. for a 2-person household is $21,640, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. So the average Social Security annual benefit is only $3,212 (about 12.9%) above the poverty line.

As they realize that Social Security is not going to provide them with the retirement lifestyle of their dreams, American workers often look at saving and investing options that will help them achieve a retirement income that makes Social Security just a small piece of their post-career finances.

“Making Social Security the main ingredient of your retirement plan? That’s a recipe for disaster,” personal finance bestselling author Dave Ramsey wrote.

Ramsey and AARP — the advocacy group for older Americans — explain important details about the popular and often successful strategy of using 401(k) plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) to retire comfortably.

401(k) investment nest egg, on a background showing chart increases and U.S. dollars.

A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored program designed to help workers build a nest egg for the future.

You can decide what portion of your earnings goes in — either a fixed dollar figure or a percentage of your pay — and that amount is taken out automatically and deposited into your retirement plan.

“According to The National Study of Millionaires, 8 out of 10 millionaires built their wealth through their company’s 401(k),” Ramsey wrote. “If all those people used a boring old 401(k) to get to millionaire status, you can too!”

Advantages of using a 401(k)

• Contribution limits rise in 2026, allowing up to $24,500 in annual contributions to a 401(k). Individuals aged 50 and older can contribute an extra $8,000, bringing their total possible contribution to $32,500. (Source: Internal Revenue Service)
• Many employers offer matching contributions, which can effectively double the portion you contribute up to the match limit. Matching is optional for employers, but when it’s available, it provides an immediate and significant boost to your savings. (Source: Ramsey Solutions)
• Traditional 401(k) contributions are made with pretax dollars, which reduces your taxable income for the year and can lower the amount you owe when filing taxes. (Source:Internal Revenue Service)
• All funds you contribute to your 401(k) belong to you, and you can move your balance to an IRA if you change jobs or if your employer closes. (Source: Ramsey Solutions)

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AARP explains advantages of a Roth IRA

Roth IRAs tend to be popular with many financial professionals because the money you take out in retirement isn’t taxed, which is a pretty compelling advantage.

Still, if you’ve accumulated substantial savings in a traditional 401(k), it’s worth pausing before shifting that money into a Roth. The future tax break comes with an immediate cost: You may face a significant tax bill at the time of conversion.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean you should abandon a Roth conversion. Just be sure you understand the pitfalls and can navigate around them,” AARP wrote.

More on personal finance:

• Zillow forecasts big mortgage change for U.S. housing market
• AARP sounds alarm on major Social Security problem
• Dave Ramsey bluntly warns Americans on 401(k)s

A Roth IRA is funded with money that’s already been taxed, which means that when you withdraw it later on, those distributions are free of both taxes and penalties — as long as you’re at least 59½ and the account has been open for five years.

Unlike a traditional IRA, there’s no requirement to begin taking minimum distributions at 73, which lets the balance keep growing without interruption.

“And if you leave the asset to your children, they can take tax-free withdrawals as long as they deplete the account in 10 years,” AARP wrote.

AARP clarifies 401(k)-to-Roth-IRA conversion drawbacks

• You must pay income taxes on any pretax dollars you convert to a Roth account, which can make the strategy costly.
• Paying the tax bill with funds from outside your 401(k) is generally preferable because using money from the account itself reduces the balance available for future tax‑free growth.
• A large conversion can raise your taxable income enough to push you into a higher tax bracket, increasing the tax rate applied to your other earnings.
• Converting to a Roth increases your adjusted gross income (AGI), which may trigger higher Medicare Part B premiums.
• In 2026, the standard monthly Medicare Part B premium is $202.90, but individuals with AGI above $109,000 and couples above $218,000 may pay between $284.10 and $689.90 per month.
• Medicare’s high‑income surcharge is usually based on your tax return from two years earlier, meaning a conversion today could raise your premiums in a future year without much warning.
• A higher AGI from a Roth conversion also raises the chance that part of your Social Security benefits will be taxed.
• The IRS determines Social Security taxation using “provisional income,” which includes your AGI, any tax‑exempt interest, and half of your Social Security benefits.
• If provisional income falls between $25,000 and $34,000 for single filers or $32,000 and $44,000 for joint filers, up to 50 percent of benefits may be taxable.
• If provisional income exceeds $34,000 for individuals or $44,000 for couples, as much as 85 percent of benefits may be taxable.
• Withdrawals from a 401(k) used in a Roth conversion count toward these income thresholds and can increase the taxable portion of your benefits.
  • Source:AARP

About the authors

Celine is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience and has covered diverse news, features, academic/research, and legal topics. At TheStreet.com, Celine is a senior editor with experience across retail, stocks, investing, personal finance, technology, the economy, and travel.