When is the best time to start saving for your retirement? Whether you are in your 20s or 40s, the best time to start is NOW. When you start early, your money will have more time to grow.
During the early years of employment, people tend to push aside retirement savings and prioritize other investments such as property acquisition.
However, Walmart’s 401(k) plan is too good to pass up. Take advantage of this exclusive offer NOW to secure your retirement.
Why You Should Enroll In Walmart 401(k) Plan Now
You have 100% control of your contribution. You have the freedom to decide when to start or stop contributing and change the amount of your contribution. With walmart you can check your monthly employee payments via their walmartone paystub service.
On your first day of employment at Walmart, you can already start contributing to your 401(k). After you enroll in 401(k), your contribution will be automatically deducted from your pay.
Company Match
Walmart offers a dollar-for-dollar match to your 401(k) contribution. Get up to 6% of your eligible salary for each Plan year.
Sample computation on a $40,000 salary:
Your contribution: $2,400 (6% of your eligible salary)
Walmart’s contribution: $2,400
Total contribution: $4,800
The longer you contribute, the more money you will save for your retirement. Thus, it’s best to get your retirement savings rolling as soon as you get hired. You cannot get a better deal than this. You have to take advantage of Walmart’s exclusive offer to employees.
Eligibility for Walmart’s company-match contributions will begin on the first day of the month after your first year of employment. You will also be required to complete a minimum of 1,000 hours of service within that year. To get an idea of how much you need for your retirement, use the Retirement Planning Calculator at WalmartOne.com/401k or go to BenefitsOnline at benefits.ml.com.
Balance Rollover Option
You have the option to rollover your contributions from your previous employer’s retirement plan – 401(k) plan, 403(b) plan of a tax-exempt employer, profit-sharing plan, or 457(b) plan of a governmental employer. Contact Merrill Lynch Customer Service Center at 888-968-4015 or check Benefits OnLine at benefits.ml.com to find out how.
Your contributions are 100% vested. “Vested” means that you are the sole owner of your contributions to the 401(k) plan regardless of your work tenure or employment status in Walmart. Even if you resign from the company, all your contributions will remain under your name. While you are employed at Walmart, you can borrow against your 401(k) plan retirement savings up to a certain limit.
Tax Benefits
Walmart’s pretax 401(k) plan can save you taxes today because your contributions that are deducted from your salary will lower your taxable income. Your monthly contributions will be tax-free and you will only pay taxes after you withdraw your retirement savings.
Roth Contributions Option
If you prefer not to be taxed when you take out your retirement money, take the 401(k) plan with the Roth option. This means, your monthly contributions will be taxed already.
How To Enroll In Walmart 401K
To enroll in Walmart 401(k), do any of the following:
- Login to the employee portal, then go to WalmartOne.com/Enroll
- Go to the WIRE and choose “I want to contribute to the Associate Stock Purchase Plan or Walmart 401(k)”
- Visit BenefitsOnLine – benefits.ml.com
- Contact Merrill Lynch at (888) 968-4015
Remember that you can adjust your monthly contributions anytime. You can increase your contributions as your income grows, so you can save more for your retirement.
Things To Consider Before You Enroll
A well-planned investment will turn out to be fruitful. However, it always pays to do some research. Before you enroll in Walmart 401(k) plan, carefully study the following aspects of retirement savings:
Monthly contributions
Contributing 1% of your eligible pay is a good way to start saving for retirement. However, it is better to contribute up to 6% of your take-home pay so you can be eligible for Walmart company-matching contributions. You can contribute 1% up to 50% of your eligible salary before income taxes (up to the maximum allowed by IRS). The IRS annual limit is subject to change, so there is no fixed limit amount per year.
The IRS limit for the year 2020 is $19,500. If you are 50 years old and above in 2019, you can save more (up to $6,500) on catch-up contribution. Make sure to use the Retirement Planning Calculator at WalmartOne.com/401k so you can gauge your contributions better.
Investment Options
Walmart 401(k) offers two investment options. You can either choose:
myRetirement Fund
A diversified portfolio with one investment choice. Your fund will be regularly adjusted and managed by investment professionals. If you prefer a conservative and simple type of investment, pick this one.
Investment Mix
If you are confident with your skills in selecting and managing your 401(k) investments, choose this type of investment. Keep in mind that the investment performance of 401(k) investments are not guaranteed to earn income. As with any investment, there are risks involved. Diversifying your investments is a wise move because it allows you to manage your risk better. If one investment loses money, another one that earns money can offset your loss.