Capital B Advisory
An old 401(k)
Still parked with a job you left. You're not sure whether that's a problem, what to move it to, or whether touching it triggers a tax bill.
The situation
An account
nobody is
watching.
Usually it isn't an emergency. But an old 401(k) tends to drift — the investments stay in whatever the default was on your first day, the fees are whatever that plan charges, and nobody has checked whether it still matches what you're trying to do.
People also avoid it because they assume moving it costs money or triggers taxes. Done correctly, a rollover isn't a taxable event.
Your options
Four things you
can actually do.
Leave it where it is
Often allowed if the balance is above the plan's threshold. Costs nothing today. The risk is it stays an account nobody reviews.
Roll it to an IRA
Moves it into an account in your own name at a brokerage you choose. Done as a direct rollover it isn't taxable, and you usually get far more investment choice.
Move it to your new 401(k)
If your current plan accepts transfers. Keeps everything in one place, and some employer plans have institutional pricing worth keeping.
Cash it out
Almost always the expensive option. Income tax on the full amount and, under 59½, generally a 10% penalty on top.
How to decide
The questions
that matter.
Compare what the old plan charges against what an IRA would cost. Some employer plans have excellent pricing you'd lose by leaving; others are expensive and worth escaping.
Look at what it's actually invested in. Many old accounts sit in a default target-date fund, or in cash from a transition years ago that nobody moved back.
And if you hold employer stock, stop before doing anything — there's a specific tax treatment a rollover can permanently forfeit. Talk to your accountant first. General information only, not tax advice.
What it costs
Often a
single billable
hour.
This is the most common hourly engagement here. $125 an hour with a one-hour minimum, and frequently one hour covers it. We look at the old plan's fees and holdings, compare the realistic options, and you leave knowing what to do.
Fee-only means no company pays me to move your money anywhere. There's no commission whether you roll it over, leave it, or do nothing.
Next step
Twenty minutes.
No cost.
Nothing to prepare and nothing to bring. If I'm not the right fit, I'll tell you on the call.