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How do I get the money that is owed to me?

I am disabled and can not get social security, so I need to my money that is owed to me.

May 15, 2012 by Thomas from Cleveland, OH in  |  Flag
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George Cones, JD Level 20

Thomas, while we empathize with your situation, we don't have much to go on here:

Are you ineligible for social security due to age or non-participation, or are you talking about social security disability?

Are you covered by a defined benefit pension plan and/or a 401k plan?

Without more information, this is a shot in the dark.

Let's assume you are talking about a 401(k) plan, where you have a vested benefit. If you are 59 1/2, you should be able to get a distribution, or a set up rollover IRA. On the distributions (the money you take out and don't rollover) you will have to pay taxes as ordinary income. If you take a distribution and you are under 59 1/2, you may have to pay ordinary income taxes and a 10% early withdrawal penalty. Your plan may have a hardship withdrawal, if you meet the criteria. Any decision you make will have some tax consequences.

You need to get a copy of your Summary Plan Description and talk with your plan administrator about your situation. A rollover IRA account at a low cost provider (like Vanguard) may allow you to withdraw assets as you need them. Please, seek advice from a tax advisor.

Comment   |  Flag   |  May 15, 2012 from Wilmington, DE

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Hi - We can't answer a question such as this. We need some details about where the money is held, what kind of account it is held in, etc. I can guess that the funds may be held in a retirement plan at a former employer. If that is the case, contact the employer's personnel or human resources department and ask them for details. Good luck!

Comment   |  Flag   |  May 15, 2012 from Redmond, WA

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