Deferring taxes on your income is an Investment strategy in which income taxes are paid at a later date for money invested now. The benefit of tax deferral is that it provides more money for you to invest now.

For example, you are able to deduct $1000 from your taxable income this year and invest it into an interest bearing account, and in return, this deduction allows you to pay approximately $200 less in income taxes for the current year. You now have $200 more than if you had not invested the $1000. If you add the $200 you deferred in taxes to the $1000 you have already invested, you now have $1200 growing in your investment.

Another type of tax deferral used by investors is the deferment of taxes paid on interest earned. The dollars invested have already been taxed, but any interest earned is tax free.

Investment Vehicles
Tax deferred accounts shelter your money from taxes until you begin making withdrawals in the later part of your life, when you’re likely to be in a lower tax bracket. The type of investment vehicles best for you depends on your situation.

One available plan is the 401 (k). This vehicle is available only through employers who offer the plan. It allows you to make tax-deductible contributions that grow tax deferred until you withdraw them. Depending on your particular plan, your 401(k) plan may come with a bonus. Some employers match your contributions. You could make 25%-100% on your money instantly if your employer offers matching funds.

A 401 (k) allows you to contribute much more per year than many of the other retirement plans. You can contribute up to $9,500 to your 401 (k) per year and your employer can contribute up to $30,000 per year. You can also have your bonuses issued as 401 (k) contributions to build your retirement wealth even faster. If you ever leave your employer or wish to have more freedom with your 401 (k) investments, you can always rollover the assets in your account into an IRA.

A 401 (K) may work for a beginner at investing, someone who does not know how to invest in stocks or which are the best stocks to invest in.

Another type of plan offered by an employer is the 403 (b). This plan is for public school and non-profit organization employees and it is tax deductible and tax deferred. You can contribute up to $9,500 of your annual gross income each year to this plan.

With 403 (b) plans, beware of a few cautions. Your contributions are generally invested in a tax-sheltered annuity, which may have heavy sales charges and low guaranteed rates.

Anyone with earned income, and the non-working spouse of anyone with earned income, can open up their own IRA and contribute up to $2000 a year. Your accrued earnings are not taxed until you begin withdrawing money from the account. However, withdrawals cannot be made without penalty before age 59 ½..Even if your contributions do not qualify for a tax deduction, your earnings are still tax deferred.

The type of investments you can make with your IRA dollars depends on the custodian, but you generally have many more investment options with an IRA than you do with any of the employer sponsored investment plans.

The Keough plan is available to individuals who work for an unincorporated business or are self-employed. You can contribute up to 25% of your earned income up to a maximum of $30,000. All contributions are tax deductible and your earnings accrue tax deferred. You can contribute much more per year with a Keough than with an IRA. You can elect to contribute a fixed percentage annually, a different percentage annually, or a fixed amount which you decide on. There are three types of Keough plans available and a lawyer can assist you in setting one up.

A SEP, or a Simplified Employee Plan is easier to set up than a Keough allows you to deduct 15% of your self-employment income, to a maximum of $30,000. As an employee, you can contribute up to $7000 per year to your SEP, and your employer can contribute the rest. SEP plans are only available to companies with 25 or fewer employees, and at least half of those employees must participate in the plan.

All of these investment vehicles fall into one of two categories : qualified plans or non-qualified plans.

The 401 (k) and 403 (b) plans are qualified plans. Qualified plans are employer-sponsored plans that provide good benefits but that are restricted to the types of investment options offered by the employer. As we already mentioned, 403 (b) plans often require you to invest your money in tax sheltered annuities. 401 (k) plans generally offer a broader range of conventional investment options, but still seem very limited when compared to non-qualified plans. You usually get to select from a preset choice of investment options such as fixed interest annuities, money market funds, stock in your company, and other traditional investments.

The second category of retirement plans is nonqualified plans. Nonqualified plans generally allow more freedom as to when, or if, a contribution has to be made, and they also offer more latitude in the type of investments that can be made. All IRAs fall into this category. Generally, investors have more control over their investments in a nonqualified plan than with a qualified one. Usually they are easier to work with, have less regulation, and require less reporting. Often, contributions to these plans can be deducted as a business expense.

Most investments made with the vehicles we have been discussing fall into one of two asset categories: The first is debt and the second is equity. As an investor, you are either an owner or a creditor. Equity owners are entitled to all free cash flows that exceed the debt payment obligations of the underlying economic entity. Creditors receive priority in agreed-upon future interest and principal payments.

When choosing a retirement plan, you want to be certain of the types of investments permitted with your plan. Do not open an account that does not give you the freedom to choose your own investment options, whether they are debt or equity investments.