Home Viewpoints

TOPICS
401(k)
Bond Fund
Bonds
COVID-19
Commodity Investments
Corporate Bonds
Cybersecurity
Equity Fund
Equity Investing
Europe
Events
Exchange-Traded Funds
Federal Reserve
Financial Markets
Financial Stability
Fixed Income
Fund Governance
Fund Regulation
GMM
Global
Government Affairs
ICI Global
IDC
IRA
Index Fund
Interest Rate
International
Investment Education
Investor Research
Money Market Funds
Mutual Fund
Operations and Technology
Policy Research
Proxy Voting
Retirement Policy
Retirement Research
Savings
Shareholder
Target Date Funds
Taxes
Trading
Treasury
ARCHIVE
A Look at Traditional IRA Investors’ Withdrawal Activity
By Sarah A. Holden
July 31, 2012
When and how do households take withdrawals from their traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs)? Shedding light on these questions is the goal of the latest installment of our IRA Investor Profile series, an ICI Research undertaking that analyzes account-level data of more than 7 million traditional IRAs.
The recently published report, Traditional IRA Investors’ Withdrawal Activity, 2007 and 2008, adds to the picture that has emerged about IRA savers—the data indicate that they tend to be careful savers, making mostly retirement-related withdrawals once they are older.
Among other things, our report provides a view on how withdrawal activity and exact withdrawal amounts vary by investor age, income, and gender. For example, younger traditional IRA investors are much less likely to have withdrawals compared with older traditional IRA investors. Fewer than one in 10 traditional IRA investors in their early thirties took withdrawals in 2007 and the median amount withdrawn was $5,830. Household survey data indicate that younger individuals with withdrawals tend to take lump sums based on needs. These investors may be responding to economic stresses, taking advantage of exemptions from early-withdrawal penalties to buy a first home or pay for education, or taking withdrawals from inherited IRAs.
Fewer Than One in 10 Traditional IRA Investors in Their Early Thirties Took Withdrawals in 2007
Percentage of traditional IRA investors aged 30 to 34 and their withdrawal amounts
Note: The sample is 378,800 traditional IRA investors aged 30 to 34 at year-end 2007, of which 29,100 took withdrawals in 2007. Figures 11, 17, 18, and 19 in the report provide additional detail.
Source: The IRA Investor Database™
Withdrawal activity increased with investor age, in part reflecting the rules that govern traditional IRA distributions. About one in five traditional IRA investors in their sixties chose to take withdrawals in 2007. Nearly eight in 10 traditional IRA investors aged 70 or older took withdrawals in 2007. Household survey data find that these older traditional IRA investors typically take out just enough to meet the required minimum distribution (RMD) amount. Analyzing traditional IRA investors aged 72 or older who had accounts in 2007 and 2008, it is possible to determine whether the withdrawal amount was calculated to meet the RMD. Almost six in 10 traditional IRA investors aged 72 or older with withdrawals in 2008 took exactly the RMD amount, based on their year-end 2007 traditional IRA balance and the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table.
The entire IRA Investor Profile series can be found at this resource page. The next installment in the series will examine Roth IRA investor activity.
Sarah A. Holden is ICI’s Senior Director of Retirement and Investor Research.
TOPICS: Retirement Research
Summing Up Investors’ Strong Support for Money Market Funds
By Paul Schott Stevens
July 26, 2012
In recent years, the discussion around money market funds has been as intense as it has been varied. Regulators have contemplated a wide range of reform proposals, in turn inspiring scores of citizens, organizations, businesses, and government officials to weigh in and share their views.
TOPICS: Money Market Funds
Prime Money Market Funds’ Holdings Update—Eurozone Holdings Drop Close to December Levels
By Emily Gallagher and Chris Plantier
July 25, 2012
Prime money market funds reduced their holdings of eurozone issuers to 12.2 percent of assets in June from 15.5 percent of assets in May.
Three Gaps in the FSOC’s Account of Money Market Funds in the Financial Crisis
By Paul Schott Stevens
July 25, 2012
Given money market funds’ critical role in the economy and markets, the policy discussion around these funds should be precise and should demonstrate a clear understanding of the facts.
TOPICS: Financial MarketsMoney Market Funds
The NY Fed’s Study: A Pretty Blueprint for an Unworkable Idea
By Paul Schott Stevens
July 23, 2012
The financial press last Friday was full of headlines like the following: “NY Fed Report Advocates Limiting Some Money-Market Fund Withdrawals.” I had to stop and ask myself, “Why is this news?”
TOPICS: Money Market Funds
New York Times Trips into the “Money Market Funds Are Banks” Trap
By Karrie McMillan
July 6, 2012
Floyd Norris’ column, “Money Market Funds and Their Allies Resist New Rules,” falls into the trap of concluding that money market mutual funds are banks. They’re not.
Preserving Money Market Funds Is Good for Corporate America
By Sean Collins and Mike McNamee
July 5, 2012
A recent DealBook column about money market funds distorts the truth and omits essential facts. We’d like to correct the record and review a few key points that the DealBook author, law professor Steven M. Davidoff, seems to have missed.
TOPICS: Money Market Funds
UCITS V—Significant Changes for European Funds and Fund Managers
By Giles Swan
July 3, 2012
Today the European Commission adopted a proposal for revisions to the Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) framework, which governs cross-border retail investment funds in Europe.
Copyright © 2021 by the Investment Company Institute