What Are Withdrawal Credits: Pension Plan?

A withdrawal credit in a pension plan refers to the portion of an individual’s retirement assets in a qualified pension plan that the employee is entitled to withdraw when they leave a job.

Understanding Withdrawal Credits: Pension Plan

In the context of pension plans, withdrawal credits describe the rights of an employee-participant in a qualified pension plan to withdraw their portion of assets, plus a share of employer contributions (if applicable) upon their departure from that job.

Under most pension plans, employers make periodic contributions (some may allow additional contributions by the employee) to a fund shared by all eligible employees.

Withdrawal Credit Distributions

Each individual has an account within that fund, and multiple employers may participate in a single pension fund. When an eligible employee reaches retirement age, they are entitled to periodic distributions that generally equal a percentage of their income in pre-retirement years.

An employee who leaves a firm before retirement age would likely be eligible for a partial distribution of their pension funds, depending on the vesting rules established by the employer and the plan.

Withdrawal Credits: Pension Plan Prior to Retirement

When an employee leaves a firm before retirement age, various factors determine the extent to which they are entitled to their pension balance. Most important among these is their vesting status. Vesting refers to the extent to which the employee has control over their retirement assets.

In most cases, employees' contributions vest immediately, and employees with longer tenures will be entitled to a greater share of employers’ contributions.

Rules That Govern Withdrawal Credits

For public-sector pensions, withdrawal rules are determined on a state-by-state basis. Private pensions are subject to rules set out in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974. ERISA and subsequent tax rules outline a complex system of policies regarding vesting and withdrawals from the many variations of defined benefit and contribution plans.

Beyond the ERISA guidelines, employers have the discretion to structure their plans to their own needs. When leaving a company, it's wise to consider your own needs by educating yourself about your options and obligations about withdrawals from qualified retirement plans.

Defined-Benefit vs. Defined Contribution Plans

The defined-benefit plan is the most common type of pension plan. A defined-benefit plan is an employer-sponsored retirement plan where employee benefits are computed using a formula that considers several factors, such as length of employment and salary history. 

Defined-benefit plans guarantee the retiree a set cash distribution upon retirement. Because the employer is responsible for making investment decisions and managing the plan's investments, the employer assumes all the investment and planning risks.

In a defined contribution plan, like a 401(k) or a 403(b), employees contribute a fixed amount or a percentage of their paychecks to an account that is intended to fund their retirements. The IRS has set an annual contribution limit for 401(k)s and defined contribution plans.

For 2023, the maximum contribution limit that an employee can make to a 401(k) is $22,500. For 2024, that number increases to $23,000. Those who are aged 50 or older can make an additional catch-up contribution of $7,500 in both 2023 and 2024.

Sometimes the sponsoring company will match a portion of employee contributions as an added benefit. However, the total contribution between the employee and employer cannot exceed $66,000 in 2023 and $69,000 in 2024. For those aged 50 and over, there's a $7,500 catch-up contribution, bringing the total contribution up to $73,500 for 2023. For 2024, the total contribution limit is $76,500.

A defined contribution plan is generally comprised of investments, which the employee selects from a curated list of options that often consist of mutual funds. There is no way of knowing how much a defined contribution plan will ultimately give the employee upon retiring, as contribution levels can change, and the returns on the investments may go up and down.

The Bottom Line

Pension plans are defined-benefit plans that are primarily funded by employers. Withdrawal credits are the amount that the employee is allowed to withdraw from their pension plan when they leave a job or for other qualified reasons. Pension plans used to be the primary way individuals would save for retirement, however, now defined contribution plans, such as the 401(k), are more popular.