An estate planning lawyer can work with you, planning your investments, retirement, and specifically, IRA and 401(K).  One of the most important advantages of working with a lawyer experienced in estate law is that they can provide you with the most up to date laws regarding your retirement plan. The laws have been changing every year, and you want to take advantage of all the benefits the law provides.

Here is a quick look at the New Rollover Rules:

With the new law, it is much easier for you to roll over or transfer retirement plan assets from one plan to another. This also applies when you move funds from a traditional IRA to an employer-sponsored retirement plan.

You can roll over after-tax contributions

Roll over from one qualified plan to another or even to an IRA, in certain situations. Also, surviving spouses may now roll over retirement plan distributions to a traditional IRA, or to a qualified plan, 403 (b) plan or 457 plan (generally, a plan sponsored by state or local governments) in which they participate. Previously, a surviving spouse could only roll over these distributions to his or her traditional IRA.

Under prior law, investors could only roll over distributions form a 403 (b) plan to another 403 (b) plan or to an IRA. Now, becuase of expanded rollover rules, in most cases investors can roll over assets between 401 (k) plans, profit-sharing plans, money purchase pension plans, 403 (b) plans, governmental 457 plans, and traditional IRAs. Previous rollover restrictions are eliminated.

The expanded rollover rules may provide you with more control over where you want your retirement plan assets held and how you want them to be invested. If you want to reap the benefits of the changes and provide you assets with the maximum protection, it is important to find out exactly how these changes affect you and your family. Speak to a financial advisor and your personal tax or legal advisors to have a personalized assessment done.