Final Thoughts on 72(t)/SEPP Plans

Keep in mind that mistakes can be costly - Once you begin SEPP distributions, any change in the payment schedule, if not done correctly, may subject you to the 10% penalty tax, plus interest, which is applied retroactively to all previous distributions. However, changing the mode of payments from annual to monthly is not a change in and of itself that will trigger this penalty. Be careful and document well.

Be conservative in your estimates - The longer the time period that you have to the end of your plan, the more conservative you may want to be.

Don't be part of a SEPP horror story - Establish a plan that will take advantage of past PLRs and almost guarantee that your SEPP will never go bust - yes it is possible, but it must be planned for in advance.

Consult an adviser to the extent you consider necessary - mistakes can be very costly. You may be a very good engineer, computer consultant or teacher - but that doesn't make you an expert on the IRC, investments and income planning issues.

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