Explore our services

Wealth Planning
Receive a multigenerational wealth plan with personalized strategies and guidance.
Investing
Experience a holistic approach to investing, centered on your goals and priorities.
Lending
Unlock liquidity with a variety of customized lending products, strategies and solutions.
Banking
Access a variety of banking products and services tailored to your needs.
Family wealth platform
Explore our platform of specialized services designed for ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Leaving your job

November 29, 2023

Whether you’re retiring, finding a new job or taking time off, consider the following to help make the transition easier.

Contributors

Adam Frank

Managing Director, Head of Wealth Planning and Advice, J.P. Morgan Wealth Management

Whether you’re retiring, finding a new job or taking time off, consider the following to help make the transition easier.

Retirement assets

If you have a qualified retirement plan account through your employer, such as a traditional or Roth 401(k), a profit-sharing plan, or a SEP or SIMPLE IRA, generally you can roll your account into an IRA when you leave your company. This is one of the most common choices that employees make with their retirement plans from former employers, though there are others as well.

Do you own company stock in your 401(k)?

Generally, if you transfer your 401(k) – including your company stock, if any – into an IRA, the transaction is tax-free. When you later take distributions from the IRA, they are taxable at your ordinary income tax rate based on the then-current value. However, for any of your company stock in your 401(k), you may be able to take advantage of a strategy called “net unrealized appreciation”, allowing you to apply potentially lower capital gains tax rates to the gain in the company stock that you own in your 401(k).

Here is how it works:

When you leave your job, you might consider taking a distribution of your company stock out of the retirement account and transferring the stock to a taxable account. At the time of distribution, only the stock’s basis, generally its cost, is included in your ordinary income.
When you ultimately sell the stock, the difference between the basis and the then-current value of the stock may be taxable at long-term capital gains tax rates rather than ordinary income rates.

This strategy won’t work in every circumstance, but it is possible to save a significant amount of tax if the circumstances are favorable. Consult with a tax professional if you have company stock in your current employer’s 401(k) plan, to see what might make sense in light of your own facts and circumstances.

Other company securities (options, restricted stock, performance shares)

If your company gave you stock options, restricted stock or other securities that are subject to vesting or expiration, it is important to understand your rights and responsibilities. Leaving the company could trigger additional vesting or early expiration. Know your deadlines and consider whether you may have an opportunity to change expiration deadlines or extend vesting of unvested awards.

Insurance coverage

If you were covered by a group life or disability insurance policy through your employer, check your outside coverage as well as coverage at your new employer. You may want to review or initiate private coverage as well as employment-based coverage for yourself and your family.

Similarly, if you were providing your family with medical insurance, make sure you coordinate with both your former and new employer, if applicable, so that you don’t experience a lapse in coverage. There may be a period of several months before your new insurance will cover your family.

Contact a J.P. Morgan Advisor to learn about additional options and factors to consider.

Connect with a Wealth Advisor

Our Wealth Advisors begin by getting to know you personally. To get started, tell us about your needs and we’ll reach out to you.

Connect now

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This material is for informational purposes only, and may inform you of certain products and services offered by J.P. Morgan’s wealth management businesses, part of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (“JPM”). Products and services described, as well as associated fees, charges and interest rates, are subject to change in accordance with the applicable account agreements and may differ among geographic locations. Not all products and services are offered at all locations. If you are a person with a disability and need additional support accessing this material, please contact your J.P. Morgan team or email us at accessibility.support@jpmorgan.com for assistance. Please read all Important Information.

GENERAL RISKS & CONSIDERATIONS. Any views, strategies or products discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all individuals and are subject to risks. Investors may get back less than they invested, and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Asset allocation/diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss. Nothing in this material should be relied upon in isolation for the purpose of making an investment decision. You are urged to consider carefully whether the services, products, asset classes (e.g. equities, fixed income, alternative investments, commodities, etc.) or strategies discussed are suitable to your needs. You must also consider the objectives, risks, charges, and expenses associated with an investment service, product or strategy prior to making an investment decision. For this and more complete information, including discussion of your goals/situation, contact your J.P. Morgan representative.

NON-RELIANCE. Certain information contained in this material is believed to be reliable; however, JPM does not represent or warrant its accuracy, reliability or completeness, or accept any liability for any loss or damage (whether direct or indirect) arising out of the use of all or any part of this material. No representation or warranty should be made with regard to any computations, graphs, tables, diagrams or commentary in this material, which are provided for illustration/reference purposes only. The views, opinions, estimates and strategies expressed in this material constitute our judgment based on current market conditions and are subject to change without notice. JPM assumes no duty to update any information in this material in the event that such information changes. Views, opinions, estimates and strategies expressed herein may differ from those expressed by other areas of JPM, views expressed for other purposes or in other contexts, and this material should not be regarded as a research report. Any projected results and risks are based solely on hypothetical examples cited, and actual results and risks will vary depending on specific circumstances. Forward-looking statements should not be considered as guarantees or predictions of future events.

Nothing in this document shall be construed as giving rise to any duty of care owed to, or advisory relationship with, you or any third party. Nothing in this document shall be regarded as an offer, solicitation, recommendation or advice (whether financial, accounting, legal, tax or other) given by J.P. Morgan and/or its officers or employees, irrespective of whether or not such communication was given at your request. J.P. Morgan and its affiliates and employees do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any financial transactions.

Legal Entity and Regulatory Information.

J.P. Morgan Wealth Management is a business of JPMorgan Chase & Co., which offers investment products and services through J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (JPMS), a registered broker-dealer and investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC. Insurance products are made available through Chase Insurance Agency, Inc. (CIA), a licensed insurance agency, doing business as Chase Insurance Agency Services, Inc. in Florida. Certain custody and other services are provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JPMCB). JPMS, CIA and JPMCB are affiliated companies under the common control of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Products not available in all states.

Bank deposit accounts and related services, such as checking, savings and bank lending, are offered by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

This document may provide information about the brokerage and investment advisory services provided by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (“JPMS”). The agreements entered into with JPMS, and corresponding disclosures provided with respect to the different products and services provided by JPMS (including our Form ADV disclosure brochure, if and when applicable), contain important information about the capacity in which we will be acting. You should read them all carefully. We encourage clients to speak to their JPMS representative regarding the nature of the products and services and to ask any questions they may have about the difference between brokerage and investment advisory services, including the obligation to disclose conflicts of interests and to act in the best interests of our clients.

J.P. Morgan may hold a position for itself or our other clients which may not be consistent with the information, opinions, estimates, investment strategies or views expressed in this document. JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates may hold a position or act as market maker in the financial instruments of any issuer discussed herein or act as an underwriter, placement agent, advisor or lender to such issuer.

Check the background of our firm and investment professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck

To learn more about J. P. Morgan’s investment business, including our accounts, products and services, as well as our relationship with you, please review our J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Form CRS and Guide to Investment Services and Brokerage Products.

This website is for informational purposes only, and not an offer, recommendation or solicitation of any product, strategy service or transaction. Any views, strategies or products discussed on this site may not be appropriate or suitable for all individuals and are subject to risks. Prior to making any investment or financial decisions, an investor should seek individualized advice from a personal financial, legal, tax and other professional advisors that take into account all of the particular facts and circumstances of an investor's own situation.

This website provides information about the brokerage and investment advisory services provided by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC ("JPMS"). When JPMS acts as a broker-dealer, a client's relationship with us and our duties to the client will be different in some important ways than a client's relationship with us and our duties to the client when we are acting as an investment advisor. A client should carefully read the agreements and disclosures received (including our Form ADV disclosure brochure, if and when applicable) in connection with our provision of services for important information about the capacity in which we will be acting.

INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: • NOT FDIC INSURED • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY • NOT A DEPOSIT OR OTHER OBLIGATION OF, OR GUARANTEED BY, JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES • SUBJECT TO INVESTMENT RISKS, INCLUDING POSSIBLE LOSS OF THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT INVESTED

J.P. Morgan Wealth Management is a business of JPMorgan Chase & Co., which offers investment products and services through J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (JPMS), a registered broker-dealer and investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC Insurance products are made available through Chase Insurance Agency, Inc. (CIA), a licensed insurance agency, doing business as Chase Insurance Agency Services, Inc. in Florida. Certain custody and other services are provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JPMCB). JPMS, CIA and JPMCB are affiliated companies under the common control of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Products not available in all states.

Please read additional Important Information in conjunction with these pages.