3.9.  Retirement Plan Accounts: Qualified vs. Non-Qualified Plans

A retirement plan is a savings or investment vehicle that is intended to provide income during retirement. The plan may be employer-sponsored, meaning that it is organized and managed by the participant’s employer, or it may be an individual plan that is managed by the participant. Even though securities are often bought and sold within a retirement plan account, the retirement plan itself is not considered a security.

At the heart of most retirement plans are two goals:

1. To provide