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We often advise clients to take deferred compensation distributions upon retirement and defer commencing Social Security. Each year of Social Security deferral equates to about an 8% annualized increase in benefits.

2 The payment of the deferred compensation will be reported on Form W-2 even if you are no longer an employee at the time. You are also taxed on the earnings you get on your deferrals when they are paid to you. The rate of return is fixed by the terms of the plan.

Normally, you pay income tax on deferred compensation when you receive the deferred payment, rather than when you earn it.

You can withdraw funds from your 457(b) plan penalty-free at any age once you leave your employer or retire. You won't owe an early withdrawal penalty even if you are not yet 59 ½, but you will pay federal and state income taxes on the withdrawal.

Depending on your plan provisions, the payment of the deferred compensation can also be structured to reduce your tax liability based on a series of installment payments or lump sum payments based on a specified time. By spreading out the payments, you potentially could reduce your income for each applicable year.

The Bottom Line If you have a qualified plan and have passed the vesting period, your deferred compensation is yours, even if you quit with no notice on very bad terms. If you have a non-qualified plan, you may have to forfeit all of your deferred compensation by quitting depending on your plan's specific terms.

Deferring income to retirement might help avoid high state income taxes (ex: California, New York, etc) if you're planning to move to a low-tax state. The biggest risk of deferred compensation plans is they're not guaranteed; if your company goes bankrupt, you might receive none of the income you deferred.