Employee vs. Employer Contributions
A typical 401(k) has both employee deferrals and employer matching or profit-sharing contributions. When dividing the Rio Hondo Education Consortium 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust, it’s important to request a breakdown of these contributions. Why? Because employer contributions may not be fully vested. Unvested employer funds could be forfeited if the employee leaves the company before a specific time.
Any QDRO for this plan should clearly define whether the alternate payee will receive:
- A percentage of the total vested account balance or
- A percentage of the entire balance, including non-vested funds (if permitted)

