Introduction
If you or your spouse has a 401(k) through the 1st Financial, Inc.. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan, dividing that account in a divorce requires special legal steps. You can’t just reference retirement in the settlement agreement and walk away. You need a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) that meets specific legal and plan-related requirements. This article focuses on how to divide the 1st Financial, Inc.. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan properly during divorce using a QDRO—and how to avoid costly mistakes.
What Is a QDRO and Why Do You Need One?
A Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) is a court order that tells the retirement plan administrator to give a portion of a participant’s plan to another person—usually an ex-spouse. It ensures that the division of retirement benefits complies with both federal law and the plan’s specific rules.
Without a QDRO, the plan administrator can’t legally release funds to the alternate payee. That means even if your divorce judgment says you’re entitled to half the 401(k), you won’t see a dime until there’s a proper QDRO in place.
Plan-Specific Details for the 1st Financial, Inc.. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan
Let’s take a closer look at the specifics of this plan so you understand what you’re working with:
- Plan Name: 1st Financial, Inc.. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan
- Sponsor: 1st financial, Inc.. 401(k) profit sharing plan
- Address: 20250430132344NAL0003922818001, as of 2024-01-01
- EIN: Unknown
- Plan Number: Unknown
- Industry: General Business
- Organization Type: Corporation
- Participants: Unknown
- Plan Year: Unknown to Unknown
- Effective Date: Unknown
- Status: Active
- Assets: Unknown
Because this is a corporate-run 401(k) in the general business sector, the administrator’s processes tend to follow standard IRS guidelines, but there can still be nuances. That’s where experience with this specific plan helps.
Common Issues in 401(k) QDROs
1. Dealing with Employer Contributions and Vesting
One of the biggest misunderstandings in dividing a 401(k) like the 1st Financial, Inc.. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan is about what’s actually divisible. While the employee’s contributions are always considered marital property (as long as they were made during marriage), the employer match might not be fully vested.
- If the participant hasn’t worked long enough, some or all of the employer contributions may be forfeited after divorce.
- The QDRO should address whether it includes only the vested balance or attempts to divide future vesting (some plans allow this; many do not).
Make sure your QDRO takes the vesting schedule into account so you don’t end up awarded money that never materializes.
2. What About Loan Balances?
Loans against the 401(k) are common and can complicate the division process. Here are two key points:
- A participant may have taken a loan from their account during the marriage. Should the alternate payee share responsibility for that loan?
- The QDRO should state whether the award is before or after loan balance deduction. That one detail can significantly affect the final amount.
For example, if the account is worth $100,000 but has a $20,000 loan, is the alternate payee getting 50% of $100K or $80K? Clarify this in writing.
3. Traditional vs. Roth Contributions
Many 401(k) plans, including the 1st Financial, Inc.. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan, may offer both traditional (pre-tax) and Roth (after-tax) options. The QDRO needs to break down your award by source type:
- Traditional accounts will be taxable when withdrawn unless rolled over into a tax-deferred account.
- Roth 401(k) amounts should generally move into a Roth IRA to maintain their tax-free status after five years.
This isn’t just a tax issue—it affects how the funds are distributed and whether you owe penalties or taxes down the line. Getting this wrong can turn a clean split into a tax mess.
QDRO Process Specific to this Plan Type
Step-by-Step Overview
While every QDRO process follows some basic steps, here’s what it looks like when dealing with a general business 401(k) plan like the 1st Financial, Inc.. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan:
- Review the divorce judgment and retirement plan documents.
- Drafters (like us at PeacockQDROs) identify plan requirements and create a compliant QDRO draft.
- Submit for pre-approval to the plan administrator if they allow it (some do, some don’t).
- File the approved order with the divorce court.
- Submit a certified copy to the plan administrator for final processing.
We always recommend using a QDRO professional familiar with this type of corporate 401(k), especially if loan balances or employer matches are involved.
Timeline and Key Factors
Wondering how long the process takes? That depends on:
- The responsiveness of the plan administrator
- Whether court filing and approval are delayed
- Loan processing, account valuation dates, and any pre-approval system
For more info, see our article on factors that impact your QDRO timeline.
Required Information for Your QDRO
To create an accurate and valid order, you’ll need:
- Participant’s full legal name and last known address
- Alternate payee’s full legal name and address
- Plan name (must be exactly “1st Financial, Inc.. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan”)
- Plan Sponsor: “1st financial, Inc.. 401(k) profit sharing plan”
- EIN and Plan Number (requested from the plan or human resources, since they are currently unknown)
- Details about the division amount (percentage, fixed dollar, or formula)
Even if you aren’t sure of some of the technical data like EIN or plan number, we can help locate that through our professional channels.
Why Work with PeacockQDROs?
At PeacockQDROs, we’ve completed thousands of QDROs from start to finish. That means we don’t just draft the order and leave you to figure out the rest. We handle the drafting, preapproval (if applicable), court filing, submission, and follow-up with the plan administrator. That’s what sets us apart from firms that only prepare the document and hand it off to you.
We maintain near-perfect reviews and pride ourselves on a track record of doing things the right way. Want to know common pitfalls to avoid? Check out this article on QDRO mistakes. Need more foundational material? Explore our library of QDRO resources.
Conclusion
Dividing the 1st Financial, Inc.. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan in a divorce isn’t about copying a generic form off the web. It requires real planning—especially when employer matches, vesting rules, loan balances, and tax treatment are involved.
Save yourself headaches, reduce the risk of litigation, and make sure you truly receive what you were awarded in the divorce with a properly prepared QDRO.
If your divorce was in California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, or North Dakota, and you have questions about qualified domestic relations orders or dividing retirement assets like the 1st Financial, Inc.. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan, contact PeacockQDROs. We specialize in QDROs and have successfully processed thousands of orders from start to finish.
Get the answers you need—explore our QDRO resources or reach out for personalized help if you’re in one of our service states.