Help with FAFSA / CSS profile re: "Current value of tax-deferred retirement"?

Paying for College
1

Hello!

I’m filling out the CSS profile and I’m stuck on this part:

Current value of tax-deferred retirement, pension, annuity, and savings plans such as an IRA, Keogh, SEP, 401(a), 401(k), 403(b), 408, 457, 501©*

I’m looking at my parents’ W-2 forms and there’s a number for this under box 12a. But this value is only from the 2018 statement. Can I input this value, or does it need to be a cumulative value of all of the money they have in their retirement plans?

One of my parents has:
IRA, Keogh, 401k, 403b, or other tax-deferred retirement plan
Employer sponsored retirement plan
Civil service or state sponsored retirement plan

My other parent has:
IRA, Keogh, 401k, 403b, or other tax-deferred retirement plan

There’s a similar question on the FAFSA:
Payments to tax-deferred pension and retirement savings plans (paid directly or withheld from earnings), including, but not limited to, amounts reported on the W-2 Form in Boxes 12a through 12d, codes D, E, F, G, H, and S. Don’t include amounts reported in code DD (employer contributions toward employee health benefits).

Basically, I just don’t know what values to input into this section, or where even to find those values other than the W-2.

I have little/no understanding of how any of this stuff works, so I would appreciate any help. I don’t even really have a question to ask; I’m so at a loss that I don’t know where to start. If someone could sum up this question in terms that are as simple as possible, I would be so grateful.

2

Current value is the balance in these accounts. The amount on your parent w2 form is their contribution in 2018. That is not what this question is asking.

It wants to know the actual value of the retirement accounts as of the date you file.

Your parents probably got a quarterly statement at the end of September…or they can look for these account balances online. Ask them.

As an FYI. It’s not probable that the colleges will use those in your financial aid calculation. It is thought that this question is there to see if the balances in tax deferred retirement accounts doesn’t align with income. For example, if your parents have millions of dollars in their retirement accounts, and very little actual income…someone might wonder how that is possible.

3

Thank you so much! Your response was super helpful.