IRA BLOG

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   When an IRA owner dies, what is the payout schedule for the beneficiary? The key to distinguishing the correct program (i.e., 10-year rule, stretch RMDs, 5-year rule, etc.) is to identify all the important variables. But...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   QUESTION: Hello Ed Slott Team, We have a client with an IRA who wants to do a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) to a charity. The charity also has an account with the same custodian of the IRA and has asked that the...

Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Here’s something you can only find in the Internal Revenue Code: Starting in 2025, there will be not one, not two, but three different catch-up limits for older SIMPLE IRA participants. Like IRAs and workplace plans like 401(k)s, SIMPLE IRAs...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education   Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) continue to become more popular. If you have a qualifying high deductible health plan, you may make deductible contributions to an HSA. Then, you can take tax-free...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   Roth IRA conversions remain as popular as ever. However, based on some recent questions we’ve received, it is apparent that folks don’t fully understand all the nuances of this transaction. Here are some of the basic...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Expert   Question: For a non-spousal inherited roth IRA account, there seems to be contradictory advice on different websites about when to take distributions. Some say there are annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) within the 10...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education   There is some good news for retirement savers! The IRS has released the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirement accounts for 2025, and many of the dollar limit restrictions on retirement accounts...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   Yes, you read that title correctly. This rule was confirmed in the 2024 final SECURE Act regulations, released this past July. If a person has multiple IRAs, even if they are held at different custodians, the total...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   QUESTION: Hello, I’m working with a retired client who has a sizable IRA. He set up a trust and named it as the beneficiary of the IRA, assuming that the trust would reduce or eliminate the income tax liability. Is this the...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Don’t forget to turn your clocks back this weekend! With that reminder comes another: pay attention to the Roth IRA distribution clocks. The key point to remember is that there are two different clocks, each used for a different purpose....

Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education   The year 2024 has flown by and the holidays season will soon be upon us. That means time is running out on year-end IRA deadlines. You will want to be sure to get the following three IRA-related tasks done...

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst This article is NOT about the “ghost rule” applicable to non-living beneficiaries. That payout rule applies when a non-person beneficiary (like an estate) inherits an IRA when the original owner died on or after his required...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The year is flying by, and before we know it 2025 will be here. With the arrival of the new year, several new provisions from the 2022 SECURE 2.0 law that impact retirement plans will become effective. One of the changes allows certain...

Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: We have a client who has children from a previous marriage. Upon the husband’s death, he wants to make sure his current spouse has access to income from his IRA. But he also wants to make sure the remaining balance, when she...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education   October 15, 2024 has come and gone. This was the deadline for correcting 2023 excess IRA contributions without penalty. If you missed this opportunity, you may be wondering what your next steps should be....

We have written about the net unrealized appreciation (NUA) tax strategy many times. Generally, after a lump sum distribution from the plan, the NUA tactic enables an eligible person to pay long term capital gains (LTCG) tax on the growth of company stock that...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   QUESTION: Good afternoon, If a client passed this year with four adult children inheriting equally, and each beneficiary is using the 10-year rule, how do they determine yearly required minimum distribution (RMD)...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Victims of Hurricane Helene have at least a glimmer of good news when it comes to their tax filings and ability to withdraw from their retirement accounts for disaster-related expenses. The IRS usually postpones certain tax deadlines for...

Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The recent final required minimum distribution (RMD) regulations include a new rule change that may be beneficial for IRA owners who name trusts as beneficiaries. In the new regulations, the IRS allows separate...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   When a traditional IRA owner wants to convert all or a portion of his account to a Roth IRA, he needs to think long and hard about the transaction. For example, some questions to consider: 1. When will this money be needed?...