
IRA BLOG
REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Hello and thank you for all the great, helpful information you continue to send out. I am due to take my first RMD (required minimum distribution) in 2024 which would...
HSA BENEFITS THAT MAY SURPRISE YOU
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport You have likely heard of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and you may even understand the basics of how an HSA works. These accounts are really not too complicated. If...
INHERITED ROTH IRA: RMDS OR NO?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport QUESTION: Do required minimum distributions (RMDs) apply to inherited Roth IRAs? ANSWER: It depends on who the beneficiary is. Owners of traditional IRAs must start taking RMDs when they reach...
INHERITED ROTH IRA RMDS AND MERGING IRAS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Hello, Are you required to take out RMDs (required minimum distributions) on an inherited Roth IRA? The original owner was 82 when he passed away. The funds were left to his nephew, so I...
MANDATORY ROTH CATCH-UP CONTRIBUTIONS REQUIRED FOR 2024
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport One of the more controversial provisions of the new SECURE 2.0 law concerns 401(k) catch-up contributions. Most 401(k) plans – as well as 403(b) and governmental 457(b) plans – permit employees...
CONVERSION AS A GIFT TO YOUR BENEFICIARIES
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Do you have an IRA you are thinking about converting to a Roth IRA? There are many benefits to converting. You trade an immediate tax bill for the promise of tax-free earnings...
INHERITED ROTH IRAS AND ROTH CONVERSIONS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Am I correct to assume if I leave my Roth IRA to my 2 adult children, they will have to take all the money out by the end of year 10 and they will have NO taxes to pay on it because...
THE 3 IRA BENEFICIARY CATEGORIES – AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport This past week the Ed Slott team hosted another successful conference for our Elite IRA Advisor Group members. Well over 300 advisors from across the country descended on Washington D.C. for...
HOW THE RETIREMENT PLAN COMPENSATION LIMIT WORKS
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport It’s certainly not a bad problem to have. But employees with very high compensation cannot have their retirement plan benefits based on all of their pay. Instead, the tax code allows only compensation...
INHERITED ROTH IRAS AND BACKDOOR ROTH IRAS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Greetings, There seems to be a lot of conflicting information on Inherited Roth IRAs, for which I was hoping to get a definitive answer from the experts. My...
THE 5-YEAR RULE FOR CONVERTED ROTH IRA FUNDS
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education If you recently converted your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA and you under 59 ½, you will want to know about the five-year rule for penalty-free distributions of converted funds from your Roth IRA. Many people are...
5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT OPEN A ROTH IRA
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport In my April 12 Slott Report entry (“5 Reasons to Open a Roth IRA Immediately!”), I included a handful of points as to why it was imperative to open a Roth IRA, especially before the tax filing...
QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS AND SPOUSAL IRA CONTRIBUTIONS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Can I make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from my IRA to pay for my grandson’s summer church camp? Susan Answer: Hi Susan, You can only make a QCD if the donation would be 100%...
DO SPOUSES HAVE ANY RIGHTS TO RETIREMENT PLAN ACCOUNTS?
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport One important way that IRAs differ from company retirement plans is with respect to spousal financial rights. Most married IRA owners do not need spousal consent before designating a beneficiary other...
ROTH IRA VS. ROTH 401(K)
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport More 401(k) plans are starting to offer Roth options. If you now have this option, you may be wondering what the difference is between a Roth IRA and a Roth 401(k). Which...
YEAR-OF-DEATH RMDS AND ROTH CONVERSIONS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Both of my parents passed away last year. My mother passed earlier in 2022 and I was able to take her year-of-death RMD out of the inherited IRA before the end of the year. My dad...
5 REASONS TO OPEN A ROTH IRA IMMEDIATELY!
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Time is running out! The tax filing deadline is Tuesday, April 18. Why is this important? Because that is the last day an IRA can be opened and/or funded for the previous year. Even if a...
IRS SIGNALS THAT IT WILL STILL WAIVE MISSED RMD PENALTIES
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Despite the reduction in the penalty for missing required minimum distributions (RMDs) in the new SECURE 2.0 law, it looks like you will still be able to get the IRS to waive the penalty altogether....
QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS AND ROTH IRAS: TODAY & SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: I have been told that QCDs are not allowed from local and state government 457(b) plans. I have looked at the accountant’s IRS manual, websites etc. and I can’t find...
5 HSA RULES YOU NEED TO KNOW
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are rapidly growing in both size and in number. These accounts offer deductible contributions and tax-free distributions for qualified medical expenses. An HSA can be a valuable tool not only for paying for medical expenses but also for...