By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: One of our clients wants to cash out his IRA and then roll it into a Roth IRA within 60 days. Can this be done directly, or does it have to be rolled back into an IRA first and then converted? Thanks, Samuel Answer: Hi Samuel, A...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   When an IRA owner does a Roth conversion, there is typically a 5-year clock for the earnings on the converted dollars to be tax free. If a person already had a Roth IRA for 5 years AND is over 59 ½, there is no conversion...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst   One of the more interesting rules (if any could be called “interesting”) from the 2022 IRS proposed regulations requires spouse beneficiaries in some situations to take RMDs (required minimum distributions) before doing a spousal...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   QUESTION: Do required minimum distributions (RMDs) need to be taken when a non-spouse beneficiary inherits Roth IRA? It seems this has been a point of confusion for some time. ANSWER: This is something that confuses a lot of...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education If you are charitably inclined and have an IRA, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) can be a great strategy. With a QCD, you can move IRA funds to the charity of your choice tax-free. Here are 12 QCD rules...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst If I pour too much water into a glass, removing liquid from a different glass does not correct the problem. The excess water must be removed from the “offending” receptacle. Such is the case with excess IRA contributions. If too...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you take a taxable withdrawal from your IRA or 401(k) (or other company plan) before age 59 ½, you normally have to pay a 10% penalty in addition to taxes. But Congress continues to carve out exceptions to this penalty, and there are...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education   More and more Americans have retirement savings in Roth 401(k)s. With their rising popularity come some complicated tax issues. These funds are often rolled over to Roth IRAs at retirement or when a...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I have a question about the Roth IRA distribution ordering rules based on a client’s situation: 1. The client is 45 years old. 2. She has had a Roth IRA open for five plus years. 3. She made a $6,000...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst You know the game “beer pong?” Arrange 6 or 10 cups in a triangle, fill each one with a couple of ounces whatever beverage you are enjoying, and your opponent tries to toss a ping-pong ball into one of the cups. If a throw is...

By Ian Berger, JDIRA Analyst A recent survey found that over 80% of 401(k) plans now offer employees the option of making Roth 401(k) employee contributions. More and more employees are now taking advantage of that opportunity. (In this article, I use the term “Roth...

By Ian Berger, JDIRA Analyst Question: Does a SIMPLE IRA owner who is over age 73 and still works for the same company that sponsors the SIMPLE IRA plan have to take an RMD (required minimum distribution)? He does not own any of the company. Answer: Yes. SIMPLE and...

By Sarah Brenner, JDDirector of Retirement Education You have been contributing to your IRA for years. The market is up, and you are watching those investments grow. Maybe you have rolled over funds to your IRA from your company plan. You may now have a significant...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   It is perfectly acceptable for a person to participate in multiple work plans in the same year (even at the same time). For example, a 401(k) and a SEP. Or maybe a 401(k) and another 401(k). However, care must be taken to...

QUESTION: At age 80, after I take my required minimum distribution (RMD), can I then do a rollover from my IRA to my Roth IRA? If I can, is there a limit as to how much? I know that it is all taxable. Thanks, John ANSWER: John, Once your RMD has been satisfied, yes,...

After more than two years, we might actually soon be getting answers from the IRS on several important unanswered questions concerning required minimum distributions (RMDs) for those who inherit IRAs or company plan accounts. The 2019 SECURE Act completely changed the...

We are surrounded with information – and misinformation. Finding accurate up-to-date facts is increasingly difficult. Do an internet search and you will likely run into obsolete websites that have not been updated in years, paywalls demanding you subscribe before...

Question: When can we expect final SECURE Act regulations from the IRS? Mike Answer: Hi Mike, No one knows for sure. However, there is now some hope that these may be coming sooner rather than later. In recently released Notice 2024-35, the IRS said that final...

As retirement account questions go, this is the shortest inquiry with the longest answer. When asked what factors to consider and what 5-year clocks apply with a Roth 401(k) to Roth IRA rollover, I take a big breath and say, “Pull up a chair.” There are a number of...

A recent government report highlights how confused 401(k) participants are when they have to decide what to do with their savings after leaving employment. Tax rules require401(k) plans (and 403(b) and governmental 457(b) plans) to provide a written notice when...

Question: Can an individual who is using the age 55 exception to the 10% early distribution penalty roll over a part of a 403(b) account to an IRA and leave a portion in the 403(b) to take penalty-free withdrawals? Thank you, Jamie Answer: Hi Jamie, There is no rule...

If you have an IRA and you are approaching retirement age, you have probably heard the term “required minimum distribution” (RMD). But do you know the details of how the rules work and what they mean for you? Here are five facts about RMDs that every IRA owner should...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   We have written about this subject in the past (December 2023), but as is our philosophy here, learning is all about repetition, repetition, repetition. Surprisingly (he says with tongue...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   Question: Can a QCD (qualified charitable distribution) be made from a 401(k) plan? Thanks! Answer: No, QCDs can only be made from IRAs and inactive SEP or SIMPLE IRAs. One possible workaround would...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   It’s been over four years since the SECURE Act upended the rules for beneficiary IRA required minimum distributions (RMDs), and there’s still plenty of confusion about the new rules. The IRS did give...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   If you are at retirement age, you might be at a high risk for excess contributions due to rollover mistakes. This is because of the rule that says that the required minimum...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   QUESTION: My client is terminating employment and rolling over the funds from his 401(k). He was told that the funds must be rolled over to a “rollover IRA” and kept separate from any other...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   SCENARIO: In one calendar year, Jessie completes the following transactions: 1. Takes a partial distribution from her 401(k) and does a 60-day rollover to an IRA. 2. Does a 60-day rollover...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   Here’s a question we get asked often: Say you retire in the year you turn age 73 (or in a later year) and you want to roll over your 401(k) funds to an IRA. Do you have to take a required minimum...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   Question: My brother died in 2020 and made me the beneficiary of an IRA he inherited from my sister who died in 2017. Can I continue to stretch the payments from this...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport The cost of healthcare continues to climb. Are you frustrated with higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs? You are not alone. You may be looking for new strategies to handle these...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   We answer some pretty complex IRA and retirement plan questions. Our newsletters and other Slott Report entries can get into the weeds on some tricky topics. The thing is, when you spend all...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport If you’re an IRA beneficiary subject to the 10-year payout period and would have had a 2024 required minimum distribution (RMD), you’re in luck. In IRS Notice 2024-35, issued yesterday (April 16), the IRS...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport You have carefully saved for retirement and now you have accumulated a substantial amount of funds in your IRA.  At some point the funds that you have been putting away for years...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   QUESTION: Dear IRA Help, My mother passed away in April of 2023 and no required minimum distribution (RMD) was taken. The entire IRA account was paid out to the charity that was the...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   Imagine walking through a grocery store, intent on purchasing a specific item. As you turn down an aisle, little colorful tags proclaiming “Special Deal” and “Buy 1, Get 1” protrude from each...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport If you exceeded the 2023 limit for 401(k) deferrals, time is of the essence to correct the error. If you don’t act quickly, the tax consequences can be serious. The maximum amount of pre-tax and Roth...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: I have a general question regarding the 10-year time frame for emptying an inherited IRA. Your guidance says that the deadline is the END of the tenth year following death....

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Markets continue to climb. That is good news for your retirement account. However, there is a downside. When you contribute to a traditional IRA or a pre-tax 401(k), you make a deal...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Ever since the SECURE Act created a 10-year payout rule for most IRA beneficiaries, that topic has garnered the bulk of conversation. This is understandable. Not only was the 10-year rule a brand-new...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport We’re getting lots of questions about the SECURE 2.0 change that allows annuitized IRA annuities to be aggregated with non-annuity IRA funds for required minimum distribution (RMD) purposes. This change...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport QUESTION: I have been funding a 529 account for over 15 years and no longer need to add deposits. Could I change the beneficiary to myself and then convert to a Roth IRA, assuming I have met the...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport When the bell dropped in Times Square last Sunday night, a bunch of new provisions from the SECURE 2.0 legislation kicked in. This article will focus on the Roth-related changes that are effective in 2024....

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: I have a traditional IRA with a portion being nondeductible contributions. The last nondeductible contribution I made was in 2009. and I have my Form 8606 showing the...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Thinking of opening up a new solo 401(k) plan for 2023? Thanks to SECURE 2.0, you don’t have to rush to get it done by year end. A solo 401(k) is an excellent retirement savings vehicle for self-employed...