IRA BLOG

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport The August 28, 2023 Slott Report summarized IRS Notice 2023-62, where the IRS delayed the effective date of the SECURE 2.0 rule requiring catch-up contributions by higher-paid older employees to be made on...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: My name is Bruce. I am 65 years old, and I have a question about the SECURE Act. My mother died at age 89 on April 19, 2023, and I inherited her IRA. She had been receiving...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Many IRA assets will ultimately go to nonspouse beneficiaries. When these beneficiaries inherit the funds, special rules kick in. Inherited IRAs are not like your own personal IRA...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   The lunacy of IRA beneficiary payout rules continues to boggle the mind. As I guide advisors through the options available to their clients, various nuances present one unique scenario after...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Last Friday afternoon (August 25, 2023), the IRS gave employer plans two more years to comply with the controversial SECURE 2.0 rule requiring “catch-up contributions” for high-paid employees to be made on...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport QUESTION: Hello!  I recently came across one of your articles and decided to reach out to you in hopes of getting some clarification re: the Secure Act 2.0 and distributions as a qualified public...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport When an IRA or retirement plan owner reaches a particular age, that account owner typically must begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs.) The RMD is calculated based on the year-end...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: I am struggling to find an answer to my situation. My wife’s 82-year old father passed away about 8 years ago and he was taking IRA distributions. A portion of his IRA was...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport If you are subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs) and have annuitized part of your IRA, a recent law change could drastically reduce your RMDs. But, without IRS guidance, it may be difficult to...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport The IRS unleashed massive confusion last year. To the surprise of many, it released proposed SECURE Act regulations requiring beneficiaries (on some occasions) to take required...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: I’m age 76. My brother died in December 2022 at 84. Do I take required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the inherited account based on my age or on my brother’s age at death? Answer: Since you’re...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport As already-complicated IRA rules spiral further into an abyss of confusion, it comes as no surprise that irregularities exist. Up is down and left is right. Green means stop, red means throw your...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   If you’re facing the unpleasant prospect of paying college bills for the fall semester, you may be thinking of tapping into your retirement savings to help with the costs. If you’re under age 59 ½,...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Greetings, If I have the beneficiaries on my IRA listed as my wife (50%) and two children over 21 (50%), is my wife still able to move her half of the IRA into her existing IRA when I...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport   Are you thinking of naming a child or grandchild as your IRA beneficiary? With the start of the SECURE Act in January 2020, the rules for inherited IRAs were upended....

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport   There is no doubt we have written about this topic in past Slott Report entries. Possibly many times. There is also no doubt that people continue to make this same error, over and over...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: I inherited an IRA in 2022 upon the passing of my father after he had already started his RMDs. I took a 2023 RMD from it in May 2023.  Your website says I’m not...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Is your child or grandchild working hard this summer? A summer job can be a valuable experience for a young person. Whether it is making smoothies, serving tables, or being a...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport On July 17, we reported that the IRS had issued required minimum distribution (RMD) relief in two situations. First, the Service excused 2023 RMDs for certain IRA (and plan) beneficiaries subject to...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Hi, I have a question regarding solo 401(k)s. Does a solo 401(k) contribution affect the pro-rata rule when considering a backdoor Roth IRA? Best, James Answer: Hi James, No. 401(k) assets...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport We say in our training manuals that “the SECURE Act obliterates IRA trust planning.” That’s an aggressive word – “obliterates” – but it is accurate. We also shout from the mountain top that...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport   If you’re an IRA beneficiary subject to the 10-year payout period and would have had a 2023 RMD (required minimum distribution), you’re in luck. In Notice 2023-54 issued last Friday (July 14),...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport   QUESTION: Dear Mr. Slott, I have a client who, during 2022, was separated from employment, turned 55, and took a distribution from his former employer’s 401(k) account. We properly used...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport   You can have too much of a good thing. While it is a good strategy to contribute to an IRA, some contributions are not allowed. When a contribution is not permitted in...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Oftentimes with these articles, I compare certain retirement account rules to arbitrary items. A creative metaphor or simile can help the reader grasp a concept. For instance, past entries have...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: I believe we are all waiting for the IRS to issue rules related to distribution requirements (or not) for beneficiaries who are subject to the 10-year rule under the...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport In her June 28, 2023 Slott Report post, Sarah Brenner discussed several reasons why it pays to roll over your retirement plan savings to an IRA. Another option is to keep your funds in the plan. Keep...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Ed Slott and Team, I am 73 and a retired financial planner. I would like to do a partial withdrawal from my 403(b) and do a 60-day rollover back into the same 403(b)....

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport If you are like most American workers, you will change jobs many times during your lifetime. With a job change, you will have a decision to make. What should you do with the...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport   When an IRA owner dies, we look to the beneficiary form to determine who should receive the IRA funds. After death, there is a transition process as assets are moved into an inherited...