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      12-24-2024
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Turn Your Clocks Back, and Pay Attention to the Roth IRA Clocks

  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. The First Clock: Is a Distribution of Converted Dollars Subject to Penalty? When you […]

3 IRA Tasks to Complete by the End of 2024

  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 sooner rather than later to avoid penalties and missed opportunities: 1.) Take your RMD. If you have […]

The Zombie Rule

  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 beginning date (RBD). With the ghost rule, a non-person beneficiary is allowed to use the single life expectancy […]

QTIP Trusts and Successor Beneficiaries: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag

  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 passes, goes to his children from his first marriage and not to someone […]

Nuances of NUA

  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 occurred while the stock was in the plan. But there […]

The 10-Year Rule and Required Minimum Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag

  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) calculations? Is it based on life expectancy or on a number that will empty […]

Tax Filing Relief and Retirement Account Withdrawal Options for Hurricane Victims

  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 individuals affected by federally-declared disaster areas.  On October 1, the IRS announced disaster tax relief for […]

Final Regulations Allow Separate Accounting for Trusts

  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 accounting for RMD purposes for more trusts. This can be helpful when a trust has beneficiaries who can potentially have different […]