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      12-31-2024
      Most Americans Feel They're Worse Off Now Than In 2020—Here's What The Data Says
      Key Takeaways A recent Gallup poll showed most Americans feel they are worse off today than four years...
      12-24-2024
      Retirees' Credit Card Debt Levels Are Climbing
      Key Takeaways An Employee Benefit Research Institute survey found that more than two-thirds of retirees...
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Recharacterization Still Exists

  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? Since the earnings on a conversion must remain untouched for 5 years […]

Recharacterization Deadline Approaches

  It happens. You have made a 2023 contribution to the wrong type of IRA. All is not lost. That contribution can be recharacterized. While recharacterization of Roth IRA conversions was eliminated by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, recharacterization of IRA contributions is still available and can be helpful in many situations you may […]

Eligible Designated Beneficiaries and Disclaimers: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag

  Question: When an IRA owner dies after their required beginning date, can an eligible designated beneficiary choose either the life expectancy option or the 10-year payout rule? Answer: If an IRA owner dies on or after their required beginning date, the 10-year rule is not an option for an eligible designated beneficiary (EDB). The […]

IRA Acronyms

  When presenting a particular section of our training manual, I usually make the joke that, “if we were playing an acronym drinking game, we would all be on our way to a hangover.” The segment is titled: “Missed stretch IRA RMD by an EDB, when the IRA owner dies before the RBD.” This part of the […]

What’s the First RMD Year for Those Born in 1959?

  If you were born in 1959, what is the first year that you must start taking required minimum distributions (RMDs)? That would seem like an easy question to answer, but because of a snafu by Congress, it isn’t quite so clear. For many years, RMDs started at age 70 ½. Then, in the 2019 […]

What You Need to Know About Withholding and Your IRA

  If you take a distribution from your traditional IRA, in most cases you will owe taxes. The government wants to be sure those taxes are paid, so IRA distributions are subject to federal income tax withholding. The good news is that there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to withholding on your […]

REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG

QUESTION: I inherited a traditional IRA from my mother in 2024. She passed before her required beginning date (RBD.) I know that I fall under the 10-year rule. The question is, do I need to start required minimum distributions (RMDs) in 2024 and deplete the account by 2034, or can I wait until 2034 and […]

401(k) to IRA Rollover – 3 Buckets

  Workplace retirement plans – like a 401(k) – can hold different types of dollars. Typically, a 401(k) will have a pre-tax bucket and a Roth bucket. Occasionally, a plan will have a third bucket to hold after-tax (non-Roth) money. When it comes time to roll all these plan dollars to an IRA, where should […]