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RMD Quiz – How Well Do You Know the Rules?
If you have an IRA, you should realize that what goes in must come out. In other words, your tax deferral will not last forever. Eventually, Uncle Sam will want his share. When you reach retirement age, required minimum distributions (RMDs) will kick in. Are you prepared? Take our RMD quiz and see how…
Read MoreSmart Year-End Moves to Trim Your 2017 Tax Bill
Some of these year-end moves will be even more compelling if lower rates arrive in 2018. The outlook for tax reform is still uncertain, but this much seems clear: Tax rates are unlikely to go up in 2018, and there’s a good chance that they’ll go down for most taxpayers. That makes some year-end tax…
Read MoreThe Ricks Report – October 30, 2017
The Ricks Report October 30, 2017 Numbers of $ignificance  START SAVING NOW – A child born in 2017 that begins kindergarten in the fall of 2022 would attend college between the years of 2035 and 2039. If that child attended an average public in-state 4-year college and if the annual price increases for public colleges…
Read MoreInherited IRAs – When do RMDs Begin?
We are frequently asked when required minimum distributions (RMDs) begin when an individual inherits an IRA. As with most things related to IRAs, the answer is, it depends. Year of Death RMD If a Traditional IRA owner died after their required beginning date (RBD) and did not take their RMD for the year, the RMD…
Read MoreAre You Over 70.5 Years Old and Still Working? Understand Your Options With RMDs: This Week’s Q&A
This week’s Slott Report Mailbag examines RMDs when you are still working past 70.5 years old and inheriting multiple IRAs. As always, we recommend you work with a competent, educated financial advisor to keep your retirement nest egg safe and secure. You can find one in your area here. Question: I have read some of your…
Read MoreA Tale of 3 Cousins and Their Inherited 401(k) Plans
This is the story of Al, Bob and Carl. Each cousin is the non-spouse beneficiary of his father’s 401(k) plan. Their fathers worked together at the local automotive factory for their entire lives and were all covered by the same plan. The default distribution option in the plan for non-spouse beneficiaries is a five-year payout.…
Read MoreHow Your Inherited IRA Is Taxed
Have you inherited an IRA? What type of IRA is it? Your answer will matter a lot when it comes to your tax bill. Inheriting a traditional IRA will have very different tax consequences than inheriting a Roth IRA. Consider the following example. Let’s say Tom named his three children as beneficiaries of his three-million-dollar…
Read MoreRetirement Plan Checks and 60-Day Rollovers
Generally, when you receive a check from your IRA custodian or employer plan, you have 60 days to rollover the funds to another retirement account, either an IRA or an employer plan. As with most retirement plan rules, this rule comes with two exceptions – one good and one bad. Let’s look at what happens…
Read MoreOptions for a Spouse Beneficiary–Remain a Beneficiary or Retitle to Your Own Account?
Warning! The options described here are for spouse beneficiaries named on the beneficiary forms of IRA accounts. Non-spouse beneficiaries and spouses who inherit through an estate have a different sets of rules. Your spouse has died and you are named the beneficiary of their IRA. What do you do now? The IRA custodian has automatically…
Read MoreWant to Donate to Harvey Victims? Consider a QCD
As the flood waters slowly recede in the Houston area, many people are asking themselves how they can help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. For those who have IRAs and are charitably inclined a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) may be one way you can help. QCD Rules Not everyone can do a QCD. A QCD…
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