I.R.A. Rules Have Changed, and Heirs Need to Pay Attention

“You could take little crumbs out, and let it grow tax-deferred over decades,” said Ed Slott, a certified public accountant and I.R.A. expert in Rockville Centre, N.Y. Required annual withdrawals were based on life expectancy, so the technique was especially helpful for young children or grandchildren, whose mandatory withdrawals would be quite small.

Now, heirs have just 10 years to drain an account.