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Are you under age 59 ½ and looking to access your IRA funds without being hit with the 10% early distribution penalty? Taking substantially equal periodic payments, or “72(t)” payments as they are sometimes called, from your IRA may be an option for you. With 72(t) payments, you can take early distributions from your IRA and avoid a penalty. Sound too good to be true? Well, these payments are subject to many strict rules. You should understand the restrictions before you jump in. Here are 10 rules you should know about 72(t) payments before you decide that they are the answer for you.

This edition of The Slott Report Mailbag looks at minimizing the upfront tax impact of a Roth IRA conversion, highlights the 401(k) and SEP IRA contribution limits and answers a question on the BIGGEST planning opportunity in the tax code - net unrealized appreciation.

Do you have a Roth IRA or are you thinking about starting one? You may have heard that a “five-year” rule is important for these accounts. Well, that’s just the beginning of the story. There are actually three different five-year rules for Roth IRAs. You need to understand each of them to maximize the benefits of your Roth IRA.

There has been a lot of talk, and some new regulations, regarding advice given to plan participants when they have the opportunity to move funds out of their employer plan. Let's use an example to illustrate the options available.

For years, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued exemptions that were extraordinarily narrow in scope and very much transaction-based. In a complete reversal, however, on the same day as it unveiled its new Fiduciary Rule, the DOL also unveiled a 300+ page document that introduced a new, broad, principal-based prohibited transaction exemption, known as the Best Interest Contract Exemption. Here's what advisors need to know.

Roth IRAs offer many benefits. Without a doubt, the ability to accumulate funds for retirement on a tax-free basis is clearly their biggest perk, but another huge advantage, relative to other retirement accounts, is that they do not have any required minimum distributions (RMDs) during your lifetime. However, that's not true for all Roth accounts. Make sure that you know about the RMDs the following Roth accounts do have.

It's time for another edition of The Slott Report Mailbag, where we answer consumer questions on situations involving Roth conversions and the pro-rata rule, whether you need earned income to contribute to a Roth IRA and certain Roth IRA tax scenarios (reminder: Tax Day is Monday!)

We are down to the wire! The tax-filing deadline is rapidly approaching and time is running out to make your 2015 IRA contribution. In the final few days, before the clock runs out, here are 10 quick last minute tips to keep in mind about contributing to an IRA.

It's time for another edition of The Slott Report Mailbag, where we answer consumer questions on required minimum distribution (RMD) procedures with IRA annuities, The Roth conversion conversation and the Roth IRA beneficiary rules for spouses.

When it comes to investing your IRAs, you are in the driver’s seat. If an investment is no longer working for you and another opportunity better fits your retirement savings strategy, you may want to move your IRA funds. You are probably aware that some investments may limit your ability to do this or impose penalties, but often overlooked are the serious consequences that will occur if you run afoul of the IRA rules when trying to make your move. Before you decide to take a distribution from your IRA, you will want to understand three very important rules that apply to rollovers.