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401(k)s and IRAs share a lot of similarities. They are both retirement plans. They both can help you lower your tax bill today, provide tax-deferred growth and can help provide an income source in retirement. That said, there are also many differences between the two types of retirement accounts. Some are relatively insignificant and probably won’t impact your planning or decision-making process, but other differences can make one type of account far superior to the other in your particular situation. With that in mind, we explore 5 things you can do with a 401(k) that you can’t do with an IRA.

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.

So grateful for this resource! After reviewing some similar threads, a. It is my understanding that an RMD cannot be...

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.

I am a 48 year old retired Army Officer that contributed to the TSP (Thrift Savings Plan) throughout my career....

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.

Hi, My 401(k) balance consists pre-tax contributions, after-tax contributions, and growth. I’d like to do an in-service distribution and do...