IRAs

Early Year IRA Contribution Question-and-Answer

Last week I posted a video discussing the importance of contributing to your retirement account early in the year. Without putting any more money into your account over the long run, by simply making your IRA contribution early in the year, as opposed to year-end (or even by April 15 of the following year), you can easily wind up with tens of thousands more in your retirement account to spend during your golden years. In response to the video, as well as the time of year in general, we've received a number of questions. Here are some of the most common ones, along with their answers.

Reinvesting Your Required Minimum Distribution

You have inherited an IRA or you have turned age 70 ½ and now have to take required distributions (RMDs). But you don't need (a relative term of course) the money and you would rather not pay the tax on money you don't need. So what can you do? Click to find out.

IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions Expired for 2014

As we begin 2014, many of you who are charitably inclined have asked us about the status of QCDs (qualified charitable distributions). QCDs, known as charitable IRA rollovers, are a way of moving your IRA money tax-free to a charity.

National Newspaper Article Makes Major IRA Missteps

"Don't Let the IRS Gobble Up Your IRA," yet if you listen to the national newspaper article we read yesterday, that's exactly what the IRS will do. This article's author makes major mistakes, using the wrong IRA minimum distribution table in his example, using the wrong percentage when talking about required distributions from your IRA balance and more.

60 Day Rollover Waiver When IRA Was Involved in a Ponzi Scheme

IRS Private Letter Ruling 201342017 is a ruling that involved a Ponzi scheme in an IRA. An IRA owner we will call "Alex" asserted that his failure to complete his IRA rollover within the 60-day rollover window was because his financial adviser engaged in a Ponzi scheme.

Aggregating Required Distributions

Not only are the holidays upon us, but it is time to make sure that required distributions (RMDs) from retirement plans are taken before year end (or before the cutoff date imposed by the IRA custodian). One question that comes up frequently is what RMDs can be added together. We answer this in detail below.

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