What’s New for 2025
By Ian Berger, JDIRA Analyst When the ball dropped in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, a number of new...
RMD
Spousal Beneficiaries and the 10-Year Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
Our daughter (age 50) is the sole beneficiary of her husband's (age 52) IRA due to his death in April 2024. Is there a time limit for when she must either take ownership or roll it over into her own IRA or other qualified plan?
Required Minimum Distributions and IRAs: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF®IRA Analyst QUESTION: If a client opens an IRA at age 75 and makes a contribution...
4 Things to Know About Rollovers Between Calendar Years
The IRA rollover rules are always tricky. However, if you are rolling over an IRA distribution when the calendar year changes, the rules can become especially challenging. Here are four things you need to know about rollovers as the year 2024 ends and the year 2025 arrives.
The QCD Dance
Tis the season for giving, and qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) are a popular way to donate to a favorite charity. However, rules must be followed. In a recent Slott Report entry (“QCD Timing,” December 4), I included the following closing line: “Some IRA accounts allow check-writing privileges. Checks written to a charity from a ‘checkbook IRA’ qualify as a valid QCD.
Updating Our Beneficiary RMD Cheat Sheet
In the May 8, 2024, Slott Report, we published a “cheat sheet” summarizing the confusing SECURE Act rules for beneficiary IRA (and company plan account) required minimum distributions (RMDs).
Who Must Take a 2024 RMD?
The holidays are upon us. There is shopping to do, gifts to wrap, and parties to attend. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the season, you may be forgiven if your retirement account is not at the top of your mind. However, for some retirement account owners and beneficiaries, a very important deadline is looming. December 31 is the deadline to take 2024 required minimum distributions (RMDs) for many individuals.
The Still-Working Exception and Roth Conversions in an RMD Year: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
Question:
If you continue to work past age 73, are you exempt from required minimum distributions (RMDs)? My 73 year-old wife is still working and contributing to her company's 401(k), and she doesn't own more than 5% of the company. Is she required to take out any RMD?
Could you please clarify this rule for me? Thank you.
QCD Timing
Year after year, this topic continues to bubble up. Confusion exists over when a QCD can be done in relation to the RMD. Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) can offset all or a portion of an RMD (required minimum distribution). However, for whatever reason, the sequencing of these items (QCDs and RMDs) confounds people. Let’s set the record straight, starting with some QCD fundamentals:
So Many IRA Beneficiary Variables!
When an IRA owner dies, what is the payout schedule for the beneficiary? The key to distinguishing the correct program (i.e., 10-year rule, stretch RMDs, 5-year rule, etc.) is to identify all the important variables. But there are so many! Nevertheless, each detail must be considered. Every scenario requires that we navigate through a mental flow chart. The correct answer lies at the end of every beneficiary maze.
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