Dan and Barbara are a couple soon heading into the second half of the retirement game. They had planned, and read, and strategized, and thought they were making sound financial decisions. That's before one meeting discovered they gave away $50,000 in "free" money.
With the calendar well into May, wedding season has arrived in full force. You have probably heard the saying that marriage has its benefits. Well, this is especially true when it comes to the IRA rules. If you are married, you may have some IRA options that would not have been available to you if you had not taken the plunge and tied the knot. Here are 4 IRA benefits you may have if you are married.
This week's Slott Report Mailbag answers a college student's question on qualifying income for a Roth IRA contribution and discusses the still viable "back-door Roth" strategy.
Are you unhappy with how your IRA investment is performing? Are you considering moving your IRA funds to another custodian or advisor? You have this opportunity. Withdrawing your funds from certain investments may result in penalties, but the IRA rules are set up to allow portability. If you are taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your IRA, here is what you must know about moving your IRA.
This week's Slott Report Mailbag looks at the complications involved with pre- and after-tax contributions to different retirement plans and the rules involved with conversions and distributions.
Most people are aware by now that Prince, the performer, passed away recently at the age of 57. So far, no one has been able to locate his will. Unlike most of us, Prince had a huge amount of assets held personally, in his own name. That means a long probate process and lots of fees for the lawyers. And that’s without any dissension among his family members. Here are the estate planning lessons to learn from Prince's mistakes.
Are you a 20- or 30-something year old or do you know any of those individuals? You’ve now paid your taxes for 2015, take a deep breath, and start planning for your retirement. You will most likely have no pension other than Social Security, if it is still around. Social Security will not cover all of your living expenses just as Medicare will not cover all of your medical expenses. You need to start saving and planning for your retirement NOW. Here's how.
This week's Slott Report Mailbag answers a question on how to distribute converted funds from a Roth IRA, discusses special required minimum distribution (RMD) rules for IRA beneficiaries and looks at the fine print of IRS Form 8606.
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.
