The Slott Report

Marriage changes a lot of things. Some things are not quite as obvious as others. We walk you through the key changes to your IRAs, Roth IRAs and overall retirement planning.

Another edition of the Slott Report Mailbag examines the power and process behind a stretch IRA and answers a tricky question about using the cost basis of employer stock to satisfy required minimum distributions (RMDs).

As with most IRA/tax strategies, the net unrealized appreciation (NUA) strategy comes with a few “don’ts.” Any one of these could mean a loss of your ability to take advantage of the NUA tax benefit.

When you leave an employer, you may assume that the right move is to roll over your retirement funds to an IRA. Not so fast! For many people, a rollover will be a smart decision. However, don’t assume that is always the way to go. In some cases, as strange as it may sound, taking a lump sum distribution and paying taxes is a smart choice. You may be wondering how that could be possible. Read on to see why a tax break called Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) may make taking that distribution a good choice.

This week's Slott Report Mailbag discusses complex retirement planning topics with a charitable uncle interested in leaving his Roth IRAs to his grandnephews and nieces and an employee moving to part-time work who is still interested in contributing to his 401(k).

IRS does not have a crystal ball. Its team members don't know how long you are going to live. The life expectancy tables are based on statistics and do not take into account any of your personal information. Read on to discover what life expectancy table you should be using and how each works.

An HSA has been described as offering triple tax benefits. One, contributions are deductible. Two, there is no taxation on funds while they are in the HSA and, three, distributions taken for qualified medical expenses are tax-free. Not a bad deal! When you reach age 65, however, there are some important changes in store for your HSA.

This week's Slott Report Mailbag looks at required minimum distribution (RMD) calculations for primary beneficiaries (depending on who is named) and answers a complex question on RMD issues when inheriting an inherited IRA.

When you leave an employer, you have an important decision to make. If you participated in a company plan, you need to decide what to do with your money. Should you roll over your funds to an IRA? Here are 3 exceptions to the early distribution penalty that just apply to IRAs.

The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 was signed into law on December 18, 2015. This bill was commonly known as the “Extenders Bill” because it made several favorable tax provisions permanent that had been temporary, some for many years. Buried way down in the PATH Act was a provision that affected SIMPLE IRAs. We outline what has changed.