It's time for another edition of The Slott Report Mailbag, where we answer consumer questions on required minimum distribution (RMD) procedures with IRA annuities, The Roth conversion conversation and the Roth IRA beneficiary rules for spouses.
When it comes to investing your IRAs, you are in the driver’s seat. If an investment is no longer working for you and another opportunity better fits your retirement savings strategy, you may want to move your IRA funds. You are probably aware that some investments may limit your ability to do this or impose penalties, but often overlooked are the serious consequences that will occur if you run afoul of the IRA rules when trying to make your move. Before you decide to take a distribution from your IRA, you will want to understand three very important rules that apply to rollovers.
Can you contribute to both an IRA and a Roth IRA in the same year? Yes, if you follow the rules. This Monday afternoon blog post discusses those rules and the complications that occur if you don't follow them.
Have you made your 2015 IRA contribution? If not, why not? Here are five myths that are commonly cited as reasons for not contributing to an IRA. Don’t miss out on your 2015 IRA contribution because you wrongly believe one of them applies to you.
It's time for another edition of The Slott Report Mailbag, where we answer a parent's question on whether her son's Roth IRA contributions were done within the rules, assess whether an IRA account can be converted to a Roth IRA before age 59 ½ and examine an employee's pro-rata complexities with moving after-tax 401(k) funds to both a traditional and Roth IRA.
IRAs and 401(k)s 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 help provide an income source in retirement. That said, there are also many differences between IRAs and 401(k)s. Some are relatively benign and probably won’t impact you very much, but other differences can make one type of account far superior to the other in your particular situation. With that in mind, today, we explore 5 things you can do with an IRA that you can’t with a 401(k).
Can you deduct a loss in your IRA or Roth IRA? The answer is yes, if you meet the criteria. It is much easier to deduct a loss in a Roth IRA than in a traditional IRA because Roth IRAs generally hold more basis than a traditional IRA. Basis in a traditional IRA comes only from nondeductible contributions and/or rollovers of after-tax funds previously held in an employer plan. Basis in a Roth IRA comes from Roth IRA contributions, Roth IRA conversions and most rollovers from designated Roth accounts (i.e. Roth 401(k) funds). Here are the six steps.
This week's Slott Report Mailbag looks at possible miscues and how to handle them. What constitutes an excess Roth IRA contribution? One individual below has to deal with the 6% penalty while another doesn't. We explain why.
Roth IRAs can be powerful retirement planning tools. They allow you to put money aside today that can grow tax free for the remainder of your lifetime, and there are no required minimum distributions, like there are for traditional IRAs. Of course, nothing worth having in life comes without a cost, and the Roth IRA is no exception. Here's how to grow your Roth IRA account without growing your bill at tax time.
When you take a distribution from your traditional IRA, you will owe taxes in most cases. Uncle Sam wants to be sure those taxes are paid. The good news, however, is that there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to withholding on your IRA distribution. Here is what you need to know.
