The Slott Report

Non-Deductible IRA Contributions: What You Need to Know

In order to make an IRA contribution, you must be younger than age 70 1/2 for the year and also have wages or compensation from your job. Once you make your IRA contribution, then you have to figure out whether it's tax deductible or not.

Sequester Hits IRS

The sequester is coming! The sequester is coming! That is all you heard in February and March. What does that mean for you?

Wedded Miss: How Changing Your Last Name Affects Moving Your Retirement Money

Tradition has it that when a man and a woman get married, the woman typically takes the last name of her husband. Although today, many choose to modify this tradition, perhaps by hyphenating their maiden name with their husband’s surname, or do away with it altogether and keep their own name, there are still many who keep this tradition alive.

Don’t Pledge Your IRA For Any Loans

Most of us have loans of some sort, whether it's a mortgage on our home, a car loan, student loan, etc. Or maybe you're thinking about applying for a new loan. In order to get the loan, the bank or other lending institution might require you to have some collateral or pledge some assets as security for the loan. However, if you have an IRA, you can’t use it as collateral for any personal loans.

Prohibited Transactions Can Come Back to Haunt You

Two individuals wanted to purchase a business together. They set up self-directed IRAs and a corporation to hold the business. The self-directed IRAs purchased the shares of the new company, which then purchased an ongoing business. The purchase of the business was partly funded with loans that were personally guaranteed by the two individuals.

IRA Distribution Tables: Fact or Fiction

The IRA distribution tables can be confounding to the average retiree. What table should I be using? How do I calculate my RMD (required minimum distribution)? We look at several different scenarios and provide the facts and common misconceptions involving the IRA distribution tables.

Employer-Sponsored IRAs: A Retirement Plan with Unique Advantages

If a business owner is considering starting a retirement plan for himself and his employees, he may want to consider an employer-sponsored IRA. While employer-sponsored IRAs are not very well known, even to many tax pros and CPAs, they offer some unique advantages from other employer retirement plans.