The Slott Report

REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG

QUESTION:I inherited a traditional IRA from my mother in 2024. She passed before her required beginning date (RBD.) I know that I fall under the 10-year rule. The question is, do I need to start required minimum distributions (RMDs) in 2024 and deplete the account by 2034, or can I wait until 2034 and deplete the entire account all at once?

401(k) to IRA Rollover – 3 Buckets

Workplace retirement plans – like a 401(k) – can hold different types of dollars. Typically, a 401(k) will have a pre-tax bucket and a Roth bucket. Occasionally, a plan will have a third bucket to hold after-tax (non-Roth) money. When it comes time to roll all these plan dollars to an IRA, where should (and where can) the different dollars go?

401(k) Plans Can Now Offer Matching Contributions On Student Loan Payments

If you are making student loan repayments, you should ask your employer if it will match those payments in the company’s retirement plan. The SECURE 2.0 Act allows for matching contributions on “qualified student loan payments” (or “QSLPs”) beginning with plan fiscal years starting after December 31, 2023. (This is January 1, 2024 for most plans.) Matches on QSLPs are optional; plans are not required to offer them.

New Rules: Aggregating Year-of-Death RMDs

In my August 19 Slott Report (“Year of Death RMD – Deadline Extended!”), I wrote about the required beginning date, who takes the year-of-death required minimum distribution (RMD), and the deadline for taking that distribution. Today’s article focuses on an additional nuance of the year-of-death RMD – something created by the final regulations (released July 18, 2024) - that could make taking the year-of-death RMD a little clunky in some situations.

Roth IRAs and Successor Beneficiaries: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag

QUESTION:I have been getting emails from a few sites pitching their subscriptions. They claim that Roth IRAs will all be taxable in the future. They say there are things you can do to avoid these taxes, but to find out what they are you have to subscribe to their newsletter. Is this true, and if so, how can one avoid taxes for Roth IRAs?

The Roth IRA Advantage Under the Final RMD Rules

In 2020, the SECURE Act completely changed the game for nonspouse IRA beneficiaries. Now, most are subject to the 10-year payout rule. Recently released final RMD rules keep the controversial proposed rule that requires many beneficiaries subject to the 10-year rule to also take annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) during the 10-year period.