The Slott Report

OBBBA: No IRA Changes, but More Roth Conversions?

Hopefully Ed Slott and Company is your trusted, go-to source for all things IRA and retirement plan related. Let’s be clear about the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025” (OBBBA), enacted on July 4. There is no “SECURE 3.0” in this legislation. It does NOT contain any changes DIRECTLY related to IRA or retirement plan rules.

How Company Plan Loans Work

Most company retirement savings plans, such as 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans, are allowed to (but not required to) offer plan loans. According to a survey by the Employee Benefits Research Institute, as of the end of 2022, 52% of 401(k) plans allowed loans, while 84% of 401(k) participants were in plans offering them. Loans are not allowed from IRAs, SEP IRA plans or SIMPLE IRA plans.

10 Things You Should Know about Fixing Late Rollovers with Self Certification

When retirement account funds are on the move, things do not always go as planned. The best way to move these funds is to do so directly, but that may not always be possible. It is very common for money to be moved between retirement accounts by using 60-day rollovers. Unfortunately, the 60-day rollover deadline is often missed.

Pro Rata, Not “Double Tax”

The pro-rata rule dictates that when an IRA contains both non-deductible (after-tax) and deductible (pre-tax) funds, then each dollar withdrawn (or converted) from the IRA will contain a percentage of tax-free and taxable funds based on the ratio of after-tax funds vs. the entire balance in all your IRAs. When there is a mix of pre- and after-tax dollars, you cannot withdraw (or convert) just the non-deductible funds and pay no tax.

The Roth 5-Year Clock and the Pro-Rata Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag

I am over age 59½ and have had a Roth IRA account for more than 5 years. Starting in 2025, I designated all of my contributions into my employer’s 401(k) plan as Roth contributions. If I decide to retire before I have met the 5-year requirement for the Roth 401(k) and roll over this balance to my existing Roth IRA account, which 5-year clock applies to those former Roth 401(k) dollars?

Double Your Pleasure – The 457(b) 2x Catch-Up

If you’re in a 457(b) plan and are nearing retirement, you may want to consider an often-overlooked rule that could allow you to defer twice the usual annual elective deferral limit (for 2025, $23,000 x 2 = $47,000) in the three years before retirement.

Moving Your Roth Account

The year 2025 has been a turbulent time for the economy. Whether due to job loss or persons seeking better investment opportunities in volatile markets, retirement account funds are on the move more than ever. Fortunately, portability between different types of retirement accounts has expanded, creating more options for those relocating their money.