Yesterday, July 1, 2014, the IRS released the Final Regulations for "qualifying longevity annuity contracts" (QLACs). Thanks to these regulations, you will now be able to purchase certain annuity contracts that can be excluded from the fair market value you use to calculate your required minimum distribution (RMD).
I was appearing as a guest on a radio show yesterday when a listener called in, saying that his Roth IRA had lost substantial value. Ultimately, the caller wanted to know if he could claim a deduction for his Roth IRA loss. I told him that the answer was probably “no,” but that a question like that would be exceedingly difficult to answer for sure, given the time I had left on air. Here is a more detailed answer to his question.
In a landmark decision last Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously, 9-0, that inherited IRAs are not protected in bankruptcy under federal law. The decision has far reaching ramifications and, depending on your heirs' specific circumstances, may give you pause as to who — or what — is the best beneficiary for your retirement accounts. Click to learn more about this ruling and how it may affect you.
Yesterday, the IRS released a "Taxpayer Bill of Rights," to help organize "the dozens of existing rights in the Internal Revenue Code into ten fundamental rights," as well as make the "rights clear, understandable, and accessible for taxpayers and IRS employees alike."With that in mind, it occurred to me that IRA owners would benefit from an "IRA Owners’ Bill of Rights," of sorts, to help understand certain aspects of their retirement accounts. Below is a list of 10 key rights that any and all IRA owners should be aware they have.
So, you make your way into the financial "doctor's" office, armed with all of your bank and retirement account statements. What should you expect from the meeting - what burning questions should you and your financial team have the answers to? I examine the mandatory 3 questions that must be asked and answered below.
This past Monday, our nation celebrated Memorial Day, a day dedicated to honoring the brave men and women who have lost their lives while serving in our Armed Forces. While no financial benefit can ever console or adequately compensate the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, when a member of the Armed Forces dies, his or her loved ones are often the beneficiaries of a Service member’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI) policy. Click for more details about this policy and how it affects the families of those who served their country.
IRA valuation is critical when determining your required minimum distributions (RMDs), which are based on the prior year-end fair market value (FMV) of IRA assets. It is also critical for Roth conversions, because the resulting tax bill is based on the FMV of your IRA assets on the date of your conversion. Valuing certain deferred annuities owned inside your IRA can be tricky, though. We explain in more detail below.
You’ve had "the conversion talk" and have decided that a Roth conversion is in your best interest. Now you have a choice ... should you convert your existing 401(k) money to a Roth 401(k) – your plan must have adopted this voluntary feature in order for you to do so – or should you make a conversion to a Roth IRA? While on the surface these two types of accounts are very similar – they both, for example, offer the prospects of tax-free growth and future distributions – there are a number of subtle, and not so subtle, differences that may make one type of conversion far more beneficial for you than the other. With that in mind, here is a summary of some of the most important factors to consider when making this decision:
How do you become an IRA expert? You must devote substantial time and resources to a topic you are passionate about and never stop learning. That's what separates experts from those with foundational knowledge. Tax rules governing IRAs are always changing, and we make sure we know these updates and how they affect the IRA landscape as soon as possible. Here's a few of the questions we get from financial advisors and consumers about our methods for staying on top of the IRA world.
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