This holiday season Congress has given us SECURE 2.0. With no time to spare to avoid a government shutdown, they passed the $1.7 billion Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and sent it off the President for signature. Tucked inside the more than 4000 pages of legislation, you can find SECURE 2.0.
When you contribute to a traditional IRA you make a deal with Uncle Sam. You can get a tax deduction and tax deferral on any earnings in your IRA. However, eventually the government is going to want its share and will require funds to come out of these accounts. That is when you must start required minimum distributions (RMDs). You may not need the money and you may not want the tax hit. Here are some strategies that can help reduce your RMD.
While there is a lot of focus on the proposed tax law changes that have a target effective date of 2018, there is something we can count on for 2018, the inflation adjusted retirement account limits. There are currently no proposed changes to the following limits.
Nothing lasts forever. This includes tax deferral on your IRAs. Eventually, Uncle Sam is going to want his share and will require funds to come out of these accounts. That is when required minimum distributions (RMDs) must begin. What if you don’t need the money? What if you don’t want a tax hit? Here are five strategies to reduce your RMDs.
1. General Rule
As a general rule, the account balance used for calculating required minimum distributions (RMDs) is the prior year-end account balance, with no adjustments. For example, if you are calculating an RMD for 2017 you would use the 2016 year-end account balance. If you are calculating a missed RMD for 2014, you would use the 2013 year-end account balance. If you have your first RMD due for 2017 and you take that RMD in March of 2018, you still use the 2016 year-end account balance. As usual with retirement distribution rules, there are some exceptions to the general rule.
Catch-up contributions for most retirement plans and IRAs can be made beginning in the year you are going to turn age 50. The only plan that does not allow catch-up contributions is the SEP IRA. The following are the catch-up limit amounts.
“Confidence comes from being prepared.” —John Wooden. A successful retirement plan does not happen overnight nor can it exist without proper preparation.
Jenny has a 401(k) plan at work and she has an IRA. Jenny is 72 but is still working. Her employer plan has a “still working” exception so Jenny does not have to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from her plan. However, she does have to take RMDs from her IRA.
Fall is in the air and the holidays are just around the corner. For many retirement account owners, this means that an important deadline is approaching. Most of those who are 70 ½ or older will need to take a 2016 RMD by December 31, 2016. However, that deadline does not apply to everyone. If you are age 70 ½ or over, when would an RMD not be required to be taken from your retirement account by the upcoming December 31 deadline? Here are some exceptions that might apply to you.
There are two things to keep in mind when you are discussing ages and retirement plans. One is the age itself and the other is what does that age mean. For example, when is age 55 not 55? You will understand as you read further into the important ages associated with retirement plans.
