Roth IRA recharacterization

How NOT to Invest in an Alternative Investment in Your IRA

There are very few things an IRA cannot invest in. Those are collectibles, life insurance and S Corp stock. An IRA can invest in just about anything else. The key word here is that the IRA can invest in an asset. Here is the story of an investment gone wrong.

Can I Claim IRA Fees as a Tax Deduction?

This week's Slott Report Mailbag, proudly sponsored by GoldCo Precious Metals, answers questions on claiming IRA fees as a tax deduction and whether or not you should have a separate Roth IRA for every conversion.

7 Ways You Can Mess Up Your Required Minimum Distribution

Taking your correct required minimum distribution (RMD) ... it sounds so easy; you just divide the balance of your IRA at the end of last year by your IRS-provided life expectancy factor. What could possibly go wrong? The answer: a lot, an awful lot. Read on for seven RMD mistakes you should avoid at all costs.

How Do I Take an RMD on An Account Valued at Zero?

This week's Slott Report Mailbag looks at a dilemma we see in many households: expected income exceeds Roth IRA contribution limits, so the family elects to open a Traditional IRA, only to see by year-end that the expected income fell under the contribution limits. Can this family convert the Traditional IRA money to a Roth? Also, we examine the process of taking a required minimum distribution on an account valued at zero, and answer an inherited IRA question about the proper way of distributing funds.

Year-End RMD Question: Can I Transfer my Traditional IRA RMD to a Roth?

The major Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) announcement pushed off last week's Slott Report Mailbag until this week, and it couldn't come at a better time. With 2014 hanging on by its coattails, year-end retirement planning is nearing its conclusion. In crunch time, advisors and consumers are asking specific questions about taking required minimum distributions (RMDs). It's only fitting that we received two questions on the topic this week.

Slott Report Mailbag: Can I Recharacterize AGAIN?

You can't just contribute to an IRA if you have extra money lying around and don't work. It's a fact that many Americans aren't aware of, and it's one that came up in this week's Slott Report Mailbag. We also examine the ability to recharacterize part of a Roth conversion more than once and the process for establishing IRA annuities.

Early Year IRA Contribution Question-and-Answer

Last week I posted a video discussing the importance of contributing to your retirement account early in the year. Without putting any more money into your account over the long run, by simply making your IRA contribution early in the year, as opposed to year-end (or even by April 15 of the following year), you can easily wind up with tens of thousands more in your retirement account to spend during your golden years. In response to the video, as well as the time of year in general, we've received a number of questions. Here are some of the most common ones, along with their answers.

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