Recharacterization is currently one of the few “do-overs” allowed under the tax code. Its days may now be numbered. The tax reform legislation currently pending in Congress would do away with recharacterization at the end of 2017.
If you have an IRA, you should realize that what goes in must come out. In other words, your tax deferral will not last forever. Eventually, Uncle Sam will want his share. When you reach retirement age, required minimum distributions (RMDs) will kick in. Are you prepared? Take our RMD quiz and see how well you understand the basic RMD rules.
House Republicans took the first shot at tax reform with the release of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on November 2. Now it is the Senate’s turn to weigh in. Not surprisingly, the Senate’s take on overhauling the tax code looks very different than the House version. You may wonder how your retirement account may be affected. Here are some highlights.
Are you approaching retirement age and not looking forward to being forced to take unwanted required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your retirement account? You may be looking for a way to delay those distributions. You may have heard about the “still-working” exception, which can allow RMDs to be put off. Will this exception help you? Here are 10 things you need to know.
This week's Slott Report Mailbag looks into RMDs and spousal IRA beneficiaries.
If you inherit an IRA, especially if it is a larger one, you may be afraid of being stuck with the five-year distribution rule. If this rule applies, your IRA must be entirely emptied in five years which can be a serious tax hit. Fortunately, you are much less likely to be stuck with the five-year rule than you may think.
It’s Halloween season! This is the time for ghosts, witches, and trick or treating. What does Halloween have to do with your IRA? You might be surprised to hear that your IRA may be haunted. How can that be? Believe it or not, actions you take, or don’t take, can haunt your beneficiaries for years down the road.
Rothification is a term that is being tossed around a lot as tax reform takes center stage in Congress. What does Rothification mean? Proposals vary but, basically, it’s the idea of eliminating tax deductions and deferrals for retirement savings and instead mandating after-tax contributions with a payoff of tax-free earnings down the road. This is how Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s work so hence the term “Rothification” has emerged.
This week's Slott Report Mailbag looks into 403(b) plans, RMDs, still-working exceptions, and trusts.
Millions of Americans were affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. You may be one of them. If you are, there is some encouraging news. On September 29, President Trump signed H.R. 3823, the “Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017” into law. The new law provides a package of tax relief for Hurricane victims, including a provision that allows penalty-free distributions from retirement accounts.
