If you are like many Americans, your IRA may be one of your biggest assets. You may be surprised to discover that this important part of your retirement savings plan may be more vulnerable than you might think. Here is what you need to know about protection of your IRA in bankruptcy and beyond.
You converted your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Then, you recharacterized those Roth IRA funds back to a traditional IRA. You are not alone. Many taxpayers recharacterize Roth IRA conversions. This is especially common in times of market volatility. For many taxpayers, a recharacterization makes sense when faced with a Roth IRA that declined in value since the conversion. Why pay a tax bill on value that no longer exists? After the recharacterizion, you may be wondering... what next? Here are some things you need to know.
Our post-Instant-IRA-Success Slott Report Mailbag examines two issues we covered extensively in Las Vegas. We answer a consumer's question on how to take a required minimum distribution (RMD) prior to taking a Roth conversion. Also, we provide guidance on whether a spouse with no taxable compensation can make an IRA contribution.
With tax season well underway, you may be considering contributing to an IRA. For many people, the IRA options are confusing. There are traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs. Which IRA is right for you? Well, if you are not an employer and are not self-employed, you may not decide on your own to contribute to a SIMPLE or SEP IRA. That leaves traditional and Roth IRAs. Which is best for your retirement savings needs? We examine your options.
This week's Slott Report Mailbag examines how to take advantage of net unrealized appreciation (NUA) - one of the BIGGEST breaks in the tax code - along with answers to two questions on qualified charitable distributions (QCDs).
Did you take your RMD from your IRA for 2015? Hopefully, the answer is yes because for most IRA owners and beneficiaries the deadline for taking a 2015 RMD was December 31, 2015. There is an exception. If you reached age 70 ½ in 2015, you still have time. Your deadline for taking your 2015 RMD from your IRA is April 1, 2016. However, if you missed your 2015 RMD, stay calm and follow these three steps.
Tax season is here. This is the time when many IRA owners consider making contributions for the prior year. Are you planning on making a 2015 contribution to your IRA? Here are 10 IRA contribution rules you need to know.
If you are required to take an RMD (required minimum distribution) from your IRA for 2016, your IRA custodian is required to send an RMD statement to you by January 31, 2016. Here are seven things you need to know about this important information, which will be arriving in your mail sometime in the next few weeks.
Intricate questions to kick off the new year. One consumer has a question about moving pre-tax money to post-tax accounts, while another is getting conflicting answers about utilizing his IRA for ministry housing. Finally, we answer a question on what's sure to be a popular topic in 2016, the tax reporting of hard-to-value IRA assets.
A new year brings new retirement account rule changes. IRA Analyst Sarah Brenner dissects six retirement account rule changes that you need to know. Everything from qualified chartiable distributions (they are back!) to SIMPLE IRAs and expanded penalty-free distributions for higher education expenses are discussed.
