Tax Planning

Retirement Comics: One of the Perks

The main perk of retirement is freedom. The freedom to sleep in late. The freedom to play golf five days a week. The freedom to talk about the laughs and tears of the last 30 years. This comic illustrates one of the great benefits of retirement...well, along with a safe and secure stack of money to afford you a comfortable, enjoyable trip through your golden years.

Your IRA or Roth IRA is Included in Your Taxable Estate

Taxpayers believe that because they have already paid the income tax on Roth IRAs that the Roth IRA balance will not be included in the estate for estate tax purposes. As the title indicates, your IRA or Roth IRA will be included as part of your taxable estate at your death. Click to read more about where it says this.

What You Need to Know About Special 10 Year Income Averaging

A provision in the tax code allows use of a special formula called “ten year income averaging” by qualifying individuals or their beneficiaries to determine the tax liability with respect to a lump sum distribution they may receive from an employer-sponsored qualified plan or annuity. To qualify for 10 year income averaging, the following six tests must be met.

Income in Respect of a Decedent (IRD) History

IRD is taxable income that was earned but not received by an individual prior to his or her death. It is taxed in the same manner to the recipient as it would have been to the decedent had he or she lived to collect it. Good examples of IRD include deferred compensation, series EE savings bonds and date of death balances in IRAs and other tax-deferred retirement plans, just to name a few.

Many Not Saving Enough; Roth IRAs Great for College

Two information-packed articles on "saving" came out today, and they are very beneficial to your retirement planning and IRA planning in general. Click to read more about "Roth IRA: A Great Way to Save for College" and "Many not saving enough for golden years."

IRAs (SEP, Inherited, Stretch) Highlight Mailbag

IRAs, IRAs, IRAs. We have a full plate (leftovers from Thanksgiving) of IRA questions in this week's Mailbag. These questions touch on topics such as SEP IRAs, inherited IRAs and naming the trust as the beneficiary of IRAs.

Year-End IRA Checklist

The holiday season is a time for checklists. The good news is you don't have to make this list, but make sure to check it twice. Ed Slott created this year-end IRA checklist just for ALL OF OUR LOYAL READERS. You can read about many of the often-overlooked year-end items that could lead to a retirement savings windfall. Guard the money you have worked and saved for this holiday season.

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