Matt Smith

Question: Hello, If an individual has a solo 401(k), is this considered a "retirement plan at work" that would limit the deductibility of IRA contributions? Thanks! Susan Answer: Hi Susan, Being an active participant in a retirement plan for the year can limit your ability to deduct your traditional IRA contribution, depending on your income. Participating in a solo 401(k) would count as active participation for this purpose.

For many people, 2020 has meant leaving a job. Some jobs have disappeared. Some workers are taking early retirement. This means that many workers are receiving distributions from employer plans. Many individuals may assume that the right move is to roll over those retirement funds to an IRA. Not so fast! For many people, a rollover will be a smart decision. However, don’t assume that is always the way to go. In some cases, as strange as it may sound, taking a lump sum distribution and paying taxes is a smart choice. You may be wondering how that could be possible. Well, a tax break called Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) may make taking that lump sum distribution a good choice in 2020.

With the popularity of Roth 401(k) contributions, after-tax employee contributions have gotten short shrift. But, if your plan offers them, after-tax contributions are worth considering because they can significantly boost your retirement savings. What are they? After-tax contributions are elective deferrals made from already-taxed salary. You make after-tax contributions to your plan the same way you make pre-tax or Roth contributions (if offered). Unlike earnings on Roth 401(k) contributions, earnings on after-tax contributions are always taxable.

Question: An 85-year-old died in 2020 and left his IRA to his 53-year-old son. Father did not take 2020 $107,000 RMD. Does the son have to take it? Does the son have to take anything in first 9 years, including this RMD? Thank you. Answer: The CARES Act waived RMDs for IRAs in 2020. Even if an IRA owner dies in 2020, his year-of-death RMD still falls under the waiver. So, the $107,000 did not need to be withdrawn by the father, and it does not need to be withdrawn by his son beneficiary.

As Halloween approaches and the leaves change color, families gather ‘round weekend campfires, roast marshmallows, and share spooky stories. Watchful owls hoot in the dark. In the distance, a wolf howls at the moon. A rustle in the bushes. A twig snaps. What was that?!? A dad in a flannel shirt shines a flashlight under his chin, his features glowing red. He scans the anxious little faces, awash in flickering firelight, and tells a tale about the Ghost Rule. Once upon a time, a kindly little man had an IRA account. He did not care much for tax or estate planning. He did not care to fill out forms, as he did not care much for details. He cared only to sit on his front porch and rock in his chair and watch the world go by.

For trusts that inherited an IRA in 2019, an important deadline is approaching. October 31, 2020 is the due date to provide required trust documentation to the IRA custodian to ensure that the longest payout period possible is available for the inherited IRA. Generally, only individuals who are named on an IRA beneficiary form can be designated beneficiaries. A trust is not an individual but if the trust qualifies as a "look through" or "see-through" trust, then each individual beneficiary of the trust can qualify as a designated beneficiary for IRA distribution purposes. For trusts that inherited in 2019, prior to the enactment of the SECURE Act in 2020, this would allow each trust beneficiary to stretch payments over the life expectancy of the oldest beneficiary.

Question: Sir, I inherited an IRA from my sister two years ago. She was collecting RMDs at 78. My question involves collecting my sister’s RMD. Does the 10-year withdrawal go into effect now or do I use the table under my age, which is 73? Charles

With the recent economic downturn, you may be more concerned than ever about keeping retirement plan funds safe from creditors. If you participate in a plan covered by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), you can sleep well at night. Your plan accounts are completely shielded from creditors – whether or not you’ve declared bankruptcy. (Not surprisingly, there is an exception allowing the IRS to recoup unpaid taxes.)

Many years ago, my wife and I went to lunch at a pizza joint in a strip mall. The friendly gray-haired host in sensible shoes (whom I pegged for mid-to-late 60’s), tucked two menus under her arm, grabbed a couple sets of silverware wrapped in white paper napkins, and led us to our booth. Since the noontime rush was yet to hit, our host decided to chat. She asked how our day was going, made a pleasant comment about my wife’s shirt, and told us she was a bit tired because, “after this I need to run over to my second job at Kohl’s. Just trying to keep a roof over my head. Been pretty busy since my third husband died.”

Question: Would you kindly clarify the rule that governs the withdrawal period and the tax implication (if any) of RMDs from an inherited IRA? The SECURE Act and the IRS document 590B are not clear. Here is the situation: I have a traditional IRA with my granddaughter as the sole beneficiary. My understanding is that before the SECURE Act, inherited IRA's had to issue annual RMD's if the original owner was taking them. The SECURE Act seems to say that annual RMD's are no longer required to be taken by a non-spouse beneficiary, just as long as the account is fully distributed in the 10-year period.