Question:I understand that I don’t have to take any RMDs during 2020. However, is the CARES Act rule that it is an-all-or-nothing for RMDs or can I take a portion of my RMD for 2020 but not allJohnAnswer:Hi John,Since RMDs are waived this year, you have complete flexibility. In 2020 you can take none of what would have been your RMD, some of it, all of it, or even an amount greater than what would have been your RMD amount.
As a result of the current economic downturn, we can expect more and more companies to offer lump sum buyouts to employees with defined benefit (DB) plan benefits. A lump sum buyout is a limited opportunity for DB plan participants to elect one lump sum distribution in exchange for giving up future periodic payments.The decision of whether to accept a lump sum buyout is a difficult and important one. Because the stakes are so high, it is crucial that you consult with a financial advisor before making a final decision. Here are several factors that you and your advisor should consider:
More than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment since the Corona virus pandemic hit in in the middle of March. With job loss can come questions of what to do with retirement savings such as your 401(k) plan. A rollover to an IRA may be good move for you. Here are three reasons why:1. You can continue your retirement savings. When you contributed to your employer’s plan you made the smart decision to save for retirement. Rolling those funds over to an IRA will allow you to preserve those dollars for your retirement and even add to them in the future. You could keep your funds in an IRA and make IRA contributions or you could move the funds over to a future employer’s plan.
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act single-handedly upended many long-standing retirement rules when it became effective on January 1, 2020. Shockingly, the SECURE Act was pushed to the back burner when all the world was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Only three months after SECURE was introduced to the American public,
Question:Since no RMD in 2020 is required, what will the tax treatment be for QCD checks to charities written before the CARES Act became effective? Will 1099-R dollar amounts be included in AGI and charitable contributions only deductible if taxpayer itemizes on Schedule A? Do you recommend against making further QCD checks in 2020?MikeAnswer:Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) are alive and well in 2020. There is a good deal of confusion about this likely due to the fact that the CARES Act eliminated required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year.
Gold members of a national hotel chain, big airline or just the local club expect lofty benefits for their dedicated patronage. Bronze members have access to A, B and C. Silver members have access to A, B, C, plus D, E and F. At the highest level, gold members earned not only A through F, but also whatever additional allowances their premium membership affords. Are gold members cut off from any exclusive discounts that a bronze or silver member receives?
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Recovery (CARES) Act continues to cause confusion. In the April 22, 2020 Slott Report, we discussed four misconceptions surrounding the new law. In this article, we add one more: If your employer refuses to offer CRDs, you can’t qualify for the special CARES Act tax breaks.This statement is false.The CARES Act allows workplace retirement plans [e.g., 401(k), 403(b) and governmental 457(b) plans] to offer a new kind of distribution – a coronavirus-related distribution (CRD).
Question:Hi,My question is: Does the SECURE Act affect inheritors of a Roth IRA account? If so, in what way, and why - since it is not a pre-tax account? I look forward to your reply. Thanks.Regards,VikramAnswer:Vikram,Yes, the SECURE Act does affect inherited Roth IRAs for those who inherit in 2020 or later. (Any Roth IRAs inherited prior to 2020 fall under the old rules.) Under the SECURE Act, only eligible designated beneficiaries (spouses, minor children of the account owner, disabled individuals, chronically ill individuals, and beneficiaries not more than ten years younger than the deceased IRA owner) can stretch RMD payments over their own life expectancy.
With markets down, many IRA owners are thinking this may be the time for a Roth IRA conversion. Converting when account values are down can be a good bargain. You pay a tax bill on a lower balance now in exchange for potential tax-free growth down the road when the markets bounce back.This can be a great strategy, but you need to be careful in executing your conversion transaction. We have heard more than one horror story of IRA owners who have gotten into trouble trying to convert IRA funds online on a custodians’ website, sometimes accidentally pressing a wrong button or putting a decimal point in the wrong place.
The coronavirus-related distribution (CRD) rules for Roth conversions have a gaping hole.An “affected person” (as we have defined in previous blogs), is entitled under the CARES Act to withdraw up to $100,000 from their IRA or workplace retirement plan. A CRD avoids the 10% early distribution penalty for those under 59 ½, can be repaid to a qualified retirement account within three years, and allows the account owner to spread the income (and subsequent taxes due) over a three-year period.
