Articles
So Many IRA Beneficiary Variables!
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When an IRA owner dies, what is the payout schedule for the beneficiary? The key to distinguishing the correct program (i.e., 10-year rule, stretch RMDs, 5-year rule, etc.) is to identify all the important variables. But...
Qualified Charitable DIstributions and Inherited IRAs: TOday’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Hello Ed Slott Team, We have a client with an IRA who wants to do a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) to a charity. The charity also has an account with the same custodian of the IRA and has asked that the...
Nothing SIMPLE About It: 3 Different Catch-Up Limits for 2025
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Here’s something you can only find in the Internal Revenue Code: Starting in 2025, there will be not one, not two, but three different catch-up limits for older SIMPLE IRA participants. Like IRAs and workplace plans like 401(k)s, SIMPLE IRAs...
Tax-Free HSA Distributions
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) continue to become more popular. If you have a qualifying high deductible health plan, you may make deductible contributions to an HSA. Then, you can take tax-free...
Roth IRA Conversion Considerations
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Roth IRA conversions remain as popular as ever. However, based on some recent questions we’ve received, it is apparent that folks don’t fully understand all the nuances of this transaction. Here are some of the basic...
INHERITED ROTH IRAs AND TRUST BENEFICIARY PAYOUTS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Expert Question: For a non-spousal inherited roth IRA account, there seems to be contradictory advice on different websites about when to take distributions. Some say there are annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) within the 10...
401(k) Contribution Limits Increase for 2025
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education There is some good news for retirement savers! The IRS has released the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirement accounts for 2025, and many of the dollar limit restrictions on retirement accounts...
New Rule: All IRA RMDs Must Be Satisfied Prior to Doing a Roth Conversion
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Yes, you read that title correctly. This rule was confirmed in the 2024 final SECURE Act regulations, released this past July. If a person has multiple IRAs, even if they are held at different custodians, the total...
Trusts as the Beneficiary and Inherited IRAs: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Hello, I’m working with a retired client who has a sizable IRA. He set up a trust and named it as the beneficiary of the IRA, assuming that the trust would reduce or eliminate the income tax liability. Is this the...
Turn Your Clocks Back, and Pay Attention to the Roth IRA Clocks
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Don’t forget to turn your clocks back this weekend! With that reminder comes another: pay attention to the Roth IRA distribution clocks. The key point to remember is that there are two different clocks, each used for a different purpose....