Fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) address many basic retirement concerns: protection of hard-earned dollars, tax-deferred growth, balance, and lifetime income. Get some peace of mind — no matter what happens in the market. Consider these five key benefits: Guaranteed...
Spousal IRAs are designed to allow a working spouse to make IRA contributions for a spouse who does not have enough earned income to make their own IRA contributions. There are some key requirements that must be met: The spouses must be legally married and file a...
If you have an IRA, you need to know about the “sweet spot.” What is the IRA sweet spot? Well, that is when you are between ages 59½ and 70½. Your Sweet Spot What makes this spot sweet? This is the time when you have the most flexibility with your IRA. When you reach...
As we celebrate women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements this International Women’s Day, the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council (IALC) wants to raise awareness that when it comes to savings, the gender savings gap is still huge. This post,...
Question: Dear Mr. Slott, I found your excellent article in Financial Planning concerning excess IRA contributions discovered after the filing deadline. I was hoping you could clarify one point: Your article states that the IRS does not require the withdrawal of the...
The IRS website provides a host of free resources that can help minimize your tax bill and manage your taxes all year round. Yet, most taxpayers are unaware of them. Here are a dozen of the best. Reach them by clicking on the links below (every heading or blue-colored...
The pro-rata rule is an important, though commonly misunderstood, rule that affects the taxation of IRA money. It only comes into play when your traditional IRA consists of both pre-tax and after-tax monies. These after-tax dollars can come from non-deductible IRA...
Question: Husband died in 2015 at age 85. Later that year, the surviving spouse (sole beneficiary) did trustee-to-trustee transfer to her Roth IRA. She did not have a Roth IRA prior to that. Wife, age 90, took distributions in 2016 and 2017. Are those qualified? ...
You may or may not be doing better than average, but you’re almost certainly doing better than your parents. Today’s elderly are healthier, better educated and live longer than any previous generation, according to a report from the Federal Interagency...
NOTE: This article is not based on a complete review of all the inflation adjusted numbers. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act revised the way inflation adjusted numbers will be calculated by IRS. The Act now mandates that these numbers be calculated using chained CPI. IRS has...
Do you think you understand all the rules that govern your Roth IRA? Not so fast! There are many misconceptions as to how these complicated accounts work. Here are 5 Roth IRA facts that might surprise you: 1. You are never too old to contribute. If you have earned...
Understanding how Annuities Can Pay for Senior Care An annuity can ensure that a retiree is able to afford assisted living. Immediate annuities promise a steady stream of payments, no matter how long you live. The catch is that you must hand a large chuck of money...
Question: The business is a sole proprietor operation with no employees other than the owner. The owner is 71 and is still working. Are contributions into this SEP allowable after the age of 70 1/2? Thank you, Lee Answer: Yes, the business owner can continue making...
What a difference a month makes! 2018 began with strong gains, only to see much of those gains evaporate as volatility returned to the markets amid concerns of continued interest rate hikes by the Fed. The conundrum is that interest rates are rising because of...
Bitcoin is receiving a surge of publicity as a possible IRA investment, and a number of new firms have recently started targeting the “Bitcoin IRA” market. Here are six things to know about investing IRA funds in bitcoin: 1) There is no such thing as a...
If you’re like me, when you first read the qualified disclaimer rules, the phrase comes “must be nice” comes to mind. And while it’s true these rules are used more often by wealthier Americans, anyone can incorporate them into their estate planning as a tool to make...
Roth IRAs have been around for 20 years now. Lots of taxpayers have taken advantage of the tax-free benefits of these accounts by converting their traditional IRAs or employer plans to Roth IRAs. But many have hesitated. Maybe you are among those who held back. The...
This Valentine’s Day, join the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council (IALC) in spreading the love for fixed indexed annuities (FIAs). With the ability to grow and protect your nest egg, FIAs could be the long-term relationship you have been looking for to ensure a steady...
Question: I have a client who has some after-tax contributions in an IRA, along with pre-tax contributions. They also have another IRA and 401(k)s. My question is: Can we convert just the after-tax contributions to a Roth IRA or is it pro-rated as a % of the overall...
What is the simplest mistake you can make to cause major harm to your intended estate plan – and to the people you wish to provide for through that plan? It is having outdated (or missing entirely) beneficiary designation forms for your IRAs, employer-provided...
On Friday February 9, 2018, President Trump signed into law the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (the “Act”). While the Act is best known for ending the nine-hour government shut down that took place on February 9, 2018, it also contained some tax-related provisions. One...
A few weeks ago, I discussed the seemingly unintended impact the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) had on the repayment of overpayments from employer plans. In essence, by eliminating the deduction of itemized miscellaneous expenses subject to 2% of adjusted gross income...
Question: Hi, I recently purchased your newsletter and I had an IRA question. If a client dies before taking his required RMD for the year, does the estate need to take the RMD and pay the taxes before the account is transferred to the non-spouse beneficiary? If not...
In recent years, we have seen an uptick in the interest of fixed indexed annuities (FIAs), but there is still a great deal of misunderstandings about this retirement product – down to even its most basic principles. Let’s start with defining FIAs. These products are...
You may be interested in contributing to a Roth IRA but think your income is too high. You are probably aware that there are income limits that apply to Roth IRA contributions. For 2018, if you are married, your ability to make Roth IRA contributions phases out when...
Question: Hello, I was forced, due to health reasons, to retire at age 58 on December 8. I had been with my company for 34 years. I need to cash in my IRA fund for money to pay bills and insurance. What is the best way to avoid having to pay the IRS the 10% penalty...
2018 is off to a good start, as during the month of January the major indices were setting records on a daily basis. Worldwide markets are off to their best start in over 30 years. A well-known market adage says that so goes January, so goes the year. And historical...
The U.S. Tax Code is a 74,000-page document with interrelating laws and regulations. Therefore, any time Congress enacts a piece of legislation as massive as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), there are going to be unintended consequences, or as I like to call it,...
With President Trump signing the most sweeping overhaul of the U.S. tax reform system in more than twenty years, you may be questioning the future of your retirement planning portfolios. Even though no notable retirement plan provisions were included in the final tax...
As you prepare your 2017 tax return, use the information you collect both to make the best IRA contribution choices for 2017 and plan IRA strategies for 2018. Six ways to consider: 1. Maximize IRA Contributions for 2017 2017 IRA contributions can be made until April...
Question: IRA Expert, I have a client that has $3M in a profit sharing plan (PSP). He is rolling over $1.5M of it to an IRA with me. He plans to take his RMD ($54,744) on that $1.5M after he turns 70½ on 4/3/2018 and give it directly to charities. He wants to wait...
Social Security will look a bit different in 2018. Every year, Americans eagerly await the announcement outlining the various changes being made to what many consider the most important social program in the country. Will your benefits increase? What about the strict...
It has been widely reported that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated the ability to recharacterize Roth IRA conversions as of January 1, 2018. On the other hand, it kept the ability to recharacterize IRA and Roth IRA contributions. Despite all the above, an...
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made sweeping changes to the tax laws. Brackets have been changed, deductions have been eliminated, and retirement plans have been affected. You may be wondering what the new law means for your IRA. Here are 5 things you need to know: 1....
Question: I would like to ask a personal question about withdrawing funds from my traditional IRA account. How can I use part of it for a down payment when buying a new home as a first-time home buyer, without paying much in taxes on the withdrawn amount? I appreciate...
One in five Americans have absolutely nothing saved for retirement. That’s according to new data released in October by the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council (IALC). Just as alarming as the number of nonexistent retirement accounts: More than half of Americans...
529 Educational Plans Should Be Gaining in Popularity Now that the dust has settled and the tax code has been “reformed,” it’s time to unpack those changes and analyze how best they can help you and your clients. One of the changes was the expansion of 529...
Question: Single – W-2 worker making $ 500 a week. Few if any deductions. Contributes to employer 401K 3% of salary for a Traditional IRA. Is it legal to open up a separate Roth account say in Scottrade with $ 5500? Thank you for your help! -Mike Answer: Hi...
Many retirement investors use annuities for guaranteed income. But some find their annuity payout options to be confusing. There are a variety of methods to receive annuity income payments. With so many choices, it can be hard to decide what’s right for you. People...
In many households, married couples divvy up the responsibilities; one will handle the bills and banking while the other cooks and does the grocery shopping, or one will do the laundry while the other manages the yardwork and house. This split often extends to annual...
The year 1998 seems like a long time ago. In January 1998, Bill Clinton was in the White House and about to be impeached. The Unabomber was in the news and the Spice Girls were winning music awards. January 1, 1998 also brought us the launch of Roth IRA. However,...
Fixed annuity sales have bright prospects in the next five years, due in large part to anticipated strength in sales of income annuities and fixed index annuities, according to researcher Joseph E. Montminy. In fact, income annuity sales are on such a tear that “their...
Question: Greetings, No one seems to know the answer to this. Figured I would try you. Client has a 600k IRA. Doing a SEPP of 24k/yr. Has to give 400k to her ex-husband from her IRA. How to adjust SEPP? She is 57 and he is 65. Do we pro-rate the SEPP so she takes...
One of the greatest benefits offered under ERISA are the anti-alienation provisions, which provide that benefits under a pension plan cannot be assigned or alienated. While there are some statutory exceptions, ERISA essentially prevents retirement assets from being...
An early start on tax planning is always good, but this year it is essential. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act fully rewrites the tax code effective January 1, 2018. To get the most benefit from the changes, while avoiding mistakes under them, update your tax and financial...
While the year didn’t officially end until December 31st, the markets broke out the party hats early to celebrate at the market close on Friday, December 29th. And deservedly so, as they shattered records left and right during 2017 – despite political gridlock,...
Question: Hello IRA Expert, I qualify for QCD (Qualified Charitable Distribution) as I am over 72 years old. I had recently read one of your articles on QCD and the 60-day rollover rule. I have automatic withdrawals of my RMD every quarter. The last automatic...
Living comfortably in retirement is indeed possible. However, many Americans fail to develop a strategic plan that allows stability in their golden years to be reality. In fact, the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council (IALC) commissioned data that found insights into...
2018 is right around the corner. We will be dealing with massive changes to the tax code due to the enactment into law of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Some of those changes are going to apply to you and some of those changes will affect your retirement and assets that...
We at the Slott Report would like to wish all our readers and their families a very happy holiday season! We thank all of you for taking your valuable time to read the Slott Report over the past year. We have heard from many of you and welcome your comments and...
Question: Good Afternoon Mr. Slott, Based on the Path Act of 2015, which made the QCD permanent, and the information from Checkpoint “2017 Tax Reform: Special Study on Individual Tax Changes in the ‘Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’”, it appears the Path Act of 2015 was not...
Your golden years might be a little less golden if you’re a woman. In its 2016 study “Shortchanged in Retirement,” The National Institute on Retirement Security explored financial hardships facing employed women, women approaching retirement and retired women....
Now that it looks like they’ve been spared from elimination in the most recent version of tax reform, it’s worth taking a look at nonqualified deferred compensation plans (“NQDC plans”). NQDC plans take different forms, including salary reduction arrangements, bonus...
This is the season for charitable giving. And this year, it is especially so for those who want to get the most tax benefit from charity deductions before the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act becomes law. The Act effectively reduces the tax-saving value of the charitable...
People crave guaranteed income in retirement, but they cringe at the mention of the word “annuity.” That disconnect can make it tough to ensure a steady flow of dollars in later life. One answer: Go with an annuity, but keep it simple. The appeal of lifetime income is...
Question: ED, I have attended 3 of your 2 day past boot camps and plan to attend in Orlando in Feb. 2018. I NEED YOUR HELP BADLY NOW!!!! I think my broker dealer is not reporting RMD’s to charities properly on the 1099R’s they issue. They are putting the same number...
Recharacterization is currently one of the few “do-overs” allowed under the tax code. Its days may now be numbered. The tax reform legislation currently pending in Congress would do away with recharacterization at the end of 2017. How Recharacterization Works...
Question: Hello, I am a financial advisor in Dallas and appreciate all the training & education Ed has provided over the years to ML advisors like me. I have a question for Ed. When meeting with a potential client, I uncovered a potential problem … And potential...
In today’s volatile climate, investments seem to be wading in uncertain waters. Even one-time solid choices like blue-chip stocks are swimming in rough seas. Because of this, investors sometimes examine a myriad of possibilities to secure or help their money grow....
Creating a self-directed IRA is relatively straightforward. It is not a creation of the tax code, but rather stems from the investment policies of the custodian that administers the IRA account. The agreement will allow you to diversify your IRA assets across a wide...
This holiday season, consider giving the gift of a big head start on lifetime financial security to the children in your family by giving them funds to contribute to Roth IRAs. There’s no lower age limit on having a Roth IRA as long as a child has earned...
Back in February, the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed and maintained the psychological 20,000 level milestone. In November the index broke 24,000 and shows no sign of slowing. The Dow ended November with a gain of 3.2%, an eighth consecutive monthly gain – the...
Question: Ed – I read an article from you on delaying RMDs if still working and over age 70.5. Does the code allow (or address in any way) someone who works merely one day in the next calendar year to delay the RMD from the employer plan? For example, employee turns...
Recent research by retirement income expert and former U.S. Treasury Department official Mark Warshawsky shows that immediate annuities generally provide you with more lifetime income than you could get by following the take-out-4-percent-of-savings-a-year rule or a...
In 2014, the Tax Court ruled that an IRA owner could do only one, IRA-to-IRA or Roth IRA-to-Roth IRA, 60-day rollover in a 12 month period. This rule applies no matter how many IRA and/or Roth IRA accounts the IRA owner might have. The 12 months is a full 12 months,...
If you have an IRA, you should realize that what goes in must come out. In other words, your tax deferral will not last forever. Eventually, Uncle Sam will want his share. When you reach retirement age, required minimum distributions (RMDs) will kick in. Are you...
Today, Americans are faced with endless uncertainty, like what’s ahead for the tax code, health care and Social Security, to name a few. But removing some uncertainty surrounding retirement is an obtainable goal all Americans can strive to achieve. The retirement...
If you have a 401(k) account or other employer sponsored retirement plan, you probably already know that a distribution before you reach age 59½ is going to be subject to a 10% penalty. One exception to the 10% early withdrawal penalty allows participants in a...
Roth IRAs become 20 years old in January of 2018 and now hold more than $660 billion in retirement wealth, reports the Investment Company Institute (the source of the data in this article). Yet while Roth IRAs have become very popular among individuals who make annual...
This week’s Slott Report Mailbag looks into RMD rules and the “still-working” exception as it pertains to IRAs. As always, we recommend you work with a competent, educated financial advisor to keep your retirement nest egg safe and secure. You can...
Last week, the IALC launched its interactive game Master of Retirement. Shocking new data points, found from IALC surveys, power the game’s questions and demonstrate the need to offer approachable and light-hearted ways of boosting Americans’ confidence when it comes...
While there is a lot of focus on the proposed tax law changes that have a target effective date of 2018, there is something we can count on for 2018, the inflation adjusted retirement account limits. There are currently no proposed changes to the following limits....
House Republicans took the first shot at tax reform with the release of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on November 2. Now it is the Senate’s turn to weigh in. Not surprisingly, the Senate’s take on overhauling the tax code looks very different than the House version. You...
This week’s Slott Report Mailbag examines inherited IRAs and retirees taking RMDs for the first time. As always, we recommend you work with a competent, educated financial advisor to keep your retirement nest egg safe and secure. Question: I have a client who...
We continuously get questions on 60-day rollovers. Many times those questions revolve around a client receiving more than one distribution or wanting to complete the 60-day rollover with more than one distribution. Here is what you need to know. As a reminder, the...
To work or not to work? That is the retirement planning question. Let’s take a closer look at this modern-day riff on the famous line in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” where Prince Hamlet laments about life’s unfairness but reflects that the...
Are you approaching retirement age and not looking forward to being forced to take unwanted required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your retirement account? You may be looking for a way to delay those distributions. You may have heard about the “still-working”...
The much anticipated Republican proposal for tax reform has been released in the form of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, an over-400 page long major rewrite of the Tax Code. It is sure to be controversial and subject to political dispute, and specific provisions are...
This week’s Slott Report Mailbag looks into RMDs and spousal IRA beneficiaries. As always, we recommend you work with a competent, educated financial advisor to keep your retirement nest egg safe and secure. Question: Hello, I need to take my RMD (Required...
Even retirees who do everything right can find themselves coming up short when it comes to affording some of the little luxuries they had planned for their remaining years. Just take a look at Mike and Judy, a hypothetical couple very similar to many retired couples,...
Every year more Baby boomers move toward age 70 ½ and their first required distributions from their retirement accounts. For those boomers born between July 1, 1946 and June 30, 1947, you turned 70 ½ in 2017. You now need to take your first required minimum...
October has often been a spooky month for the markets. This past month we marked the 30th anniversary of “Black Monday”, which occurred on October 19, 1987, when the US stock market crashed and the Dow lost more than 22% in a single day. The S&P 500 also dropped...
In the past couple of weeks, I have heard the wrong answer to the question of where required minimum distributions (RMDs) must go to a trust beneficiary from both an advisor and an IRA custodian. The advisor was dealing with a special needs trust as the beneficiary of...
It’s Halloween season! This is the time for ghosts, witches, and trick or treating. What does Halloween have to do with your IRA? You might be surprised to hear that your IRA may be haunted. How can that be? Believe it or not, actions you take, or don’t take, can...
The great thing about fixed indexed annuities is that they are a reliable retirement planning vehicle appropriate for people in a variety of life stages. However, there are a few rules of thumb to follow when thinking about purchasing a fixed indexed annuity. Of...
This week’s Slott Report Mailbag examines NUA rules and the “still working” exception. As always, we recommend you work with a competent, educated financial advisor to keep your retirement nest egg safe and secure. Question: I really enjoyed...
We are frequently asked when required minimum distributions (RMDs) begin when an individual inherits an IRA. As with most things related to IRAs, the answer is, it depends. Year of Death RMD If a Traditional IRA owner died after their required beginning date (RBD) and...
Rothification is a term that is being tossed around a lot as tax reform takes center stage in Congress. What does Rothification mean? Proposals vary but, basically, it’s the idea of eliminating tax deductions and deferrals for retirement savings and instead mandating...
This week’s Slott Report Mailbag looks into 403(b) plans, RMDs, still-working exceptions, and trusts. As always, we recommend you work with a competent, educated financial advisor to keep your retirement nest egg safe and secure. Question: I have a question in...
In a post last week, we talked about the Roth recharacterization deadline which is fast approaching. October 16, 2017 is the last date to recharacterize a 2016 Roth conversion. Another important deadline that is coming up is for trusts that became the beneficiaries of...
So much for the “golden years.” Some 28% of recent retirees complain that life is actually worse in retirement than it was when they were working, according to a recent survey by Nationwide. The cause may be mismatched expectations. Pre-retirees tend to...
Millions of Americans were affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. You may be one of them. If you are, there is some encouraging news. On September 29, President Trump signed H.R. 3823, the “Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017”...
This week’s Slott Report Mailbag examines RMDs when you are still working past 70.5 years old and inheriting multiple IRAs. As always, we recommend you work with a competent, educated financial advisor to keep your retirement nest egg safe and secure. Question:...
Here’s the state of retirement saving in the U.S., and what to do if you need to catch up. If you read the financial news often, you may have heard about the “retirement crisis” many Americans are facing. While it’s true that the average...
This is the story of Al, Bob and Carl. Each cousin is the non-spouse beneficiary of his father’s 401(k) plan. Their fathers worked together at the local automotive factory for their entire lives and were all covered by the same plan. The default distribution option in...
Did you convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in 2016 and now you are reconsidering that move? Did you make a 2016 traditional IRA contribution and later discover the contribution was not deductible? Did you contribute to a Roth IRA, not knowing that your income...
September has historically been the worst month for the stock market, but this year was an exception. US stocks finished the week, month, and quarter on a high note, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Russell 2000 reaching all-time highs on the last day of the...
This week’s Slott Report Mailbag examines 401(k)s, Roth 401(k)s, and spousal beneficiary rules. As always, we recommend you work with a competent, educated financial advisor to keep your retirement nest egg safe and secure. Question: I have been getting Ed Slott...
Most people expect to spend less money after they retire. But that might not be the case — at least not at first. Spending rose for more than half of taxpayers during the first three years after claiming Social Security, according to a report based on tax data...
