By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport A couple of years ago I was asked what the tax consequences are when a Roth IRA is split in divorce. After a pause, I answered honestly: “I have no idea…but will find out.” In fact, there is no...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Although the U.S. divorce rate is in a steady decline, it’s still one of the highest in the world. And with divorces often come QDROs – “qualified domestic relations orders.” A QDRO is a state court...
Weekly Market Commentary – 6/9/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 entered a new bull market, increasing 20% off the October lows. The move came with broader participation outside the mega-cap technology issues, responsible for most of the market’s...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: I inherited an IRA from my brother back in 2019. I have been taking required distributions from it each year. Can I do a qualified charitable distribution from this...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Probably the biggest advantage that a spouse beneficiary of an IRA has over other beneficiaries is the ability to do a spousal rollover. Only a spouse beneficiary can do a...
Average life expectancy has risen by 16 years since the national retirement age was set at 65. We asked health experts when they think people should stop working now. In 1881, the conservative German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, plagued by a rise in socialist...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport For deaths in 2020 or later, we know that a non-eligible designated beneficiary (NEDB) of an IRA is subject to the 10-year rule. Meaning, the account must be emptied by the end of the tenth...
Weekly Market Commentary – 6/2/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Investors enjoyed an excellent week of gains in US equity markets. Washington finally got a debt ceiling deal through Congress and onto President Biden’s desk. On the margin, it appears that the...
There’s no denying that recessions are harsh. They bring about business failures, job losses, and economic downturns. If you are close to retirement you have likely wondered if a recession is coming and exactly happens during a recession. This comprehensive guide will...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: If a 76-year-old is working full time and has a SIMPLE IRA and she does not own any of the company that sponsors the SIMPLE IRA, does she still have to take a RMD (required minimum...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport It looks like IRA owners will probably have to wait awhile to take advantage of a new program that allows them to self-correct IRA errors that previously couldn’t be fixed. In Notice 2023-43, the IRS...
Weekly Market Commentary – 5/26/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA As investors awaited news from the debt ceiling negotiations, markets continued to ebb and flow. The S&P 500 continued to trade range-bound, oscillating between 4100 and 4200. Fed rhetoric continued...
Key takeaways Like a good financial plan, insurance takes into account your goals and current financial situation and should evolve as your life changes. In addition to income replacement, life insurance, in particular, can help diversify your portfolio, protect...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: In 2021, my wife inherited an IRA from her sister who was 4 years younger. My wife therefore is an EDB (eligible designated beneficiary). Her sister was 66 years old at date of...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport I got into some poison ivy and am suffering the consequences. It takes a few days for the welts to appear, but they are in full bloom. While I did take precautions before starting my yardwork...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport The “once-per-year” rollover rule is one of those IRA rules that has serious tax consequences and cannot be fixed if violated. Breaking the rule results in a taxable distribution and a 10% early...
Weekly Market Commentary – 5/19/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Investors were treated to a week of gains for US indices, while US Treasuries fell significantly across the curve. Early in the week, there was cautious optimism around debt ceiling negotiations as both...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Hello and thank you for all the great, helpful information you continue to send out. I am due to take my first RMD (required minimum distribution) in 2024 which would...
Annuities offer powerful tax benefits to those planning for, or entering retirement. Unlike money market accounts, savings accounts, certificate of deposit (CDs), and most bonds, annuities carry the potential to create tax-deferred accumulation. For example, interest...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport You have likely heard of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and you may even understand the basics of how an HSA works. These accounts are really not too complicated. If...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport QUESTION: Do required minimum distributions (RMDs) apply to inherited Roth IRAs? ANSWER: It depends on who the beneficiary is. Owners of traditional IRAs must start taking RMDs when they reach...
Weekly Market Commentary – 5/12/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity and fixed-income markets continued to trade in a tight range. 4100 proved to be support for the S&P 500, while the US 10-year note yield oscillated around 3.46%. Cyclical issues were under...
Fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) have grown in popularity over the years, primarily due to their unique combination of safety, growth potential, and guaranteed income streams. In this people-first guide, we’ll explore the benefits of fixed-indexed annuities, how they...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Hello, Are you required to take out RMDs (required minimum distributions) on an inherited Roth IRA? The original owner was 82 when he passed away. The funds were left to his nephew, so I...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport One of the more controversial provisions of the new SECURE 2.0 law concerns 401(k) catch-up contributions. Most 401(k) plans – as well as 403(b) and governmental 457(b) plans – permit employees...
Weekly Market Commentary – 5/5/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Investors were treated with an extremely busy start to May. Central bank decisions on monetary policies and more first-quarter earnings were front and center, while there was a full slate of economic data...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Do you have an IRA you are thinking about converting to a Roth IRA? There are many benefits to converting. You trade an immediate tax bill for the promise of tax-free earnings...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Am I correct to assume if I leave my Roth IRA to my 2 adult children, they will have to take all the money out by the end of year 10 and they will have NO taxes to pay on it because...
More than a quarter of Americans have no money saved for retirement. That’s according to a new survey from personal finance site Credit Karma, which found older respondents are even less prepared by some measures than their younger counterparts. Nearly one in five...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport This past week the Ed Slott team hosted another successful conference for our Elite IRA Advisor Group members. Well over 300 advisors from across the country descended on Washington D.C. for...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport It’s certainly not a bad problem to have. But employees with very high compensation cannot have their retirement plan benefits based on all of their pay. Instead, the tax code allows only compensation...
Weekly Market Commentary – 4/28/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets ended the month of April with slight gains for the large-cap indices and small losses for the small-caps. Q1 earnings continued to be in focus as some of the most influential companies posted...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Greetings, There seems to be a lot of conflicting information on Inherited Roth IRAs, for which I was hoping to get a definitive answer from the experts. My...
Average life expectancy has risen by 16 years since the national retirement age was set at 65. We asked health experts when they think people should stop working now. In 1881, the conservative German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, plagued by a rise in socialist...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education If you recently converted your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA and you under 59 ½, you will want to know about the five-year rule for penalty-free distributions of converted funds from your Roth IRA. Many people are...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport In my April 12 Slott Report entry (“5 Reasons to Open a Roth IRA Immediately!”), I included a handful of points as to why it was imperative to open a Roth IRA, especially before the tax filing...
Weekly Market Commentary – 4/21/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equities traded sideways throughout the week as investors contemplated Q1 earnings reports, more Fed rhetoric, and weakening economic data. International markets were also off for the week, with...
KEY POINTS Without action from Congress, Social Security may only be able to pay full benefits for another decade. As lawmakers weigh potential fixes, getting bipartisan agreement won’t be easy. Lawmakers are hashing out plans to shore up Social Security’s ailing...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Can I make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from my IRA to pay for my grandson’s summer church camp? Susan Answer: Hi Susan, You can only make a QCD if the donation would be 100%...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport One important way that IRAs differ from company retirement plans is with respect to spousal financial rights. Most married IRA owners do not need spousal consent before designating a beneficiary other...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport More 401(k) plans are starting to offer Roth options. If you now have this option, you may be wondering what the difference is between a Roth IRA and a Roth 401(k). Which...
Weekly Market Commentary – 4/14/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Trade was quiet this week as investors awaited inflation data and the start of first-quarter corporate earnings. Inflation data was mixed but showed another month of moderating prices. The reported...
There are a lot of myths about retirement out there. Here are several retirement statistics that might just surprise you. While we may know family members or friends who have retired, we don’t usually discuss what their finances look like and the things they wish...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Both of my parents passed away last year. My mother passed earlier in 2022 and I was able to take her year-of-death RMD out of the inherited IRA before the end of the year. My dad...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Time is running out! The tax filing deadline is Tuesday, April 18. Why is this important? Because that is the last day an IRA can be opened and/or funded for the previous year. Even if a...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Despite the reduction in the penalty for missing required minimum distributions (RMDs) in the new SECURE 2.0 law, it looks like you will still be able to get the IRS to waive the penalty altogether....
Weekly Market Commentary – 4/7/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week saw low volumes in trading, where countercyclical sectors and US Treasuries were favored. The week started with the announcement that OPEC + would cut oil production by 1.16...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: I have been told that QCDs are not allowed from local and state government 457(b) plans. I have looked at the accountant’s IRS manual, websites etc. and I can’t find...
Fixed index annuities can help you accumulate money for retirement and provide guaranteed income after you retire. A fixed index annuity may be a good choice if you want the opportunity to earn indexed interest, but don’t want to risk losing money in the market. What...
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are rapidly growing in both size and in number. These accounts offer deductible contributions and tax-free distributions for qualified medical expenses. An HSA can be a valuable tool not only for paying for medical expenses but also for...
Higher education expenses can be steep. Fortunately for those under the age of 59 ½ who need to dip into retirement savings to cover these costs, there is an exception to the 10% early withdrawal penalty. Before tapping your IRA, be sure to understand the fundamentals...
Weekly Market Commentary – 3/31/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Global equity markets ended the first quarter with impressive gains as concerns surrounding the banking system eased. A two-day congressional hearing on the failure of Silicon Valley Bank catalyzed the...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: In a recent blog post, you said that the deadline for contributing to a Roth IRA for 2022 is April 18, 2023. Does that include converting a traditional IRA to a Roth? Answer: You can make a...
Answers to frequently asked questions about your retirement benefits Social Security provides benefits to more than 66 million people, and those monthly payments have an enormous impact on older Americans’ financial health. According to Census Bureau data: • Social...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport When you leave your job and aren’t fully vested in your company plan account, the plan will forfeit your unvested portion. Recently, the IRS issued new guidance clarifying the forfeiture rules....
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has been in the news recently as bank failures have made headlines. The FDIC is an independent agency created by Congress. It...
Weekly Market Commentary – 3/24/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Global markets sighed in relief with the announcement that the Swiss National Bank had brokered a deal, combining Credit Suisse with UBS. Investors had been worried that troubles within Credit Suisse...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Tax season is in full swing. That means that the 2022 tax-filing deadline is not far away. Are you considering making a 2022 IRA contribution? Time is quickly running out. Here...
The first question you need to ask yourself is, what are your financial goals? An annuity may be a good option if you are looking for stability in retirement. There are 13 types of annuities, each with its pros and cons. Reasons why an annuity makes a good investment...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: My daughter had two employers during 2022. The first employer offered a matching 401(k) plan in which she enrolled. The second employer (her current employer) offers...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Spring break. Warm breezes and ocean waves and fancy cocktails are top of mind. The aroma of coconut suntan lotion entwined with barbecue smoke floats on salty air. And when morning light...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport We continue to get questions about the ability of employees to withdraw from 401(k) plans while still working. The tax code includes certain restrictions on these in-service withdrawals. Plans must...
Weekly Market Commentary – 3/17/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets continued to be erratic as investors assessed the health of the global banking system. The failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were met with multiple responses from the...
KEY POINTS This holiday season, it may be possible to lower your taxes while supporting your favorite charity, experts say. If you itemize deductions, consider donating profitable investments or selling losing assets before gifting the cash proceeds. Donors age 70½ or...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Hi, I’m looking forward to the July workshop in Boston but hoping you can help with this question now. What happens if an account holder who is over age 59 ½ does a...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Tax season is in full swing. That means that the 2022 tax-filing deadline is not far away. Are you considering making a 2022 IRA contribution? Time is quickly running out. Here...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport People on TikTok create investment advice videos? And I’m supposed to trust whatever this talking head is telling me? No chance. Of course, the person on TikTok could hold a number of higher...
Are emotional health and personal fulfillment part of your retirement portfolio? Retiring successfully requires careful planning to ensure financial and physical health, but what about other important aspects of retirement, such as emotional health and personal...
Weekly Market Commentary – 3/10/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Wall Street endured a difficult week with volatile fluctuations in equity and fixed-income markets. Fed President J Powell’s testimony in front of congress kicked off the market’s chaotic week when he...
Weekly Market Commentary – 3/3/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets bounced on oversold conditions and their ability to hold key technical levels this week. The S&P 500 broke its 50-day moving average (3980) and then tested the 200-day moving average...
If you have a dream destination in mind, careful planning and a willing boss could help you make the move ahead of schedule Rob Nehrbas was winding up his career as an executive at an Arizona-based laser device company he’d sold to a bigger competitor when he realized...
Weekly Market Commentary – 2/24/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was another tough week on Wall Street as US equity markets continued to retreat alongside a sustained selloff in the US debt markets. The calendar was again stacked with economic data showing an...
Tax changes, RMD rules, Social Security COLA and more will affect older Americans’ finances You might have heard about big changes coming to retirement finance due to Secure 2.0, a package of provisions included in the massive spending bill enacted by Congress and...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: I am interested in your interpretation of the RMD (required minimum distribution) rules using the following facts: Original IRA owner’s DOB is 1/21/29 Original IRA...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport SECURE 2.0 is a mammoth piece of legislation that contains over 90 provisions that affect retirement accounts. While many of these provisions are not game changers, they still...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport By now, most are aware the SECURE Act created a new class of beneficiaries called “eligible designated beneficiaries” (EDBs). This group includes surviving spouses, minor children of the...
Weekly Market Commentary – 2/17/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets finished the week mixed, as economic data reported during the week indicated that inflation remains elevated. Fed rhetoric was prevalent and had a more hawkish tilt. Cleveland Fed...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Hi, Thank you for all the helpful insight on retirement. I wish I heard about your website earlier. I turned 72 last year and followed your advice on QCDs (qualified charitable...
KEY POINTS Longevity can have a greater impact on how long retirement money lasts than today’s record high inflation, according to a new report. Surya Kolluri, head of the TIAA Institute, recommends a three-pronged approach to savings combining Social Security...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport How much can you contribute when you’re in two different retirement plans at the same time or at different times in the same year (e.g., after changing jobs)? The answer is complicated because...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Tax season is upon us. This is the time when you might be thinking about contributing to a retirement account. You may be interested in the Roth IRA, which offers the promise...
Weekly Market Commentary – 2/10/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Wall Street pulled in its horns last week as investors sensed the market was overbought. Concerns about the outlook for corporate earnings and historically high valuations tempered buyers’ enthusiasm for...
KEY POINTS All U.S. workers ages 45 to 62 would benefit from waiting until beyond age 65 to start receiving Social Security retirement benefits, recent research finds. The best age to claim is 70, when benefits are 76% higher than retirement benefits taken at 62. The...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport QUESTION: I just inherited my spouse’s inherited IRA (he got it from his father). He (my husband) was already taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) based on his own single life...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport When IRA or retirement plan assets are withdrawn prior to age 59 ½, an early distribution penalty of 10% applies – in addition to any taxes owed on the distribution. However, there are...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Up to now, employer contributions to 401(k) (and other plans) had to be made to pre-tax accounts. One of the SECURE 2.0 changes already in effect allows employer contributions to be made to Roth...
Weekly Market Commentary – 2/3/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Investors were hit with a full dose of market-moving events and data throughout the week. The Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and European Central Bank increased their respective policy rates. The Fed...
KEY POINTS Retirees can push back RMDs to age 73 in 2023. The penalties for not taking RMDs will drop significantly. A big change is coming to workplace accounts with a Roth designation in 2024. The $1.7 trillion spending bill that Congress passed last week includes...
Question: If I did a Roth conversion in 2022, do I have to wait 5 years before I can touch the amount $16,500 (the amount I converted) penalty free? The Roth has been open since 2003 and I’m over 59 ½. Answer: The five-year rules for Roth IRA distributions can...
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport The SECURE Act changed the game for inherited IRAs. For most beneficiaries, the stretch IRA is gone and has been replaced by the 10-year payout rule. However, the SECURE Act carved out some rules...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport A ton of questions on this topic have come across our desks, and we have seen swirling, hypnotizing spirals in the eyes of many an advisor. I can only imagine what the general public is...
Weekly Market Commentary – 1/27/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Momentum trade pushed US equity markets higher and forced shorts to cover and those sitting in cash to move off the sidelines for fear of missing out on further gains. Fourth quarter earnings continued to...
In most cases, if you have no dependents and have enough money to pay your final expenses, you don’t need any life insurance. If you want to create an inheritance or make a charitable contribution, buy enough life insurance to achieve those goals. If you have...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: If a person turned 72 in 2022, and died before starting her traditional IRA RMDs (required minimum distributions), must her three children take an RMD (based on their ages) in 2022 and for...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport The SECURE 2.0 Act, enacted into law on December 29, 2022, makes over 90 changes to the IRA and employer plan tax rules. If that isn’t enough, many of these provisions aren’t immediately effective and...
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport SECURE 2.0 is now the law of the land and one thing is very clear. Roth-O-Mania is here! In their quest for more revenue, Congress has created more options to save with Roth accounts. These...
Weekly Market Commentary – 1/20/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Inflation data showed prices easing in the US and Europe while Japanese CPI hit a level not seen since the 1980s. The downtrend in US producer prices, coupled with weaker-than-expected US retail sales...
AARP Financial Security Trends Survey: Wave 2 In January 2022, AARP launched its Financial Security Trends Survey, which is designed to monitor the financial experiences, behaviors, and attitudes of adults age 30-plus. The survey examines perceptions of overall...
AARP Financial Security Trends Survey: Wave 2 In January 2022, AARP launched its Financial Security Trends Survey, which is designed to monitor the financial experiences, behaviors, and attitudes of adults age 30-plus. The survey examines perceptions of overall...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Hello Ed, I have a question concerning Secure 2.0 pertaining to transferring “leftover” 529 plan account balances into a Roth IRA, beginning 2024. If I have no income in 2024, can I...
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