Individual Retirement Accounts - IRAs
Strategies for maximizing your Individual Retirement Account (IRA’s) Investments, Tax Savings and Timing of Required Minimum Distributions
Found 429 Articles.
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Roth IRAs and the New Tax Law
Tax planning is less of a guessing game these days with the tax law settled, at least until Congress decides to push some kind of tax reform. In the wake of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, we need to revise and rethink some strategies about Roth IRAs, especially about converting traditional IRAs to […]
Using a 401(k) Plan’s Investment Window
One of the most frequent questions I receive is: How can I implement your in-vestment recommendations through my 401(k) plan? A related question is whether a reader should keep assets at the 401(k) plan when leaving an employer or roll over the assets to an IRA. The sad fact is that most 401(k) plans aren’t […]
Using the Overlooked Roth Opportunity
Roth IRAs are one of the most powerful retirement planning tools available. Most people, however, aren’t taking full advantage of the opportunity. Converting traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs is only the tip of the iceberg. We’ve devoted a lot of attention to the conversion decision since 2009, and those discussions are available in the Archive […]
Avoiding Major IRA Beneficiary Mistakes
Most IRA owners plan for their loved ones to benefit from at least part of their IRAs. Many of them would be disappointed if they knew what would happen to their IRAs and how easy it would have been to avoid the problems with simple, low-cost actions. Reviewing your beneficiary designations is an important part […]
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Managing Required IRA Distributions
The IRS is cracking down on IRA mistakes, and improper required minimum distributions (RMDs) are a major target. The IRS receives enough in-formation from IRA custodians to identify people who might have made RMD mistakes. The penalty for an incorrect RMD is 50% of the amount you should have distributed but didn’t. The IRS isn’t […]
Evaluating Your 401(k) Plan
Most people don’t know a lot about their 401(k) plans, which is odd, because that is the main retirement savings vehicle for most Americans. SmartMoney lists the key factors you need to review when evaluating your 401(k) plan. I don’t usually like SmartMoney’s “10 Things…” series, but this one makes a few good points among […]
A Primer on Converting to a Roth IRA
Tax rates and taxes on investment income could rise after 2012. There’s the fiscal cliff of expiring tax provisions. Beyond that, there’s the likelihood that spiraling federal budget deficits and tax reform will cause higher tax rates on distributions from traditional IRAs. That’s why in 2012 Roth IRA conversions are on the list of potential […]
Safe Ways to Combine Trusts and IRAs
Trusts can make an inherited IRA last longer. They can control how an IRA is invested after you’re gone and when distributions are made to beneficiaries. Unfortunately, the tax law throws some obstacles in your way. Standard trusts and IRAs don’t mix. To reap the benefits of combining an IRA with a trust, you and […]
