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qualified retirement plan

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) Don’t Have to Be in Cash, But…

Did you know that you may be allowed to take distributions from your IRA in-kind? That includes Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).

Required Minimum Distributions and the Successor Beneficiary

How to handle Required Minimum Distributions when the original beneficiary dies and a successor beneficiary takes over.

More Clarification on Rollovers and Transfers

I’m compelled to provide an additional update to the posts I’ve provided in the past in the article Running Afoul of One Rollover Per Year Rule and its follow-up More on the One-Rollover-Per-Year Rule. This is primarily to provide clarity to a portion of this rule that I personally was unclear on when the articles were originally written. The rule is that you are restricted to one IRA rollover in a 12-month period. So let’s define a few things for the purpose of this discussion: Rollover – this is when you move money from one IRA to another, first taking possession of the funds prior to depositing the funds into the new (or the same old) IRA account. You have 60 days to complete this process. At the end of the tax year you’ll receive a 1099R from the original custodian, with a distribution code of 1 or 7 (this […]

Required Minimum Distributions for IRAs and 401(k)s

There are differences in how Required Minimum Distributions are handled between an IRA and a 401(k). Here’s your primer.

When a 60-day Rollover is Not a 60-day Rollover

Review of a PLR that provides relief for a taxpayer who did not complete a rollover within the required 60 days.

16 Ways to Withdraw Money From Your 401k Without Penalty

There are several ways you can withdraw money from your 401k without penalty.

Adjusting Your Withholding and Estimated Tax Payments

If you regularly have a large tax payment or large refund, you should review and adjust your withholding to be more efficient.

You’re Not (necessarily) In Control

You may think you’ve got control over your 401k account. But it’s not necessarily so – your employer can make changes that affect your results.

The 457(b) Special Catch-Up

If you’re a governmental employee, you may be aware that your employer offers a 457(b) retirement plan. Additionally, you likely know that like a 401(k), the 457(b) allows you to contribute $19,000 annually to the plan with an additional $6,000 catch-up for those aged 50 or older. What you may not be aware of is the special catch-up provision the 457(b) offers. This special catch-up provision allows a governmental employee that is within 3 years of the normal retirement age (as dictated in the plan) to contribute up to twice the annual amount ($38,000 for 2019). To take advantage of this special contribution the plan sponsor (employer) must allow it in the verbiage of the plan. Additionally, the employee must have unused contribution amounts from prior years. In other words, an employee can contribute twice the amount normally allowed if that employee has unused contributions from prior years; they didn’t […]

Early Withdrawal from Retirement Plans

If you’re considering an early withdrawal from your retirement plan, there are tax consequences that you need to be aware of.

IRA RMD Reporting

IRA RMD reporting may be a mystery – it’s not that complicated though. And the IRS is watching your every IRA move, so never fear, they’ll know.

Non-Spouse Rollover of Inherited IRA or Plan

Is a non-spouse rollover of an inherited IRA allowed? It depends on what you mean by rollover. There are many restrictions for the non-spouse beneficiary.

Calculating your Required Minimum Distribution

Learn how to calculate your required minimum distribution for your IRA, 401k, 403b or other qualified retirement plan.

Rollover Risk

The idea of an IRA rollover, or a rollover IRA, isn’t necessarily a cosmic mystery – this happens all the time.  You leave your job, and you rollover your 401(k) to an IRA.  No problem, right?  Unfortunately, there often are problems with the process of moving funds from one account to another – because there are a couple of very restrictive rules regarding how this process can and cannot be done.  It’s not terribly complex, but you’d be surprised how easily these rules can trip you up. Rollover Risk Let’s start with a few definitions: A Rollover is when you take a distribution from one qualified plan or IRA custodian, in the form of a check made out to you, and then you re-deposit that check into another qualified plan or IRA account (at a different custodian). A Trustee-to-Trustee Transfer (TTT), even though it is often referred to as a […]

After-Tax Investment Considerations

Some individuals have the ability to contribute after-tax amounts to their employer-sponsored plans such as a tax-deferred 401k or a defined benefit pension. Generally, since these amounts are after-tax, the contributions start adding up to a sizable amount known as basis. Basis is simply the amount of after-tax money put into these accounts that is not taxed when it’s withdrawn. However, any earnings on the basis are taxable. Individuals considering contributing after-tax amounts to the above plans may also consider if it makes sense to contribute to a non-qualified brokerage account. Like the aforementioned employer-sponsored plans, contributions to a non-qualified brokerage account are made with after-tax dollars, thus they can build a sizable basis – which is not taxed when withdrawn. Also, like the above employer-sponsored accounts, any earnings are subject to taxation. The major difference is in the way the earnings from the non-qualified account are taxed. Earnings on […]

2017 Retirement Plan Contribution Limits

The IRS recently published the new contribution limits for various retirement plans for 2017.  These limits are indexed to inflation, and as such sometimes they do not increase much year over year, and sometimes they don’t increase at all. This year for the third year in a row we saw virtually no increases contribution amounts, and the income limits increased for slightly as they did for 2016. IRAs The annual contribution limit for IRAs (both traditional and Roth) remains at $5,500 for 2017 (third year without an increase).  The “catch up” contribution amount, for folks age 50 or over, also remains at $1,000. The income limits for traditional (deductible) IRAs increased slightly from last year: for singles covered by a retirement plan, your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) must be less than $62,000 for a full deduction; phased deduction is allowed up to a MAGI of $72,000.  This is an […]

Roth 401k – Is It Right for You?

Many employers are now offering a Roth 401k option in addition to the traditional 401k option. And with this new choice comes many questions: What is the benefit? Is a Roth 401k a good idea for me? How can I choose between the traditional 401k and the Roth? Benefits of Roth 401k Much like a Roth IRA, the Roth 401k can provide you with tax-free income when you retire. This benefit comes to you in exchange for no tax deduction when you contribute your funds to the Roth account. Contributing money to a traditional 401k account results in a reduction from your income for the year. Then when you withdraw money from the account in your retirement, you will have to pay tax on the money withdrawn. This is the primary difference between the traditional 401k and the Roth. Another benefit of the Roth 401k is that when you retire […]