Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row Rotating Header Image

tax

How to Resolve an Over-Contribution to Your IRA

What happens when you have an over-contribution to your IRA? Are there consequences? How can you resolve this situation without excess penalty?

Don’t Invent Income!

It may be tempting to invent income for a child, such as paying them to do the dishes, in order to qualify for a Roth IRA contribution. Don’t do it!

The 1040X – 15 Facts About Amending Your Tax Return

Do you understand all of the rules for amending your tax return? It’s important to get this right, or you might end up having to amend again or pay up.

Withholding and Social Security Benefits

If your Social Security benefit is being taxed, you may need to look at your withholding to make sure you’re not hit with a penalty at tax time.

Alimony and Taxes, 2019 style

In 2019, when the new alimony rules kick in, this will make major changes to the way we think about alimony arrangements.

Eligible Rollover Distributions (ERDs)

What are eligible rollover distributions? And what are not eligible rollover distributions? IRS only defines one of them, you have to figure out the rest.

Designated Roth Account (Roth 401k) Distributions

Distributions from a Roth 401k can be very complicated. This article goes into the details you need to be aware of to avoid tax where possible.

Things to Consider as You Set Up a SOSEPP

Do you know how to set up a SOSEPP (72t) plan? It’s got to be done correctly, otherwise you’ll face some big problems and penalties.

The Heartbreak of Withholding From Indirect Rollover

An indirect rollover can cause problems, not the least of which is the mandatory withholding if the source account is an employer plan (401k).

60-day Rollover Waivers

If you missed the 60-day window for a rollover, there are waivers that may apply to your situation. You have some homework to do, though.

Not So Fast! 9 Special Considerations Before Rolling Over Your 401(k)

If you are leaving an employer you may think it’s a no-brainer to rollover your 401k to an IRA or a new employer plan. Not so.

3 Ways to Do a Roth Conversion – Tax Free

There are several ways to do a tax free Roth conversion, and this article explains three ways you can do it.

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.

IRA Distribution Pro-Rata Rule

How does the pro-rata rule for IRA distributions work? Can it cause problems as I implement the back-door Roth conversion strategy?

5 No-No’s for IRA Investing

It is generally well-known that in an IRA account you have a wide range of investment choices. These choices are typically only limited by the custodian’s available investment options.  However, there are specific prohibited transactions that cannot be accomplished with IRA funds. Often these prohibited transactions can cause your IRA to be disqualified, which can result in significant tax and penalty, along with loss of the tax-favored status of the funds. What’s Not Allowed for IRA Accounts? Self-Dealing.  You are not allowed, within your IRA, to make investments in property which benefits you or another disqualified person.  A disqualified person includes your fiduciary advisor and any member of your family, whether an ancestor, spouse, lineal descendant (child) or spouse of a lineal descendant.  It is important to note that this limit applies to both present and future use of a property. So if you purchased a condo and rented it […]

Higher Education Expenses Paid From an IRA

An IRA can be used to pay for higher education expenses. This avoids the penalty for early withdrawal that occurs if you’re under age 59 1/2.

Traditional IRA v. Roth IRA – Compare & Contrast

What are the differences and similarities between traditional IRA and Roth IRA? This article gives you the basics in a comparison and contrast.

Tax Bill Too High? Try This Trick

Some individuals get the nice surprise of a big tax refund every tax year (if this is you, don’t be too happy – you’ve been lending Uncle Sam money interest free). Other folks get the unpleasant surprise of having to write a big check to Uncle Sam. For the latter individuals, there may be a way to lower their tax bill and save more for retirement. Let’s look at an example. Assume an individual has a tax bill of $4,000 and they want to reduce this. Naturally, there are other deductions they may qualify for, but in this case, they’ve exhausted all other options except this one: saving to their 401k. Let’s also assume this individual’s marginal tax rate is 25%. The individual can take their tax rate and divide it into their tax liability for the year – in this case $4,000 divided by 25%. This comes to $16,000. […]