Articles

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst One of the most common retirement account transactions – rolling over Roth 401(k) funds to Roth IRAs – is also one of the most complicated tax-wise. That’s because the rollover involves two five-year holding periods, one for...

  Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The rules for required minimum distributions (RMDs) can be complicated and, under the law, the responsibility to get it right rests with the IRA owner. If you are required to take an RMD from your IRA for 2026,...

  Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Does a non-spouse eligible designated beneficiary (EDB) have to pay taxes on required minimum distributions (RMDs) either at the end of ten years or with annual RMDs? Answer: Any EDB (other than a minor child) can stretch...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst It’s a new year, and the slate is wiped clean. Here we go again! While we are only one week into 2026, there are some important IRA and work plan transactions to be aware of: First RMDs. For anyone turning age 73 in 2026, this year...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Since 2010, participants in certain private sector 401(k) plans have been able to boost their Roth retirement savings by doing an “in-plan Roth conversion” of non-Roth plan funds to a Roth account within the same plan. This plan feature...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education ‘Tis the season for lists! Best TV shows, best of music and best podcasts. The lists go on and on. In the spirit of year-end lists, we present the “Best of the 2025 Slott Report.” Here are the retirement account...

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The Grinch likes it when things go horribly wrong. He likes it when rambunctious pets tip over Christmas trees. He likes it when festive lights get terribly tangled, and he likes it when holiday cards are lost in the mail....

  By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst In the spirit of the holiday season, here’s a list of cheers and jeers for the IRS and Congress: Cheers to the IRS: To its credit, the IRS did issue timely guidance on two retirement-related provisions set to kick in next year. The...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The holidays are here and the countdown to year’s end has started. For many retirement account owners, this means that an important deadline is fast approaching. Most of those who are age 73 or older will need to...

  By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: If a grandchild, age 30, inherits IRA assets from her grandparent, age 92, and has to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from the inherited IRA, can she send those RMDs directly to charity...