IRA Blog

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Expert   Question: For a non-spousal inherited roth IRA account, there seems to be contradictory advice on different websites about when to take distributions. Some say there are annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) within the 10...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education   There is some good news for retirement savers! The IRS has released the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirement accounts for 2025, and many of the dollar limit restrictions on retirement accounts...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   Yes, you read that title correctly. This rule was confirmed in the 2024 final SECURE Act regulations, released this past July. If a person has multiple IRAs, even if they are held at different custodians, the total...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   QUESTION: Hello, I’m working with a retired client who has a sizable IRA. He set up a trust and named it as the beneficiary of the IRA, assuming that the trust would reduce or eliminate the income tax liability. Is this the...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Don’t forget to turn your clocks back this weekend! With that reminder comes another: pay attention to the Roth IRA distribution clocks. The key point to remember is that there are two different clocks, each used for a different purpose....

Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education   The year 2024 has flown by and the holidays season will soon be upon us. That means time is running out on year-end IRA deadlines. You will want to be sure to get the following three IRA-related tasks done...

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst This article is NOT about the “ghost rule” applicable to non-living beneficiaries. That payout rule applies when a non-person beneficiary (like an estate) inherits an IRA when the original owner died on or after his required...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The year is flying by, and before we know it 2025 will be here. With the arrival of the new year, several new provisions from the 2022 SECURE 2.0 law that impact retirement plans will become effective. One of the changes allows certain...

Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: We have a client who has children from a previous marriage. Upon the husband’s death, he wants to make sure his current spouse has access to income from his IRA. But he also wants to make sure the remaining balance, when she...