Individual Retirement Accounts - IRAs
Strategies for maximizing your Individual Retirement Account (IRA’s) Investments, Tax Savings and Timing of Required Minimum Distributions
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Increase After Tax Wealth by Matching the Right Assets to the Right Accounts
How much time do you spend on asset location? Notice, that’s asset location not asset allocation. If you’re like most investors and even financial advisers, you don’t give asset location much time or attention or use some oversimplified rules of thumb. Over time, that oversight reduces after-tax returns, and that means your nest egg won’t […]
Trusts as IRA Beneficiaries: Reaping the Benefits, Avoiding the Pitfalls
There are many good reasons to name a trust as an IRA beneficiary. But there also are some hazards to avoid. Trusts can make an Inherited IRA last longer. Through the trust terms and appointment of the trustee, you control how much money is distributed to the trust beneficiaries. For example, the trust can retain […]
Maximizing the Power of the Stretch IRA
You probably know the basics of establishing the Stretch IRA: name younger beneficiaries, be sure your beneficiary designations are up to date and discuss the Stretch IRA with your beneficiaries. If so, it’s time for you to consider the next steps to maximize the after-tax value of your IRAs for the next generation. You want […]
The Backdoor Roth IRA
When your adjusted gross income is too high ($186,000 for married couples filing jointly in 2017), your ability to make a contribution to a Roth IRA is phased out. You can’t make a contribution. But there’s a backdoor way to make a Roth IRA contribution when you’re a high income taxpayer. The method works and […]
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Avoiding RMD Mistakes with Retirement Accounts
Most people know that after reaching age 70½, they have to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their IRAs. But that rule is only the tip of the iceberg. Not knowing all the RMD rules is a source of many mistakes, resulting in extra taxes and penalties. Required minimum distributions also must be taken from […]
Making the Most of 401(k) Plans
Rollovers from 401(k) accounts are the main reason IRAs are among the most valuable assets many retirees own. When people leave a job, for either a new job or retirement, they often roll over the 401(k) balance to an IRA. To maximize the value of your IRAs in retirement, you need to maximize 401(k) account […]
10 Key IRA Mistakes to Avoid in 2017
It doesn’t take much to squander a large piece of an IRA or 401(k) account. For many people, these are among their most valuable and important assets. Yet, the accounts often are taken for granted, and people don’t realize all the nuances of the rules and regulations. Every day both owners and beneficiaries who inherit […]
Arranging Your Finances to Make an IRA Conversion Less Costly
Last month, we addressed the different factors to consider when evaluating whether it makes sense to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. While a Roth IRA has many benefits, there is a cost to the conversion. You have to include the converted amount in gross income as though it were distributed to you […]
