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Individual Retirement Accounts - IRAs

Strategies for maximizing your Individual Retirement Account (IRA’s) Investments, Tax Savings and Timing of Required Minimum Distributions

Found 388 Articles.
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When to Use an IRA To Fund Your Health Savings Account

April 4, 2021

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are the best retirement planning tool available, and there’s a little-known legal trick that can help fully fund an HSA. An HSA has three powerful tax benefits. Contributions to the account are tax deductible or excluded from gross income when an employer makes them. The account can be invested, and income […]

Tax Court Shows Risks in Self-Directed IRAs, Unconventional Investments

March 18, 2021

A self-direct-ed IRA is a good way to invest your retirement account in non-traditional investments. But a recent Tax Court decision shows the dangers of taking shortcuts and not setting up and operating the IRA the right way.In the case, the taxpayer had a SEP-IRA. The custodian was a national bank. The taxpayer set up […]

The Times When the Payoff from Converting to a Roth IRA Increases

March 18, 2021

Should I convert my traditional IRA or 401(k) to a Roth IRA? How much should I convert? These and related questions are being asked more frequently these days. That’s primarily because of a wide-spread belief that increases in income and estate taxes are likely to be enacted in the next year or two. Also, Stealth […]

Congress Isn’t Finished Coming After Your Retirement Money

February 23, 2021

The Biden administration and Congress are planning major spending increases in 2021 and beyond. They are going to raise taxes to pay for some of that spending. A lot of the revenue to pay for the new spending is likely to come from retirement plans, according to several speakers at a recent American Bar Association […]

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There’s Still Tax Magic from Making Charitable Contributions from Your IRA

February 23, 2021

The qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from an IRA is the best way for most people age 70½ and older to make charitable contributions. The QCD was a temporary innovation in 2006 but was made a regular part of the tax law in 2015. You should include the QCD in your tax planning if you’re charitably […]

Congress Extends One CARES Act Provision, Lets Another Expire

January 26, 2021

Some special tax and retirement plan rules were created in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress recently extended one of them with some modifications but let another expire. One provision gave taxpayers more than 60 days to roll over IRA distributions to the original IRA or to another qualified retirement plan. The provision […]

What You Need to Know About RMDs in 2021

January 26, 2021

Over the last few years, there have been a lot of changes in required mini-mum distributions (RMDs) for IRAs and other retirement plans. It is important to know the current rules, so you don’t pay more income taxes than you need to or incur the highest penalty in the tax code. The penalty for not […]

IRS Reduces Future Required Minimum Distributions Just A Little

December 17, 2020

The IRS recently issued final regulations that, in the future, will reduce required minimum distributions (RMDs) on IRAs, other qualified retirement plans and annuities. It is a small help for retirement account owners who don’t need all the money they’re required to take from their plans each year. Most owners of IRAs and other qualified […]

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