By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education QUESTION: Are there any penalties/consequences/tax issues if I move money from a Roth IRA to start a new Roth IRA at another company? Thanks, Ramona ANSWER: Hi Ramona, Roth IRA funds are portable. There are no...
Life rarely changes all at once. A new job brings a different benefits package. A growing family adds responsibilities. Retirement moves a little closer. Everyday expenses gradually take up more of the budget. Individually, these changes may seem manageable. Together,...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education With the cost of food, energy, healthcare and other basics on the rise, many Americans are facing a cash crunch. For some, their IRA is their largest asset. Therefore, it is not surprising that they may be looking...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The 72(t) rules (“series of substantially equal periodic payments”) allow a person to tap retirement dollars before age 59½ without a 10% early distribution penalty. However, to gain early access to the funds, the IRA owner must...
As we move from the third quarter into the fourth, investors have a lot to consider in this crazy market. US equities finished the week mixed in volatile trade. A standstill in negotiations between the US and Iran pushed oil prices higher early in the week, but the...
7 Year-End Financial Moves to Consider Before December 31 As the year begins to wind down, your financial plan deserves a year-end review too. The final few months of the year can be an important time to evaluate retirement accounts, taxes, insurance coverage, income...
Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I did a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) in early January of 2026 to cover a portion of my required minimum distribution (RMD), then took the rest of the RMD before I processed a Roth conversion. Am I now allowed to...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst One of the mantras we have here at Ed Slott & Company is: “Don’t do 60-day rollovers. Do direct transfers instead.” The reason? 60-day rollovers between IRAs are subject to several rules that have serious tax consequences if not...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Fall is in full swing and October is almost upon us. That means that an important IRA deadline looms just ahead. Here are three transactions you must get done by October 15, 2026. 1. Make a SEP IRA contribution for...
Markets finished the week mixed as interest rates increased across the yield curve. Oil prices swung significantly during the week as reports suggested the US and Iran were close to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This weekend, President Trump rejected the...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst QUESTION: I really enjoy reading the Slott Report articles, but I’m confused about the inherited Roth IRA required minimum distributions (RMD) explanations. My understanding was Roth IRAs do not have RMDs even when inherited. Am I...
A new home. A growing family. A career change. Retirement getting closer. Life rarely stays the same for long. Yet financial plans and insurance policies can sit untouched for years—even as the people and priorities they were designed to support change. You may be...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst For those workplace retirement plan participants fortunate enough to own highly appreciated company stock in their plan – like a 401(k) or ESOP – the net unrealized appreciation (NUA) strategy may be available. NUA allows a person...
It was a volatile week on Wall Street as traders assessed monetary policy decisions from several central banks, including the Federal Reserve. The Fed did, as expected, raise its policy rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%-4.00%, but Fed Chairman Warsh’s very...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education QUESTION: I understand that the SECURE Act 10-year payout rule applies to certain beneficiaries. I also understand that, if the IRA owner died after his required beginning date (RBD), annual required minimum...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Believe it or not, you still have some time if you are having second thoughts about that IRA contribution you made for 2025. Maybe you made a Roth IRA contribution and then discovered your income was too high....
You may have a clear picture of retirement: more time with family, a few trips you have been putting off, and the freedom to spend your days doing what matters most. But a retirement plan also needs room for the things you cannot schedule. An unexpected home repair. A...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In our August 31, 2026, Slott Report entry, we offered a list of situations where Roth conversion could make sense. In that article, we also said that a Roth conversion is not for everyone. Conversion is NOT a universally...
US equity markets fell in the holiday-shortened week as oil prices surpassed $100 a barrel, raising inflation concerns and pushing interest rates higher. Additionally, elevated inflation data announced during the week increased the likelihood that the Federal Reserve...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I am age 74 and inherited both a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA from my older sister who recently died. Can I do a conversion from the inherited IRA into the inherited Roth IRA? Daniel ANSWER: Daniel, Non-spouse...
