by Kenny | Aug 5, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst How well are your retirement plan account funds protected from creditors? The answer depends on which kind of creditors you are worried about. There are two types of creditors that might be coming after your retirement savings. The first... by Kenny | Aug 3, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education If you have compensation (or “earned income”), you can always contribute to a traditional IRA, but your traditional IRA contribution may not always be deductible. (Roth IRA contributions are never deductible.) One... by Kenny | Jul 30, 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: You recently posted an article about the “still-working exception.” Does this apply to solo 401(k) plans? Thanks, Birdie ANSWER: Birdie, The still-working exception allows participants in certain workplace retirement... by Kenny | Jul 29, 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst These days, anything with a hint of politics can be divisive. Trump accounts are no different. Public comments about this new savings vehicle are clearly rooted in the political divide that permeates our country. We are all sick up... by Kenny | Jul 27, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst With contributions to Trump accounts having gone live on July 4, 2026, there has been lots of discussion recently about the “kiddie tax.” That’s because, once a child reaches January 1 of the year they turn age 18, they will be able to... by Kenny | Jul 23, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst QUESTION: My wife (Keiko) currently does not take a required minimum distribution (RMD) on her retirement account because the plan allows this while she is still working. Here are our questions: If she retires this December (2026), would... by Kenny | Jul 22, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Tax rules require most retirement account owners who are subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs) to begin withdrawals at age 73. However, there is an exception to this rule for certain individuals who... by Kenny | Jul 20, 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst During our recent Ed Slott and Company’s Instant IRA Success workshop in Brooklyn, NY, we were presenting information about qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) when an audible groan emanated from the crowd. Over the... by Kenny | Jul 16, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Hello, I’m married, filing jointly, and I have been converting my traditional IRA to Roth this year. If I convert too much and trigger higher Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) charges, can... by Kenny | Jul 15, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The June 15, 2026 Slott Report outlined the barriers preventing 401(k) and other plan participants from accessing their plan funds while working. The June 24, 2026 article discussed in-plan withdrawals as one way around those barriers.... by Kenny | Jul 13, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The SECURE Act of 2019 changed many rules for inherited IRAs. However, it left intact the rules for non-living (non-person) beneficiaries, such as an estate. For these non-designated beneficiaries (NDBs), the same... by Kenny | Jul 9, 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I just wanted to verify that a 403(b) plan is not subject to the pro-rata rule when doing a Roth IRA conversion. Can you please let me know if this is correct? Thanks! Lynn ANSWER: Lynn, You are correct. When doing a Roth... by Kenny | Jul 8, 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst From its onset, I have been a fan of the concept of Trump accounts. Created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), this new savings vehicle for children is now up and running as of July 4, 2026. At their core, Trump accounts... by Kenny | Jul 6, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst On July 1, 2026, the Treasury Department announced the investment options for initial Trump account contributions. In the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Congress imposed strict investment restrictions on Trump account contributions... by Kenny | Jul 2, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: If someone has a SIMPLE IRA and is interested in doing a backdoor Roth IRA conversion, does the SIMPLE IRA count under the pro-rata rule? Answer: The pro-rata rule that determines the taxation of a backdoor Roth IRA conversion... by Kenny | Jul 1, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education In just a few days, on July 4, Trump accounts will be available. As we come down to the wire, the IRS has stepped in to provide a safe harbor to address concerns about potential gift tax issues with contributions.... by Kenny | Jun 29, 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When it comes to the rules governing specific workplace retirement plans like a 401(k), there are the foundational rules dictated by law, and there are “in-house rules” put into place by the plan itself. Plans can choose to be far... by Kenny | Jun 25, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Can required minimum distributions (RMDs) from 403(b) plans be aggregated and taken from one account? Answer: Yes, it is allowed to aggregate RMDs from multiple 403(b) plans and take the total from one of... by Kenny | Jun 24, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The June 15, 2026 Slott Report described the strict barriers employees face when attempting to access their 401(k) and other plan funds while still working. One exception to those barriers is for hardship withdrawals. Plans are not... by Kenny | Jun 22, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education On July 4, contributions to Trump accounts, a new savings vehicle for children, will become available. In these final days before their launch, we have been getting questions from parents about exactly what they...
