by Kenny | Nov 12, 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I make a qualified charitable donation (QCD) to my local church on a monthly basis. I know that the receiving charitable organization must provide me with a written confirmation that no favors were given in return for my... by Kenny | Nov 11, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Thinking of opening up a new solo 401(k) plan for 2026? Fortunately, you won’t have to rush to get it done by the end of the year. A solo 401(k) is an excellent retirement savings vehicle for self-employed business owners with no... by Kenny | Nov 9, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Beneficiaries, including Roth IRA beneficiaries, are subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs). The SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0 have upended these rules and caused significant confusion. Now, many... by Kenny | Nov 5, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst QUESTION: My dad died in December 2025, at age 95. I am the sole beneficiary of his traditional IRA. I just discovered that he never took his required minimum distribution (RMD) for 2025. Will his estate be subject to a penalty? ANSWER:... by Kenny | Nov 4, 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In the October 26 Slott Report entry (“Beneficiary RMDs: Calculation Basics”), we discussed the required minimum distribution (RMD) calculation rules for non-spouse IRA beneficiaries. Spouses, on the other hand, are a special type... by Kenny | Nov 2, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst A recently announced IRS program gives you new ways to fix certain IRA errors. Unfortunately, it won’t be as helpful as it seems. In the 2022 SECURE 2.0 legislation, Congress gave the IRS two years – until December 29, 2024 – to come up... by Kenny | Oct 29, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education QUESTION: I am age 84. My IRA beneficiaries are my two children (ages 52 and 56) and my grandchild (age 8). Who is a non-eligible designated beneficiary (NEDB) and who is an eligible designated beneficiary (EDB)?... by Kenny | Oct 28, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Excess IRA contributions happen frequently and for a variety of reasons. Maybe your income ended up being higher than expected and you were ultimately ineligible for the Roth IRA contribution you made. Maybe you... by Kenny | Oct 26, 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Although many IRA owners are required to take required minimum distributions (RMDs), much confusion remains as to how the RMD is calculated. Factors include whether the original IRA owner reached his required beginning date (“RBD”... by Kenny | Oct 22, 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I have a question regarding joint health savings accounts (HSAs). What happens if an HSA is shared with a spouse who is not yet eligible for Medicare? Can that spouse continue to contribute if they remain enrolled in a... by Kenny | Oct 21, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Many of you are probably aware of the 60-day rollover deadline and the once-per-year rollover rule. But there’s a third IRA rollover restriction you may be less familiar with: the “same-property rule.” The same-property rule is the Rodney... by Kenny | Oct 19, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The unfortunate reality for many Americans is that medical expenses will be a large part of their expected budget in retirement years. Health Savings Accounts (HSA), which continue to grow both in numbers and in... by Kenny | Oct 16, 2026
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst QUESTION: I have a client who is age 52 and is being placed on hospice due to his battle with cancer. I understand that there is a provision in the SECURE 2.0 Act that allows individuals to withdraw from their IRAs prematurely without the... by Kenny | Oct 14, 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst IRA owners and retirement plan participants trip over the required minimum distribution (RMD) rules all the time. Bad advice is provided, misinformation is freely disseminated on TikTok, and sometimes smart individuals do... by Kenny | Oct 9, 2026
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... by Kenny | Oct 8, 2026
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 Kenny | Oct 5, 2026
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... by Kenny | Oct 1, 2026
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 Kenny | Sep 30, 2026
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 Kenny | Sep 28, 2026
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...
