IRA BLOG

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Hello Mailbag Folks, I may have missed something in one of the Ed Slott newsletters, but I thought that if one contributed to a non-profit directly from an IRA account to the non-profit, the amount would not be taxed. I made my...

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In our Slott Report entry from March 2 (“Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 1,”) we discussed three irreversible mistakes and the negative consequences of each. Despite any repercussions, certain IRA and...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you made excess deferrals to your 401(k) or 403(b) plan(s) in 2025, you need to correct the error while there’s still time. The deadline is April 15, 2026. If you don’t act before then, you’ll be double-taxed on the excess deferrals....

  By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Is it wise to designate a grandchild as primary beneficiary for IRA accounts? Answer: You can choose to name whomever you want as your IRA beneficiary. If you want your IRA funds to go to your...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education These days many Americans are still working long beyond what has traditionally been retirement age. This may be by choice or by necessity. If this is your situation, you may be keeping funds in your employer plan...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When a transactional mistake is made with retirement plan or IRA assets, there is oftentimes a mechanism to correct the error. For example, if too much money is contributed to an IRA, a person can leverage the excess contribution...

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: What’s your opinion of the value of Trump Accounts? Worth it for kids? Should the child do a Roth conversion at age 18? Or is it better just to do a Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) account? Or perhaps a mix...

  By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst With contributions to Trump Accounts expected to begin in just a few months, there are some new developments to report. As a reminder, Trump Accounts are tax-deferred savings accounts for children. They were established by Congress...

  By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The tax season is upon us. This is the time when many people consider contributing to a retirement account. You may be interested in the Roth IRA, which offers the promise of tax-free withdrawals in...

  By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I really appreciate your emails and find them very helpful. Please continue the great work. I read your advice in the recent Slott Report article that IRA contributions need to be in cash, but was wondering about Roth...

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst A member of Ed Slott’s Elite Advisor Group℠ emailed us recently with a question about a minor child as beneficiary of her father’s IRA. The question was brief, and I think the expectation was that our reply would be of...

  By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst In the January 5 edition of the Slott Report, we mentioned that the federal Thrift Savings Plan (for government workers and the military) started offering in-plan Roth conversions on January 28. This article will provide more...

  By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Please explain the rules and qualifications for rolling over a portion of an IRA to a Health Savings Account (HSA). Thank you, Bill Answer: Hi Bill, A Qualified HSA Funding Distribution (QHFD) is...

  By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education If you are age 73 or older in 2026, you will need to take a required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA. Usually, an RMD is calculated using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. However, if you are married...

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Each year, in different cities, the Ed Slott team hosts several advisor training events for financial professionals serious about learning. These 2-day programs start with our cannonballing into the retirement account pool,...

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I am age 75 and have just one IRA. I normally do multiple qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) during the year. I also make one or more partial Roth conversions during the year. Please confirm or correct my...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst With all the tax changes made by the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), it’s no surprise that the IRS has made significant changes to the 2025 Form 1040 and supporting schedules and forms. Near the beginning of each year’s 1040...

  By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Everyone has heard the horror stories of how unneeded and unwanted trusts disrupted what should have been a smooth transition of wealth. However, it is important to recognize that estate planning for IRAs is...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: If I have had my Roth IRA for 20 years and I do a conversion from my traditional IRA, is the five-year rule in effect for each conversion? I’m under the impression that once I held my Roth for more than five years I don’t have...

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Excess IRA contributions occur for many reasons, like making a contribution without eligible compensation, accidentally exceeding the Roth IRA phase-out limits, rolling over a required minimum distribution (RMD), etc. Excess...