Articles

  By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Hello! I have been a big fan for a long time. I have a question regarding a Roth IRA I inherited from my younger brother last year. I have heard that I must empty this account by the end of 2035. I...

  By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education IRA and Roth IRA contributions are only permitted when you have taxable “compensation” or earned income. Typically, whether or not a person has compensation is a relatively straightforward determination. For...

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In our December 8, 2025 Slott Report entry (“Yes, RMDs Apply to Inherited Roth IRAs, But…”), we wrote about the application of required minimum distributions (RMDs) to inherited Roth IRAs. As expected, that article received...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Hello, I am searching for confirmation that Roth SIMPLE IRA contributions are not limited by modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) in the same way that Roth IRA contributions are. This is not addressed in any of the...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst One of the most common retirement account transactions – rolling over Roth 401(k) funds to Roth IRAs – is also one of the most complicated tax-wise. That’s because the rollover involves two five-year holding periods, one for...

  Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The rules for required minimum distributions (RMDs) can be complicated and, under the law, the responsibility to get it right rests with the IRA owner. If you are required to take an RMD from your IRA for 2026,...

  Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Does a non-spouse eligible designated beneficiary (EDB) have to pay taxes on required minimum distributions (RMDs) either at the end of ten years or with annual RMDs? Answer: Any EDB (other than a minor child) can stretch...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst It’s a new year, and the slate is wiped clean. Here we go again! While we are only one week into 2026, there are some important IRA and work plan transactions to be aware of: First RMDs. For anyone turning age 73 in 2026, this year...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Since 2010, participants in certain private sector 401(k) plans have been able to boost their Roth retirement savings by doing an “in-plan Roth conversion” of non-Roth plan funds to a Roth account within the same plan. This plan feature...

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education ‘Tis the season for lists! Best TV shows, best of music and best podcasts. The lists go on and on. In the spirit of year-end lists, we present the “Best of the 2025 Slott Report.” Here are the retirement account...