Articles
Qualified Charitable Distributions and the 10-Year Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
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...
How the Once-Per-Year Rollover Rule Works and How to Avoid It
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...
Three IRA Transactions You Must Do by October 15
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...
Do Inherited Roth IRA Beneficiaries Have RMDs?: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
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...
NUA: Average Cost Basis vs. Specific Identification
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...
Do We Use the Life Expectancy of the IRA Owner, or the Beneficiary to Calculate RMDs?: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
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...
Time is Running Out for Penalty-Free Correction of 2025 IRA Contributions
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....
Part 2: Who Should NOT Convert to a Roth IRA?
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...
Can I Do a Conversion From the Inherited IRA Into the Inherited Roth IRA?: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
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...
An Update on State Law Tax Treatment of Trump Accounts
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst A Slott Report article from April 20, 2026, reported that a number of states intended to tax Trump accounts less favorably than they are taxed under the federal tax code, and others were undecided about state tax treatment. Since then,...