Articles

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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...