IRAs

The Death of the DOL Fiduciary Rule?

It now appears that the new fiduciary rules proposed by the Department of Labor (DOL) back in June of 2016 are all but dead. Late last week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a last-minute appeal of its March 15th decision to toss the DOL rules. The appeal was filed by the AARP and three states (New York, California, and Oregon), not the DOL.

Tracking Roth Contributions for Those Under Age 59½

One of the benefits of a Roth IRA is that contributions can always be distributed out of the Roth IRA with no tax, and no early distribution penalty for those that are under age 59½. But, you have to be able to prove to IRS that you are taking a distribution of contributions only. Under the distribution ordering rules, all Roth IRAs are treated as one Roth account, contributions are deemed to be the first amount distributed, then conversions – first in, first out – and lastly earnings are distributed.

Earned Income for IRA Contributions

With the 2017 tax filing date quickly approaching, many taxpayers look to take advantage of IRA contributions to lower taxable income prior to filing. However, before making that contribution, you want to be sure to meet all the eligibility rules.

Are You in the IRA Sweet Spot?

If you have an IRA, you need to know about the “sweet spot.” What is the IRA sweet spot? Well, that is when you are between ages 59½ and 70½.

Understanding the Pro-Rata Rule

The pro-rata rule is an important, though commonly misunderstood, rule that affects the taxation of IRA money. It only comes into play when your traditional IRA consists of both pre-tax and after-tax monies. These after-tax dollars can come from non-deductible IRA contributions or rollovers of after-tax funds from employer plans. Either way, once those monies are in the account, subsequent distributions or conversions are subject to the pro-rata rule. The pro-rata rule does not apply to Roth IRA assets. Instead, Roth IRA distributions are subject to their own set of ordering rules.

5 Roth IRA Facts That May Surprise You

Do you think you understand all the rules that govern your Roth IRA? Not so fast! There are many misconceptions as to how these complicated accounts work. Here are 5 Roth IRA facts that might surprise you.

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