Posts Tagged ‘IRA’
What Is a Traditional IRA?
Traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a good way to save for retirement. If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan or would like to supplement that plan, a traditional IRA could work for you. A traditional IRA is simply a tax-deferred savings account that has several investing options and is set…
Read MoreFinal Chance to Undo a 2017 Roth IRA Conversion
If you converted a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in 2017 and your Roth IRA has sustained losses, you may want to consider whether it makes sense to undo (recharacterize) your conversion. You have until October 15, 2018, to undo your 2017 conversion.* A recharacterization can help you avoid paying income tax on IRA…
Read MoreHow do I split an IRA in divorce?
When an IRA needs to be split in a divorce it’s best to use a trustee-to-trustee transfer between the spouses IRA and former-spouses IRA. IRAs are split in accordance with the divorce decree so make sure the decree specifies the dollar amount or specific securities in the IRA that should be transferred. Review the process…
Read MoreWhen Must RMDs Be Taken?
Your first required distribution from an IRA or retirement plan is for the year you reach age 70½. However, you have some flexibility as to when you actually have to take this first-year distribution. You can take it during the year you reach age 70½, or you can delay it until April 1 of the…
Read MoreRules of an Inherited Traditional IRA
When inheriting a traditional IRA in a non-spousal relationship, you have different options based on the age of the original account holder of the traditional IRA. If the account holder was under 70 1/2 you have three options: Life Expectancy Method: annual distributions over your life expectancy based on your age in the calendar year following…
Read MoreMaking Everything Simpler & More Secure for Our Clients
Yesterday, we closed our offices so our team could attend a one-day Charles Schwab conference. This conference offered us so much new and exciting information. Your experience with Chesapeake Financial Advisors and with Charles Schwab will improve greatly – now – and in the coming months. Improvements have been made in several areas of client…
Read MoreRetirement Planning (It is never too Early)
Retirement is one of the biggest experiences that you will have in your lifetime. The planning takes many years of hard work and persistence. The headaches and uncertainty can be reduced with homework, investment plan, and a long term commitment. Retirement planning is a continuous process that even goes on in retirement. To get…
Read MoreWhat Are Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)?
Required minimum distributions, often referred to as RMDs or minimum required distributions, are amounts that the federal government requires you to withdraw annually from traditional IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans after you reach age 70½ (or, in some cases, after you retire). As the name implies, the withdraws are required or mandatory. Stated differently, you…
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