Posts Tagged ‘IRA’
IRS Clarifies COVID-19 Relief Measures for Retirement Savers
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed in March 2020 ushered in several measures designed to help IRA and retirement plan account holders cope with the financial fallout from the virus. The rules were a welcome relief to many people but left questions about the details unanswered. In late June, the IRS…
Read MoreQ2 2020 – Second Quarter Stock Market Commentary
There is an old saying on Wall Street, “The stock market is not the economy and the economy is not the stock market.” We all got a little taste of that this past quarter when we saw a negative -4.8% GDP in the first quarter and predictions of negative -30% to -50% GDP for the second quarter. We saw record…
Read More2019 IRA Contribution Deadline Has Been Extended
Due to the coronavirus tax filing extension, there’s still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2019. You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $6,000 for 2019 ($7,000 if you were age 50 or older on December 31, 2019). For most taxpayers, the contribution deadline for…
Read MoreThere’s Still Time to Contribute to an IRA for 2019 Taxes
Even though the tax filing season is well underway, there’s still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2019. You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $6,000 for 2019 ($7,000 if you were age 50 or older on December 31, 2019). For most taxpayers, the contribution…
Read More2019 Q4 Market Commentary
One year ago, the market was convinced that our economy was headed for a recession and we began 2019 on the heels of one of the worst quarterly market returns in more than a decade. This could not have been further from the truth. Once the market figured out that a recession was not happening,…
Read MoreAll about IRAs for 2020
An individual retirement arrangement (IRA) is a personal retirement savings plan that offers specific tax benefits. In fact, IRAs are one of the most powerful retirement savings tools available to you. Even if you’re contributing to a 401(k) or other plans at work, you might also consider investing in an IRA. What types of IRAs…
Read MoreWhat 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…
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