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Just about every week here on YMYW, Joe and Big Al talk about converting your retirement savings to Roth accounts. But why? What’s the big deal? Today the “IRA guru” Ed Slott, CPA returns to tell us why he calls the Roth IRA “the greatest account ever created.” (Here’s a hint: it’s all about having tax-free income in retirement – and beyond.) Plus, where to prioritize saving for retirement? Jerry Tom in St. Louis wants to know. Are Christian and Tiffany in Montana on track for retirement, and should they rebalance their ETFs? Should Frank in Lake Wobegon’s wife take her teachers’ salary over 9 months or 12 months? And finally, Jon thinks the target retirement withdrawal rates Joe and Big Al use to spitball are too low – we’ll see what they think.
Is it better to save for retirement in traditional 401(k)s and IRAs, or in Roth accounts? What are the rules around contributing to two different types of Roth accounts? If required minimum distributions will be staggered because of a couple’s age difference, should they convert their retirement savings to Roth, or leave it alone? But first, Joe and Big Al have a backdoor Roth conversion withdrawal debate to settle.
As we continue marching towards a new year, there are several important things to keep in mind regarding your financial planning. These items may or may not make sense for you, but they are topics you should generally evaluate each year. Maximize Retirement Plan Contributions It is important to remember that while IRA and Roth […]
What is an exchange fund and is it a good thing if you have a lot of capital gains, like Bryan in New York? What should be the timing and ordering of Billy Joe and Bobby Sue’s Roth conversion strategy to help them achieve 33 years of retirement income? Is Boston overspending or underspending in retirement? Should Andy keep life insurance policies for her kids with ADHD? How does the 5-year rule for Roth withdrawals apply to inherited Roth IRAs for Karen?
What does retirement at age 60 look like for Allison in Northern Virginia, or for YMYW listeners Jimmy and Rosalynn in Georgia, who are using our free retirement calculator at EASIretirement.com? Ingrid is using the EASIretirement.com calculator too – is she able to contribute more than her annual income to her 403(b) and her Roth? Perry and his wife in Winston-Salem also have 403(b) plans, and they wonder if they should take the lifetime annuity or the managed payout in retirement. Finally, should Brad in Sarasota, Florida reserve his health savings account money for long-term care insurance?
We’re revisiting your favorite Your Money, Your Wealth® topics and Derails of 2023 in this Roth and retirement investing mega-episode. Safe investing when you’re risk averse, mutual funds vs. ETFs, stable value funds, and estimating retirement income needs when you’re a young saver with a pension made the YMYW best of 2023 on the investing side. On the Roth side, what to do when there’s too much money in your traditional IRA, whether Roth conversions are really as good as they sound, and who’s right about the Roth conversion strategy, our listener or his advisor?
Your last-minute tax questions answered: should Brad in Wahoo, NE save to his regular 401(k) instead of his Roth 401(k) so he can claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit? Should Jennifer and Zeke in NY set up a Roth IRA and file taxes for their 13-year-old who’s got some earned income? Does Cindy in San Diego have to report her Medicare Advantage over-the-counter medication benefit on her taxes? And should our buddy Carl Spackler wait until the new year to deposit his rollover check? Plus, Em in FL needs ideas for moving her Mom from a low-cost-of-living area to a high-cost-of-living area, Wannabe Landlord wonders about creating an LLC for his real estate, and can CJ in FL and IN report pro-rated real estate expenses on schedule E? Finally, the 5-year rule on Roth withdrawals once again, this time for Brutus Buckeye, and Bruce from Joisey is back, this time he wants to pay cash for a car.
How can Steve & Sharon in Minnesota get more money into their Roth IRA without paying more tax? That’s just one of our topics, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 455. Also, should Fred in western New York do Roth conversions before required minimum distributions (RMDs) kick in? If Mike in Utah saves on healthcare premiums now, will that mean large RMDs and tax bills later? Should Mark in Maryland do a backdoor Roth after maxing out his 401(k)? And should Joseph in Kansas contribute to his new employer’s Traditional or Roth 401(k)?
Stocks and bonds, 401(k)s and IRAs – how investment savvy are you? Less than half of Americans have a solid understanding of basic investing terms and concepts. It can be difficult to grow your wealth if you don’t know what tools and strategies are available, much less know how to use them to develop a […]
Updated for 2023: Making contributions to an Individual Retirement Account, otherwise known as an IRA, is all about saving now so you can enjoy the retirement of your dreams later on. One of the biggest advantages of an IRA is that your contributions (and any growth thereafter!) will grow tax-free. Now there are several different […]
How will a diet COLA on a pension affect retirement plans for Joe and Barb in Tulsa? Percy in South Carolina has a pension too. He’s timing the market, but should he change his investing strategy as he approaches retirement? Plus, Michael in Virginia needs ideas to fund a custodial Roth IRA for his 3-year-old and 2-month-old kids, and Rocco in NYC catches Big Al on capital gains exclusions. But first, will scary future events mean Michelle in San Diego will have to pay more tax and the highest possible Medicare premiums?
Charles has had it with Joe and Big Al stumbling through the Roth 5-year rules, so he explains to the fellas, once and for all, the rules for withdrawing money from a Roth IRA. Plus, is Shane missing any retirement risks before he retires early at age 55? Nick wants to know if employers are required to adopt all of the provisions in the SECURE Act 2.0, or if they can pick and choose which to implement, like they can with the rule of 55? Plus, how can Stew offset huge capital gains on the sale of an inherited house, and we revisit whether George can move investments in-kind from an inherited trust to a brokerage account.
Should Carl Spackler stick with his backdoor Roth strategy, or go for lower fees? Should Kevin go all Roth, or stick with his current three tax-diversified buckets strategy? (That depends – would he rather have $7 million tax-free, or $10 million in tax-deferred retirement accounts?) Can Lily claim all the extra allowances she can, to jam as much money as possible into her Roth? Can Dave retire now and ride his motorcycle into the Bavarian Alpine sunset, and does Peggy Lee need to be feverish about the tax underpayment penalty with her Roth strategy?
When should you take your pension, what types of things should you think about when it comes to deciding between a lump sum or a monthly annuity payment – risk protection, for example – and how do you work your pension into your overall retirement plan? Spitballing on retirement pension options, and saving to a taxable account when you’re concerned about required minimum distributions or RMDs, on today’s YMYW.
Should retirement living expenses be drawn from your stable value fund, your CD or money market, brokerage account, or FDIC insured bank accounts? Can you even trust the banks after the recent bank failures? What about sequence of returns risk? Which investments are best for long-term retirement savings when you’re early in your career? Joe and Big Al explain why your strategy for retirement savings and withdrawals should be your first step – before you consider investments, asset classes, or sectors.
