Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
7 Things to Know About Working While Getting Social Security
If you claim benefits early, income from work can reduce your monthly payments “Retirement” used to be synonymous with “not working.” Not anymore. More than a quarter of U.S. adults ages 65 to 74 are still in the workforce, according to the federal Bureau of Labor...
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7 Things to Know About Working While Getting Social Security
If you claim benefits early, income from work can reduce your monthly payments “Retirement” used to be synonymous with “not working.” Not anymore. More than a quarter of U.S. adults ages 65 to 74 are still in the workforce, according to the federal Bureau of Labor...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets inked another week of gains as investors cheered what they heard from global central bankers at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. In fact, the bulk of the gains were made on Friday after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell...
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Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets inked another week of gains as investors cheered what they heard from global central bankers at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. In fact, the bulk of the gains were made on Friday after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell...
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2025 Year-End Retirement Account Deadlines
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The end of the year always brings a flurry of retirement account deadlines and planning opportunities. This year is no different. And, new for 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) brings new...
read more
Qualified Distributions and Successor Beneficiaries: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Dear IRA Help, Here is my specific case. I am 84 years old. I opened a Roth IRA on March 30, 2020, with a conversion. I started withdrawing from this conversion on March 10, 2025. Did I satisfy the...
read more
Do QCDs Actually Reduce AGI?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst It has come to our attention that confusion exists as to how qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) impact one’s taxes. It is said that QCDs can reduce adjusted gross income (AGI). But is this true? Yes, it is true…but...
read more
Trump Accounts and the Pro-Rata Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: We have two grandchildren. One is 18 years old now, and the other will turn 18 next January (2026). Can you help me understand what I can do for each under the new Trump account rules? Ollie Answer: Hi Ollie, You will...
read more
Avoiding the 10% Early Distribution Penalty for Certain Hardship Withdrawals
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Most 401(k) plans (as well as 403(b) and 457(b) plans) offer hardship withdrawals while you are still employed. If the withdrawal comes from a pre-tax account, it will be taxable. And, if you’re under age 59½, it will also be subject to...
read more
Tapping an ESA for Back-to-School Expenses
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education It’s August and that means it is back-to-school time! The 2025-2026 school year is upon us. Kids are already back in the classroom and ready to learn. Any parent will tell you that back-to-school time is an...
read more
The Once-Per-Year Rollover Rule and SEP IRA Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I recently retired in January and rolled over a lump sum pension from my previous employer into my IRA. Next month, I’m planning to roll over my 401(k) from the same employer into the same IRA as well....
read more
The Craziest Stuff I’ve Heard
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The Ed Slott team has answered literally tens of thousands of IRA and retirement plan questions over the past few years. That is not hyperbole—we track it all. The questions we’re asked run the gamut from basic to extremely...
read more
In ERISA Retirement Plans, Spouse Beneficiaries Rule
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst At Ed Slott and Company, we continually stress how important the beneficiary designation form is. Because it’s that form – and not the retirement account owner’s will or other estate planning documents – that usually dictates who...
read more
2025 Year-End Retirement Account Deadlines
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The end of the year always brings a flurry of retirement account deadlines and planning opportunities. This year is no different. And, new for 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) brings new...
Qualified Distributions and Successor Beneficiaries: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Dear IRA Help, Here is my specific case. I am 84 years old. I opened a Roth IRA on March 30, 2020, with a conversion. I started withdrawing from this conversion on March 10, 2025. Did I satisfy the...
Do QCDs Actually Reduce AGI?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst It has come to our attention that confusion exists as to how qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) impact one’s taxes. It is said that QCDs can reduce adjusted gross income (AGI). But is this true? Yes, it is true…but...
Trump Accounts and the Pro-Rata Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: We have two grandchildren. One is 18 years old now, and the other will turn 18 next January (2026). Can you help me understand what I can do for each under the new Trump account rules? Ollie Answer: Hi Ollie, You will...
Avoiding the 10% Early Distribution Penalty for Certain Hardship Withdrawals
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Most 401(k) plans (as well as 403(b) and 457(b) plans) offer hardship withdrawals while you are still employed. If the withdrawal comes from a pre-tax account, it will be taxable. And, if you’re under age 59½, it will also be subject to...
Tapping an ESA for Back-to-School Expenses
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education It’s August and that means it is back-to-school time! The 2025-2026 school year is upon us. Kids are already back in the classroom and ready to learn. Any parent will tell you that back-to-school time is an...
The Once-Per-Year Rollover Rule and SEP IRA Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I recently retired in January and rolled over a lump sum pension from my previous employer into my IRA. Next month, I’m planning to roll over my 401(k) from the same employer into the same IRA as well....
The Craziest Stuff I’ve Heard
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The Ed Slott team has answered literally tens of thousands of IRA and retirement plan questions over the past few years. That is not hyperbole—we track it all. The questions we’re asked run the gamut from basic to extremely...
In ERISA Retirement Plans, Spouse Beneficiaries Rule
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst At Ed Slott and Company, we continually stress how important the beneficiary designation form is. Because it’s that form – and not the retirement account owner’s will or other estate planning documents – that usually dictates who...
2025 Year-End Retirement Account Deadlines
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The end of the year always brings a flurry of retirement account deadlines and planning opportunities. This year is no different. And, new for 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) brings new...
read more
Qualified Distributions and Successor Beneficiaries: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Dear IRA Help, Here is my specific case. I am 84 years old. I opened a Roth IRA on March 30, 2020, with a conversion. I started withdrawing from this conversion on March 10, 2025. Did I satisfy the...
read more
Do QCDs Actually Reduce AGI?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst It has come to our attention that confusion exists as to how qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) impact one’s taxes. It is said that QCDs can reduce adjusted gross income (AGI). But is this true? Yes, it is true…but...
read more
Trump Accounts and the Pro-Rata Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: We have two grandchildren. One is 18 years old now, and the other will turn 18 next January (2026). Can you help me understand what I can do for each under the new Trump account rules? Ollie Answer: Hi Ollie, You will...
read more
Avoiding the 10% Early Distribution Penalty for Certain Hardship Withdrawals
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Most 401(k) plans (as well as 403(b) and 457(b) plans) offer hardship withdrawals while you are still employed. If the withdrawal comes from a pre-tax account, it will be taxable. And, if you’re under age 59½, it will also be subject to...
read more
Tapping an ESA for Back-to-School Expenses
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education It’s August and that means it is back-to-school time! The 2025-2026 school year is upon us. Kids are already back in the classroom and ready to learn. Any parent will tell you that back-to-school time is an...
read more
The Once-Per-Year Rollover Rule and SEP IRA Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I recently retired in January and rolled over a lump sum pension from my previous employer into my IRA. Next month, I’m planning to roll over my 401(k) from the same employer into the same IRA as well....
read more
The Craziest Stuff I’ve Heard
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The Ed Slott team has answered literally tens of thousands of IRA and retirement plan questions over the past few years. That is not hyperbole—we track it all. The questions we’re asked run the gamut from basic to extremely...
read more
In ERISA Retirement Plans, Spouse Beneficiaries Rule
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst At Ed Slott and Company, we continually stress how important the beneficiary designation form is. Because it’s that form – and not the retirement account owner’s will or other estate planning documents – that usually dictates who...
read more
2025 Year-End Retirement Account Deadlines
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The end of the year always brings a flurry of retirement account deadlines and planning opportunities. This year is no different. And, new for 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) brings new...
Qualified Distributions and Successor Beneficiaries: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Dear IRA Help, Here is my specific case. I am 84 years old. I opened a Roth IRA on March 30, 2020, with a conversion. I started withdrawing from this conversion on March 10, 2025. Did I satisfy the...
Do QCDs Actually Reduce AGI?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst It has come to our attention that confusion exists as to how qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) impact one’s taxes. It is said that QCDs can reduce adjusted gross income (AGI). But is this true? Yes, it is true…but...
Trump Accounts and the Pro-Rata Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: We have two grandchildren. One is 18 years old now, and the other will turn 18 next January (2026). Can you help me understand what I can do for each under the new Trump account rules? Ollie Answer: Hi Ollie, You will...
Avoiding the 10% Early Distribution Penalty for Certain Hardship Withdrawals
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Most 401(k) plans (as well as 403(b) and 457(b) plans) offer hardship withdrawals while you are still employed. If the withdrawal comes from a pre-tax account, it will be taxable. And, if you’re under age 59½, it will also be subject to...
Tapping an ESA for Back-to-School Expenses
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education It’s August and that means it is back-to-school time! The 2025-2026 school year is upon us. Kids are already back in the classroom and ready to learn. Any parent will tell you that back-to-school time is an...
The Once-Per-Year Rollover Rule and SEP IRA Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I recently retired in January and rolled over a lump sum pension from my previous employer into my IRA. Next month, I’m planning to roll over my 401(k) from the same employer into the same IRA as well....
The Craziest Stuff I’ve Heard
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The Ed Slott team has answered literally tens of thousands of IRA and retirement plan questions over the past few years. That is not hyperbole—we track it all. The questions we’re asked run the gamut from basic to extremely...
In ERISA Retirement Plans, Spouse Beneficiaries Rule
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst At Ed Slott and Company, we continually stress how important the beneficiary designation form is. Because it’s that form – and not the retirement account owner’s will or other estate planning documents – that usually dictates who...