Retirement Planning
401(k), IRA, Roth accounts, pension plans, withdrawal strategies, required minimum distributions, and how much you need to retire.
Latest in Retirement Planning
Roth IRA earnings come out completely tax-free only after the account is five years old and you are 59½
Millions of Americans saving through Roth IRAs expect their investment gains to come out free of federal income tax. That expectation is correct, but only...
An old 401(k) can roll into an IRA penalty-free, often cutting fees and widening your investment choices
Workers who switch jobs and leave behind old 401(k) accounts face a quiet but measurable cost: fees that can eat into balances faster than investment...
Anyone can convert a traditional IRA to a Roth, because conversions carry no income limit even when contributions do
High-earning taxpayers who cannot contribute directly to a Roth IRA still have a clear path to get money into one. Federal law draws a sharp...
There is no longer an age limit on funding an IRA, so a retiree with any earned income can still contribute
Retirees who pick up part-time work, freelance gigs, or consulting contracts after age 70 can now put money into a traditional IRA, a right that...
Money moved into a qualified longevity annuity escapes required withdrawals until payments begin, as late as age 85
Retirees holding traditional IRAs or employer-sponsored plans can shield a portion of their savings from annual required minimum distributions by purchasing a qualified longevity annuity...
Money in a Roth IRA grows and comes out completely tax-free in retirement, and it never forces required withdrawals during your lifetime
Retirement savers who fund a Roth IRA gain two structural advantages that no traditional IRA can match: every dollar of qualified growth exits the account...
Low- and moderate-income workers can claim a tax credit worth up to $1,000 just for paying into a retirement account
Workers earning low or moderate wages can cut their federal tax bill by up to $1,000 simply for putting money into a retirement account, yet...
The federal pension agency is holding unclaimed benefits for tens of thousands of workers whose companies ended their plans
Tens of thousands of American workers are owed retirement money they may not know exists. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the federal agency that insures...
Lose your job at 55? You can tap that 401(k) early without the usual 10% penalty
Workers who lose a job at 55 or older face an urgent cash-flow question: how to cover expenses before standard retirement age without handing the...
$95,000 can front-load five years of gifts into a grandchild’s 529 plan at once
Grandparents looking to accelerate college savings for a grandchild can deposit up to $95,000 into a 529 plan in a single calendar year without triggering...
Converting a traditional IRA to a Roth in a low-income year can cut your lifetime tax bill
Retirees sitting on six-figure traditional IRA balances face a tax timing problem that grows more expensive every year they ignore it. The IRS allows taxpayers...
Married couples can pass unlimited assets to each other estate-tax-free, and portability saves the unused exemption
Surviving spouses stand to lose millions of dollars in tax protection if their families miss a single IRS filing deadline. Federal law allows married couples...
$2,500 can come out of a 401(k) for long-term-care premiums, penalty-free
Workers saving for retirement now have a narrow but real escape valve for one of the fastest-growing costs in American life: long-term care insurance. Under...
Delay your first required IRA withdrawal to April after turning 73 and you’ll owe two in the same year
Retirees who turned 73 in 2024 or 2025 face a tax trap if they chose to delay their first required minimum distribution from an IRA....
401(k) savers could set aside $25,000 in 2027, a projected $500 jump from this year
Workers who max out their 401(k) contributions each year could soon have room for an additional $500 in tax-deferred savings. The IRS set the 2026...
You can pull your original Roth IRA contributions back out anytime, with no taxes or penalty
Anyone with a Roth IRA who has ever worried about locking away money they might need has a built-in safety valve written directly into federal...
Starting in 2027, the government will deposit up to $1,000 a year into the retirement accounts of low- and middle-income savers
Millions of lower-paid American workers will soon get direct federal deposits into their retirement accounts, a shift from the tax-credit model that has been in...
Leftover 529 college savings can roll into the child’s Roth IRA, up to $35,000 over a lifetime
Families with unused 529 college savings now have a direct path to convert those funds into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary, subject to a...
Workers ages 60 to 63 could shelter $11,750 in a 401(k) next year under the super catch-up
Workers between the ages of 60 and 63 can direct up to $35,750 into a 401(k) plan in 2026, combining a higher base deferral limit...
High earners shut out of a Roth IRA can still fund one through a “backdoor” conversion
Taxpayers earning above the modified adjusted gross income thresholds set by federal tax law cannot contribute directly to a Roth IRA, but a well-documented workaround...