Via CNBC By David Robinson New federal rules for individual retirement accounts greatly increase the tax burden for some heirs by telescoping the allowable period for withdrawals. Yet this pain can be greatly reduced by converting regular IRAs to Roth IRAs before bequeathing them. Previously, all heirs had their entire life expectancy to take withdrawals from inherited IRAs, so they were able to stretch out … Continue reading (Mid-America Pension Rights Project): Here’s a way to beat the tax burden for IRA heirs

Via MarketWatch By Shawn Langlois Have you and your 401(k) plan ridden this relentless bull market into glorious millionaire territory? If so, congratulations! Well done. Etc. Now here’s the bad news: ‘The new rule of thumb is $3 million.’ That is financial planner Thomas Balcom explaining to Fortune why the long-held goal of a million bucks in retirement savings isn’t cutting it these days. Another adviser in … Continue reading (Mid-America Pension Rights Project): Retirement dreams: $3 million is the new $1 million — here’s how to get there

Via MarketWatch By Brett Arends The lights have been green for the baby boomers all their lives. They were born just after World War II, between 1946 and 1964, and raised during the biggest, most sustained economic boom in human history. They were sent to college, and grad school, by their doting parents when it was still cheap — or nearly free. And then, when … Continue reading (Mid-America Pension Rights Project): Baby boomers commit the ‘7 deadly sins’ of retirement planning

Via PlanSponsor By John Manganaro RETIREMENT INDUSTRY ANALYSTS broadly agree the passage of the “SECURE Act” late last year marked the most significant change for the retirement industry in more than a decade. The landmark legislation includes substantial adjustments to the regulatory systems controlling the operation of defined contribution (DC) plans, pension plans, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and 529 college saving plans. It also creates a new marketplace for “open … Continue reading (Mid-America Pension Rights Project): Getting SECURE Act’s Lifetime Income Provisions Right

Via ThinkAdvisor By Ginger Szala Advice from many experts today is that people should delay claiming their Social Security benefits for as long as possible, or until age 70, when they have to claim them. But what do advisors tell clients who have delayed taking Social Security even after reaching full retirement age (FRA), and when they make the claim, the government offers them a … Continue reading (Mid-America Pension Rights Project): Should Clients Take a Lump-Sum Social Security Payment?

Via ThinkAdvisor By William H. Byrnes and Robert Bloink The Secure Act contains provisions that will impact nearly every client saving for retirement—along with many who have already begun taking withdrawals from qualified plans and IRAs. The Secure Act provisions impacting lifetime income options in defined contribution plans have the potential to be some of the most significant. Although it is expected that most 401(k)s … Continue reading (Mid-America Pension Rights Project): Secure Act’s 401(k) Annuity Options: The Pros and Cons