By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Retroactive adjective ret·​ro·​ac·​tive | extending in scope or effect to a prior time or to conditions that existed or originated in the past; especially: made effective as of a date prior to enactment, promulgation, or...

By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Question: I attended the two-day event in Washington DC. Is there any news on the attempts in Congress to change the stretch-out? Jim Answer: Hi Jim, It sounds like you are asking about the status of the Setting Every Community Up For...

By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst October is upon us. This means fall is in full swing. Along with football, pumpkin-spice everything and stocking up on candy for trick-or-treat come four important October 15 deadlines you will not want to miss! 1. Did you contribute...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Knowing your limits is important when you’re sitting in a bar and realize that you have to drive home. It’s also important to know the dollar limits that apply when you participate in more than one company retirement savings plan or you...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Question: I am still working at age 71 and don't really need the required minimum distributions (RMDs) from my rollover IRA. The IRA was funded largely with distributions from a tax-qualified pension plan and a tax-qualified 401(k)...

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst My son is 14. I make every effort to expose him to a wide array of cultural elements. A variety of music. Plays. History. Food. Movies from the 80’s and 90’s are a significant slice of the “Understanding Social References” pie...

By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Retirement accounts are supposed to be for saving for retirement. If you tap your retirement savings before reaching age 59 ½, you run the risk of being hit with the 10% early distribution penalty. However, there are exceptions to this...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Here is the situation. The mother is deceased and the father is in jail. He has two minor kids that need the money out of his traditional IRA. Could all of the money be taken out and considered a hardship distribution to avoid...

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Like cassette tapes and slide rules, defined benefit (DB) plans are becoming relics of the past. It’s estimated that 88% of private sector employees with a company plan in 1975 were covered by a DB plan. Today, that number is less than...