THE COST OF MEDICARE PREMIUMS AND YOUR IRA

IRA distributions and Roth IRA conversions can affect the size the Medicare premiums you pay. Here’s how, and what to do about it. Means Testing Medicare Medicare consists of four “parts.”  Part A, which covers hospital costs, is paid for by the...

THE PRO-RATA FORMULA AND INHERITED IRAS

Do you have after-tax dollars in your IRA? This could be from making nondeductible contributions to your IRA or rolling over after-tax funds from your company plan to your IRA. If so, you will want to know about the pro-rata rule. The pro-rata rule is a rule that...

7 WAYS AN EXCESS IRA CONTRIBUTION CAN HAPPEN TO YOU

Not all contributions to IRAs belong there. When a contribution is not permitted in an IRA, it is an excess contribution and needs to be fixed. Some excess contributions are easy to understand. Others may be a bit trickier to grasp. Here are 7 ways an excess IRA...

TRANSFERS AND WITHDRAWALS FROM AN IRA: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG

Question: Hi, I have a friend, 45 years old, who has both an individual Roth IRA and an individual rollover IRA. The Roth is over 5 years old. He would like to know if he can use either to pay off a debt he incurred several years ago. He is aware that a straight...

CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE TO A ROTH IRA?

Contributing to a Roth IRA is generally considered to be a good idea. But not everyone is eligible to make an annual contribution. We have seen several cases recently of individuals who contributed for many years until they discovered they were not eligible to make...