The Three Tax Buckets: A Simpler Way to Think About Your Retirement Money
Most of us think about our savings by account. There's the IRA from an old job, the Solo 401(k) you set up for the business, the checking account, maybe a rental property or two. It's a natural way to keep track, but it doesn't tell you the thing that matters most...
Consider an Installment Sale to Optimize Taxes When Selling Your Business
Over the years, you’ve invested blood, sweat and tears into building a successful small business. Now it’s time to sell and move on to the next chapter of your life. What are the tax implications of selling — and how can you reduce or defer your taxes? One possible...
Partnering Your IRA: How to Do Bigger Deals Without Bigger Accounts
Here's a frustration we hear all the time from newer self-directed investors: "My account isn't big enough to do anything interesting." They've discovered they can invest their retirement funds in real estate, notes, and other assets they understand. They're excited....
Tax Withholding on RMDs: How It Works and How to Choose What’s Right for You
When you request your required minimum distribution, you'll be asked a simple question that has a real impact on your tax year: how much, if any, do you want withheld for taxes? It's easy to check a box without much thought. But choosing the right withholding can help...
Your First RMD: What to Expect and How to Avoid a Costly Timing Mistake
Your first required minimum distribution is a real milestone. After decades of saving, investing, and watching your retirement accounts grow, it's the year the IRS asks you to start drawing some of that money out. It's also the year with the most room for confusion....
Solo 401(k) RMDs: What Business Owners Need to Know
If you're self-employed or run a business with no employees other than you and your spouse, a solo 401(k) can be one of the most powerful retirement tools available. It offers generous contribution limits, the option of Roth savings, and with a self-directed plan, the...
Roth Accounts and RMDs: Why Your Roth Can Keep Growing on Your Timeline
Required minimum distributions are one of the few parts of retirement planning you don't get to schedule yourself. Once you reach RMD age, the IRS expects money to come out of your traditional retirement accounts every year, whether you need it or not. Roth accounts...
Inherited IRAs and the 10-Year Rule: What Beneficiaries Need to Know
Inheriting an IRA is often a gift wrapped in a moment of grief. Along with everything else you're handling, you're suddenly responsible for an account with its own set of rules, deadlines, and tax considerations. And if you've tried to look those rules up, you've...
Aggregating RMDs Across Multiple IRAs: A Simple Way to Protect Your Self-Directed Investments
Many investors don't have just one retirement account. You might have a traditional IRA at a brokerage firm, a SEP IRA from your business, and a self-directed IRA that owns a rental property or a private note. When RMD season arrives, you might assume you need to...
Year-End Valuations and Why They Matter for Your RMD
Every January, self-directed IRA holders get a request that's easy to put off: send us your year-end valuation. It can feel like one more piece of paperwork during an already busy season. But that single number plays a bigger role than most people realize. It...