IRAs

Does your spouse stay home to raise the kids or manage the household? Did they take a career break for school, or do they work part-time with a low income? If so, you're likely facing one of the most common retirement planning anxieties I saw in my 30-year career:  How...

No. A required minimum distribution (RMD) is not earned income. You do not create wages, self-employment income, or IRA-contribution compensation by taking money out of a retirement account. But the taxable portion of an RMD is generally included in ordinary income, which means it can still change your adjusted...

Yes, you can combine some RMDs, but not all of them. For your own traditional, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs, you calculate the required minimum distribution for each IRA separately, then you can generally take the combined total from one or more of those IRAs. Multiple 403(b) accounts have a...

After nearly 30 years of helping clients navigate retirement, I've seen Roth IRA conversions create tremendous tax-free wealth. But even if you don't convert, you can learn about ways to max out your Roth IRA contributions here. I've also seen simple mistakes cost families thousands in unexpected taxes. The...

"Michael, I think I messed up. I need to know about a Roth IRA Recharacterization ASAP" It's a call I get every year. In March 2026, a diligent saver, let's call her "Megan", contacted me in a panic. She had contributed the maximum $7,500 to her Roth IRA in January,...

There is no single best Roth IRA account for everyone. If you want a simple DIY Roth IRA, Fidelity and Charles Schwab are the first two providers I would compare in 2026. But the right choice changes with how you invest, how much help you want, what you will...

Yes, you can have a Roth IRA and a 401(k) and contribute to both in the same year. Having a workplace 401(k) does not use up your separate IRA contribution limit, and it does not by itself disqualify you from making a direct Roth IRA contribution. The part that trips...

Multiple Roth IRAs in 2026: Technically unlimited, strategically questionable for 95% of investors. Contribution limits aggregate across ALL accounts—$7,500 total regardless of how many you open. Here's why consolidation beats complexity.

For 2026, the IRA contribution limit is $7,500 if you are under age 50 and $8,600 if you are age 50 or older. That $8,600 total includes a $1,100 catch-up contribution. That sounds simple. The part that causes mistakes is what the number actually applies to. The limit is not...

Roth 401(k) vs Roth IRA 2026: The 'max your 401(k) first' advice is backwards for 78% of savers. Strategic sequencing beats blind maxing—learn the $10,000+ mistake to avoid with 2026 limits ($24,500/$7,500).