Beneficiary IRA – Your Questions Answered
Feb 4, 2010 wealth building
An Inherited IRA or a Beneficiary IRA as it is sometimes known can be opened when an account holder dies. The account is transferred to a named beneficiary from an exiting Tradition, Roth or Simple IRA account. This means that the original contributions stay tax-free and can only be released one the IRS requests it.
The account holder must name the beneficiary which can be a spouse or another person, such as other family members. If there is no beneficiary named a Beneficiary IRA cannot be opened. If the beneficiary is the account holder’s spouse, then the Beneficiary IRA can be opened in that person’s name and they can treat the account as if it were their own.
Other beneficiaries cannot treat the new account as their own and they cannot add the funds to any other accounts in their name. It is also a fact that the original account must be closed. The Beneficiary IRA can either be a Simple, Roth or Traditional IRA and can be the same type as the original; it should be noted that extra payments cannot be made into a Beneficiary IRA. Until a Required Minimum Distribution request is received the contributions can be deferred.
Certain rules apply to the beneficiary IRA accounts. These have been made in relation to the age of the original account holder when they died, the type of the original account and the type of the new account.
There were new rules brought out in 2001 which makes the whole process and the advantages of a beneficiary IRA a lot clearer and simpler. Previously the funds in an Inherited IRA had to be depleted within a 5 year period. It is now the case that the funds can be distributed over a period of many years, frequently over many decades. This way the funds can continue to be tax deferred which is an advantage for the beneficiary.
The rules also mean that the account holder could take smaller Required Minimum Distributions which meant there was a greater chance of a higher value remaining in the original IRA. Spouses of the original account holder could also use the Beneficiary IRA for their own means or add names to it so that they would then leave the funds for named beneficiaries upon their death.
It is essential that you have the best retirement plan in place for you, as an individual. There are many kinds to choose from and choosing the best retirement plan is no mean feat. However, it is worth taking the time to plan for your retirement as the money you need to survive after you retire will not fall into your lap.
The world of the Beneficiary IRA may be puzzling but any queries you have can be answered by browsing the internet. If you have a financial professional who deal with all of you finances you can also talk to them about these accounts.
More interesting stuff on adult retirement and similar subjects is available at Plan401kRetirement.com – click a link and you will be in the right place for all saving for retirement queries and related matters. Click on a link now !
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