What financial to-dos are important to complete before year-end?
Dec 9, 2015 11:46:46 AM / by Ara Oghoorian posted in HSA, Banking, Saving, 401(k), Charitable Giving, Fee-Only, Capital Gains, 529 Plan, 457b
May 2014 ACap ReCap
Jun 1, 2014 2:29:02 PM / by Ara Oghoorian posted in 401k 403b, Traditional IRA, Dividends, Real Estate, 401(k), Taxes, 401k Loan, Roth IRA, dividends, 457b
1. Can I convert a portion of my IRA to a Roth IRA?
Most people assume that if you convert a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, you must convert the entire Traditional IRA balance. However, you can decide how much of your Traditional IRA you want to convert to a Roth IRA rather than converting the entire amount all at once. There are benefits to converting gradually because when you convert a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, you must report the converted value as income and pay tax. The option to gradually convert can be especially helpful if you have a large traditional IRA balance and you don't want to report the entire amount as income in one year, but would instead prefer to spread your tax liability over a few years. Just remember to complete IRS form 8606 when doing the conversion to accurately capture cost basis.
October ACap Recap – Your Financial Questions Answered
Oct 31, 2013 9:43:39 PM / by ACap Advisors & Accountants posted in 401k 403b, IRS, SEP IRA, Traditional IRA, investing, Saving, 401(k), Taxes, Roth IRA, IRA, 457b, Investing
1. What if I have a $1 million 401k, can I convert that to a Roth IRA?
This was a real question, but a hypothetical what-if scenario to understand the Roth IRA conversion limitations. The answer is yes, you can convert a $1 million 401k to a Roth IRA. In fact the IRS would love for you to convert a large 401k to a Roth IRA because like any conversion you would have to pay tax on the converted amount and that would be a revenue generator for the IRS. Once converted and held for 5 years, the benefits are the same as a regular Roth IRA - tax-free growth, ability to withdraw your money without tax or penalties, and of course no RMDs. So why would the IRS love such a thing? Because the IRS is shortsighted; they see the immediate tax revenue as a boon, not recognizing that they will never be paid on that money again.
August ACap Recap – Your Financial Questions Answered
Aug 30, 2013 8:00:29 AM / by ACap Advisors & Accountants posted in 401k 403b, HDHP, Diversification, HSA, 401(k), Roth IRA, Forbearance, Deferment, 457b, Investing, Dot-Com, Student Loans
1. What is a HSA and do I need one?