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.

We all have important dates to remember in our lives such as birthdays and anniversaries. When it comes to investing for dividends, there are three key dates that everyone should memorize. The three dates are the date of declaration, date of record, and date of payment. Most investors buy stocks only for their cash dividends, this is especially true now because interest rates are so low and investors are hungry for yield. However, the next time you decide to buy a stock for its dividend, keep the following three dates in mind to ensure you get the cash you deserve.