Tag Archive for: IRA

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$750 Billion Is Hi-Test Gasoline On The Inflation Bonfire

Inflation Is Baked In The Cake – You Knew That
Destruction Of 60 Million Independent Contractor Businesses– See That Coming?

America dodged a several trillion-dollar bullet when the Build Back Better plan was rejected. Did rampant inflation caused by trillions in spending already approved by Congress play a role? We can only hope. Now we have the IRA, which everyone agrees will do nothing to reduce inflation. Seven hundred fifty billion of new spending. For a football stadium full of IRS agents. Enforcing new rules that they are pretending are the old rules. But they are not.

Government does not like independent contractors, freelancers, small businesses, gig workers, or others who do not operate within highly regulated industry structures. Nontraditional workers are too hard to find, tax, and regulate. Everything a bureaucrat hates.

Independent workers, who are small businesses unto themselves, are about 35% of American workers, in whole or part. That’s about 60 million Americans. Sixty million small businesses. And that is about to change. Why do you think they want another 87,000 IRS agents? To go after rich people? Ho ho ho. And hah!

Americans like working independently. Especially younger Americans. For flexibility. To be your own boss. Other good, American-type reasons.

And if you are worried about the younger generation… and who isn’t? You might find some hope in the fact that they seem even more dedicated to personal responsibility in their employment.

It is too soon to tell how bad all this will be. But it will be bad. Very bad. Just look at California which implemented this scheme in 2020. Why is the supply chain so screwed up? Could whacking 70,000 owner/operator truckers with new taxes, fees, and regulations by reclassifying them as employees rather than independent businesses have some effect? Millions more are suffering. From yoga instructors to hairdressers. Entrepreneurs who rent space for their business are now employees.

The American Dream is under assault as never before. From inflation to stifling regulation, to inviting low-cost labor competition by abandoning our borders. Middle class Americans must fight back. Your children want the independence of their own business. We must work together to keep that dream a reality.

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Like Driving Past A Car Wreck… Glad It Did Not Happen To You (Not Edited For Spelling Or Punctuation Or Anything Else) (Warning: Not Legal Advice!)

QUESTION: Can our disabled brothers legal guardian (also a family member and remainderman) terminate disabled brothers life estate?

Disabled brother is now in nursing home and will not return to family home which he has life estate in and is also in an irrevocable trust. There are many remaindermen, (large family) and all are in agreement to sell family home including our disabled brothers guardian. Another family member/remainderman wants to buy us out and move into home, hoping that we can all just sign off of house/ trust and quitclaim the property to her. Not sure if this is “allowable” or advisable. We also have concerns about potential “Medicaid recovery” if life estate is terminated while life estate holder is still alive.

Short Answer: Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice elder law without a firm grounding in the fundamentals. Imagine sorting out this fact pattern after the family house was sold, money distributed, Medicaid denied, recriminations on all sides, nursing home lawsuit against disabled brother, allegations of fraudulent transfer against siblings, and a family feud ripe with recriminations echoing through eternity. In other words, the usual case.
Is it crazy to think it is not too late? Is it impossible for sweet reason and angelic actions to save the day? Must this family suffer?
Long Answer: There are several threads here that need to be disentangled. Let us begin with brother’s life estate.

LIFE ESTATE
In Michigan, “life estate” means that the person can use and live on the property for their entire lifetime. A life estate is valuable. How valuable?

Back in the day, we used to have hearings with expert witnesses and do future value projections based on life expectancy and then present value regression analyses. But in today’s modern world, Michigan makes it easy to figure out how much a life estate is worth. Get a copy of the Bridges Eligibility Manual 400, Exhibit II – Life Estate and Life Lease Factor Table (BPB 2022-07) (available online!). This Table lists ages from birth to 109 years old. For each age, there is a 5-digit life estate factor. You look up the factor that corresponds to the age of the person. Multiply the factor by the value of the real estate. Voila! That is the value of the person’s life estate.

IMPORTANT POINT: Life Estate values have nothing to do with the actual health of the Life Estate holder. Life Estate Value is all about chronological age. Birth certificate and calendar. Healthy or on hospice? Irrelevant.

A few examples. Let us suppose the family home is worth $100,000.

At age 2, the life estate factor is .99017. So, a two- year old’s life estate is worth $99,017. ($100,000 X .99017)

At age 109, the life estate factor is .04545. That means that the 109-year-old’s life estate is worth $4,545. ($100,000 X .04545)

At age 70, the life estate factor is .60522. How much is a 70-year-old person’s life estate worth? Correct! $60,522. ($100,000 X .60522)

What this means is that “if life estate is terminated while life estate holder is still alive” the life estate holder must be paid the value of the life estate as determined by the BEM 400 Life Estate Factor Table. Easy!

Let’s consider the flip side… the remaindermen.

If 70-year-old disabled brother’s life estate is worth $60,522, what are all the remaindermen’s interests worth, collectively? Correct again! $39,478. ($100,000 – $60,522) Divided by the “many remaindermen” of a “large family.” Betcha didn’t see that coming!

DISABLED BROTHER’S GUARDIAN
Disabled brother has a guardian. Does that mea we are in probate court? Yes! Does that mean that any sale of the property must be approved by probate court? Yes! Does that mean that we will have to pay an attorney to help us ask the probate court for permission to sell? No! Like plumbing and electrical work on your home, probate can be a “Do-It-Yourself” adventure. Emphasis on “adventure.” Can you steer your automobile with your feet? Sure! But that does not make it a good idea. Like do-it-yourself electrical work, plumbing, or probate. Jes’ sayin’.

Probate is required even if disabled brother also has a conservator for management of his assets.

MEDICAID RECOVERY
Remember how disabled brother got the money from the sale of the family home? If disabled brother was already on Medicaid, getting the money will boot him off. Until the money is all “spent down.” Or until the money is stashed in a Medicaid payback trust. Or a charitable pooled income fund. Or somewhere else where the other family members will not benefit.

Are there worse ideas than selling the family home before disabled brother’s death? Sure! You could invade Ukraine, expecting a liberator’s welcome. You could dump trillions of dollars into the economy, expecting no inflation. Spit into the wind. Tug the mask off the ole Lone Ranger. Mess around with Jim. Bad ideas.

When disabled brother dies, his life estate is over. No compensation. No estate or Medicaid recovery. The remaindermen get the remainder. All the remainder. Yay!

But in the meantime… You want to keep the family house occupied. Vacant houses have a way of burning down. Vacant house insurance is hugely expensive. Plus you still have to pay the taxes. And utilities. Mow the grass. Plow the snow. Paint it.

Why not let sister move in now, provided she pays all expenses? Subject to a written agreement? Give her a right of first refusal (not an option) so she may purchase the place after disabled brother’s death?

There are other possibilities. Leasing/subleasing.

Etcetera. But do not accept the assertion that it must be sold pronto. The family has options.

IRREVOCABLE TRUST

What’s going on with this?

Somehow there is an irrevocable trust blended into the mix. It is not obvious how that trust is being used, if at all. There are several possibilities. But a review of the trust would be essential to knowing what is going on.

Question: Can my father’s caretaker accept his entire estate? Can she be sued for selling everything? He is still alive. My dad signed over his house to his caretaker before she put him into an assisted living home. She then quickly sold it. He has 2 living children. Do I have any recourse now?

Short Answer: No, you do not “have any recourse now”. Sadly, a properly executed deed has consequences which cannot be undone. Even a deed that reverses the prior transfer has real world consequences that cannot be ignored. What consequences? [WARNING: LAWYER ANSWER TO FOLLOW] It depends.

Longer Answer: Is it possible that the caregiver may be sued or prosecuted for financial abuse of the elderly? Is it possible that Father was incapacitated or mentally incompetent at the time he signed the deed? Could those be grounds to throw it out? What if Father was coerced into signing by undue influence, would those be grounds as well? Perchance. Maybe. Possibly. Mayhap. Hmmmmm, tugs at goatee…

How can you prove that Father was consistently and continually mentally incompetent? Or coerced? Were you there the whole time? When he signed? These are difficult cases. Difficult to forget about apparent injustice. Difficult to remedy the injustice. Difficult to know if there was any injustice at all. Difficult to reconcile when the “bad actor” is a family member.

Is it crazy to think that it might just possibly be helpful to have had some professional assistance in this sort of situation? Maybe possibly a few bucks and hours now to avoid big bucks and years of woe in the future? Asking for a friend…

Father, it seems, was mentally competent and had the legal ability to sign. Adults can choose. Poorly. With disastrous consequences.

You may not believe it, but some folks with signs of developing dementia are propped up by gangs of greedy grasping gargoyles intending to gorge on ill-gotten gains. Despicable devils who deny demonstrable incoherence, impulsiveness, and inconsistency. For their own putrescent purposes. How can such evil exploiters exist? Trust the evidence of your own eyes if you doubt it.

Actions have consequences.

Question #1: Can my durable POA withdraw from my IRA and sell my home if I become incapacitated?

Question #2: Can I specify what accounts he can access?

I have two stepchildren. I will probably make one of them my durable POA—but I don’t want them to be able to access certain accounts that I have… if I become incapitated-nor do I want them to sell my home. Hopefully, I would have enough in my bank account to cover medical bills.

Question #3: Can I specify in my will what accounts the POA would have access to withdraw from? I am concerned about abuses as I have heard some horror stories and I have no children of my own or close friends. Question #4: Would I be better off getting a bank to manage my affairs?

Answer #1: Powers of Attorney always depend on the authority you write into them. You can limit the ability of the Agent under the POA however you choose. Generally, to be effective, you want your Agent to be able to access your Individual Retirement Account and to deal with your home.

Answer #2: Yes, you can limit the Agent’s access to specific accounts.

Answer #3: Horror stories are real. Financial abuse of older folks is also all too common. The good news is that there are professional trustees and fiduciaries who will not steal your money. So if you do have some question about the stepchildren, do not appoint them as your trustees or executors or agents or patient advocates or any other position of responsibility.

Answer #4: You may “be better off getting a bank to manage [your] affairs.” Professional trustees vary widely in their commitment to service and delivering value. Your friendly neighborhood elder law attorney (should) have plenty of experience with a range of professional trustees and banks. Why not ask? However, do not use an attorney as your trustee. The trustee function is fundamentally different than the lawyer function, in my opinion. A focused, professional trustee will do that job with much greater efficiency and at less cost than the typical attorney. But you still need to take care that you have the right trustee, and your attorney can be very helpful in that regard.

Is Now A Bad Time For A Real Solution?

Peace of mind and financial security are waiting for everyone who practices LifePlanning™. You know that peace only begins with financial security. Do you want to get lost in the overwhelming flood of claims and promises? Or would you like straight answers?

No excuses. Get the information, insight, inspiration. It is your turn. Ignore the message? Invite poverty? Or get the freely offered information. To make wise decisions. For you. For your loved ones.

The LifePlan™ Workshop has been the first step on the path to security and peace for thousands of families. Why not your family?

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You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream!
We Also Scream To Avoid Planning

“We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.”
—Rudyard Kipling

“It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.”
—George Washington

Are You A Failure At Making Excuses?

Poor Rudyard Kipling. He is like you. Forty million reasons, but not a single excuse? Perhaps he lacked skill. Or talent. Not even a single excuse in a gigantic 40 million straw haystack of reasons? And you are in the same boat. Have you ever come up with an excuse that satisfied your spouse? Me neither.

George Washington, Founding Father, spoke with the voice of experience: “Better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” How could it be that George Washington, “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” failed so miserably at making excuses? And fail at excuses he did… How else could he learn that bad excuses are the worst? And when George failed to excuse failure, what did he do? Founder the United States. Revolutionary. Beat the British. Farmer. Inventor. Statesman. Stuff like that.

You have 40 million reasons to avoid LifePlanning™. But when your dearly beloved suggests planning ahead, your 40 million reasons to do something else strangely evaporate. Like mist in the morning sun. Dense fog one minute, clear day the next. What is this phenomenon? The answer is obvious!

It is not reasons that you lack, but excuses. And we are here to help. As a public service. No charge. Expert excuses, here for the reading. High quality, too. When it comes to shirking important responsibilities, ordinary, everyday dodges will not suffice. You need professional help.

Tip-Top Training And Practical Preparation In The Art Of Avoidance

Otter: No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody’s part.
Bluto: And we’re just the guys to do it.
—Animal House, 1978

Four years at the University of Notre Dame, majoring in Philosophy and English. Juris Doctor from the Boston University School of Law.

Master of Laws, Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. Judicial clerk. Five years in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, mostly on the Army General Staff, at the Pentagon. Topped off by a couple years with BigLaw. Then 32 years of growth: from one guy answering the telephone all alone to a firm of 50 persnickity professionals. Need know-how? Get know-how. Now.

We don’t just solve problems, we observe how folks run away from problems, too! Flee from foul facts. Dismiss, diminish, deride loved ones’ concerns. Deny, discount, deflect their own painful predicaments. Years of daily experience with responsible, middle-class, hard-working men and women who would prefer to chew their arm off than submit to the terrible torture that is estate planning.

Who else has seen it all? Who else can help you escape? You are in good hands. You came to the right shop. It is not an easy job. And we’re just the guys to do it.

Loudly And Firmly Proclaim These Affirmations Three (3) Times:

  • Only Nerds Want To Retire Comfortably Financial Security Is Bad. And Impossible
  • I Want To Die Broke, Splurging My Last Nickels On Long-Term Care
  • I Look Forward To Nursing Home Poverty My Spouse Can Look Out For Herself. Or Himself.
  • My Kids Don’t Need Money And Would Waste Any Inheritance Anyway

Take a deep breath. Excellent! You have achieved the correct state of mind. Remember, last week we covered the first four Excellent Excuses. Let us get down to this week’s Decisive Defenses to avoid any attempt at making you look ahead.

LifePlanning™ Is Unnecessary And A Total Waste Of Time & Money Because

Don’t loudmouths always impress you? So always lead off with an audacious affirmation!

Number One: Raise your voice and daringly declare: “LifePlanning™ is Stupid, Superfluous, and a…”

Number Two: Quickly follow with one of these Negative Nuggets:

#5 … Waste Of Time Because I Only Have A House And An IRA!

Are you opposed to draining your Individual Retirement Account (or 401(k) or 403(b) or Thrift Savings Plan or other retirement account) for long-term care? Of course not! Money in a retirement plan account is just a number, it does not reflect years of working and saving, right? Besides, what would you do with that money anyway? Might as well shoot it out the door at $10,000 to $15,000 per month. And you might get lucky. Maybe you only need assisted living services that cost $5,000 to $10,000 per month. Happy Days! And home care services are only $25 per hour and up. Foolish to worry about preserving that retirement money for your spouse when the government knows so much better than you do about how to spend it.

And everybody says that the homestead is “PROTECTED” so nothing to worry about there! Of course, even without planning, the house will go through probate to your family. And when everybody was explaining how the house was “PROTECTED”, everybody also told you that if you need help (Medicaid) with long-term care, the state wants its money back. And when you go through probate, because you are too smart to waste money on planning, the state will collect its payback. From your house. Which maybe isn’t so “protected”, after all…

Of course your kids would never sell your house while you need care, right? That’s why you do not even have to think about having cash instead of a house anymore. Cash that must be “spent down.” That is not a problem because you can keep $2,000 of it. More Happy Days!

So don’t worry! There is no way you would be one of the 70% of folks who the federal government says will need skilled nursing long- term care services for an average of 3 years or one of the 20% who will need services for 5 years or more. And neither would your spouse. So you should not be concerned about $360,000 to $900,000 of skilled care costs. Never happen.

#6 … Waste Of Time Because I Hate Medicaid

Since everyone always has saved enough money to pay for long-term care, there is no need for any government long-term care program. So Medicaid is bad and wrong. It is just like Social Security.

Everyone always has saved enough money to pay for their retirement. There’s is no need for any government retirement income program.

But wait! Social Security is different! You paid in. With every paycheck, the government skimmed off 15.3% FICA (employer and employee) to pay for Social Security. So getting some return on your payroll taxes is OK!

Help me out here… Is Medicaid different? Did you ever get a paycheck where you didn’t pay federal and state income taxes on every nickel you earned? Does the government run Medicaid for free? Did you somehow skip out on paying for Medicaid? With every paycheck. And Social Security check too?

Why are you opposed to getting something back for all the dollars you paid in? It is OK to get Social Security because you paid taxes for it. But it is bad to get long-term care Medicaid because you paid taxes for it?

There are lots and lots of Medicaid programs – dozens of them. Most Medicaid programs provide for our fellow Americans who have very little.

But there is a slice of Medicaid, middle-class Medicaid, that pays for long-term care. For all Americans. Even you.

For most Medicaid programs, you have to be broke. Middle-class Medicaid lets you keep your house, up to $700,000. And your stuff, no limit on value. And your “motorized vehicle”, also no limit.

So, Medicaid is bad and you hate it. You hate it so much that you will spend all your money. Then, sell the house and all your stuff, spend all that too. And then wind up on Medicaid anyway. Sounds like a plan to me! Good luck with that.

#7 … Waste Of Time Because Medicaid Nursing Homes Are Lousy Nursing Homes!

Medicaid nursing homes, long term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and anyone else who provides Medicaid care are just the worst! If a facility accepts Medicaid, the place smells bad, the staff is rude, the management is poor, and the care is awful. God forbid that you or a loved one is ever condemned to a Medicaid facility or is forced to receive Medicaid services. Great excuse!

Gee, I wonder what percentage of skilled nursing facilities accept Medicaid? 10%? 30%? 50%?

Actually every skilled nursing facility accepts Medicaid. All of them. 100%. Do you have enough money to pay $10,000 – $15,000 per month for skilled care? For an average of 3 years. With a good chance of 5 years? Is it ridiculous to think that nursing homes would like to get paid when you go broke? Are you opposed to caregivers getting paid? Do nursing homes get everything for free?

Not so fast! Everybody knows that there are very few “Medicaid beds”. You know, the ones that they seal with plastic. So the bedbugs cannot escape. Just a few Medicaid beds.

Funny thing, though. About 70-80% of long-term, skilled nursing facility residents are paid for by Medicaid. How did that happen? Maybe because all beds are Medicare-certified. And all Medicare beds can be paid with Medicaid dollars.

#8 … Waste Of Time Because Medicaid Is For Poor People!

Medicaid is for poor people (meaning people without any money or stuff). And you have money and stuff, so Medicaid is not for you! Logical!

Makes sense!

Question: How long will you have any money or stuff if you are paying $10-15,000 per month for long-term care?

Are you opposed to not going broke? Is it ridiculous to think that you (or your loved one) might get better care if your life savings had not melted away like a snowflake on a hot griddle? Are you against paying for the extra services you want?

You get a shower a week in a long-term care facility. How often do you shower now? Are you against paying some of your hard-earned savings to get a shower more frequently?

If your long-term care “insurance” (also known as Medicaid) paid for the $10-15,000 cost of basic services, and, if your lifesavings were intact, would you choose to spend some of those savings to make your days more pleasant? Do you want to be poor? Is poverty more noble? Is it honorable to spend down a lifetime of work in a matter of months? Does it make sense to believe that the government knows best? Is it foolish to plan for your future?

#9 … Waste Of Time Because I Am Not Getting Older, I Am Getting Better!

Yesterday I was looking in the mirror. I felt depressed. I said to my bride of 15 years, “Honey, when I look in the mirror I see an old, fat, bald guy, and it depresses me. “Honey,” I said, “I need your help.”

“Oh?” said the love of my life, “How may I be of service?”

“Honey,” I replied, “I need a compliment. Looking at this fat, old, bald guy in the mirror here is bringing me down. I really feel the need for some compassion, a compliment would sure make me feel better!”

“Well,” said my soulmate, “Your eyesight is damn near perfect!”

Since I have been wearing glasses since the 8th grade, my wife’s compliment was exactly what the doctor ordered. I felt better immediately. So, when I ask you, “Is it ridiculous to think that you are not getting older, you are getting better?” Remember this little love tale of mine. And draw your own conclusions.

And the hits just keep on coming! More great excuses are on their way!

Here’s A Sneak Preview Of The Next Fabulous Five Excuses To Avoid Planning:

#10 … Waste Of Time Because It Is Overkill!
#11 … Waste Of Time Because I Will Spend It All Anyway!
#12 … Waste Of Time Because Medicaid Won’t Work When I Need It!
#13 … Waste Of Time Because Every Other Attorney Must Be Doing This!
#14 … Waste Of Time Because If This Worked, Every Other Attorney Would Be Doing This!

Is Now A Bad Time For A Real Solution?

Perhaps you already have all the answers. Maybe this is no problem at all. Possibly you do not believe in the passage of time.

Your habits and values have earned you peace of mind and financial security. LifePlanning™ is the easy part. You worked for the peace that only comes with financial security. What is most important, legal documents? Avoiding probate, is that the best you can do? Is family about inheritance? Or are the deeper things most significant?

Is any of this easy? Do you want to get lost in the overwhelming flood of claims and promises? Or would you like straight answers?

Well, here you are. Now you know. No excuses. Get the information, insight, inspiration. It is your turn. Ignore the message? Invite poverty? Or get the freely offered information. To make wise decisions. For you. For your loved ones.

The LifePlan™ Workshop has been the first step on the path to security and peace for thousands of families. Why not your family?

NO POVERTY. NO CHARITY. NO WASTE.
It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.

Get Information Now.
(800) 317-2812

The House of Representatives has passed a bill that could mean changes for all Americans with the most common type of retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Proposed changes to retirement reflect the realities facing many workers today.

The SECURE Act is being proposed as an improvement to the retirement system, and stands for “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019”. Interestingly, most of the changes either highlight the difficulty of saving for retirement, or the challenges faced by many workers today who are facing a future with a shaky Social Security System, and insufficient retirement funds. While there are some positives, some of the changes proposed would simply make it easier for people to retire with less money and less security than before.

Access to Retirement Plans for Part-time employees

With the rise of the “gig” economy, more people are working part-time jobs. This bill would allow long-term part-time employees the opportunity to participate in retirement plans, if their employer offers one.

Disclosure of Estimated Retirement Income

Employers would be required to disclose an estimate of future retirement income on 401(k) statements. This would hopefully show employees how much more they need to save, if the assumptions used for those estimates are realistic. The assumption for the estimates will be set out by the Treasury Secretary.

Use of Retirement Savings for Student Loan Debt

With the rising costs of higher education, this bill would provide some relief for those who find themselves with crippling student loans that can’t be discharged in bankruptcy. They could now also reduce their retirement savings to pay off those loans.

Access to Retirement Plans for Small Employers

Another change would make it possible for small employers to group together in offering a retirement plan. This would be helpful, since 42% of private-sector workers don’t have access to a workplace retirement plan.

Reduced Regulations on Annuities

More 401k plans will be able to offer plans to convert retirement savings into annuities. This should greatly benefit insurance and annuity companies by increasing their market and reducing the regulations for offering annuities as part of retirement plans.

Extended Retirement Contribution Age

As more people need to keep working well past normal retirement age, this bill would allow people to continue adding to their retirement plans after age 70-1/2 and would allow people to hold off on withdrawing from their plans until age 72. This also reflects the fact that many people probably haven’t saved enough for retirement by the time they hit 70-1/2.

Use of Retirement Savings for New Children

Many new parents find that their health insurance plan still leaves them with thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket expenses for the birth of a child. Rather than making any changes to the health insurance system, or increasing entitlement programs for families, this bill would allow these parents the opportunity to reduce their future retirement savings by spending some now on these expenses for new children. This will probably not help increase the falling birth rate in the country.

Restrictions on Stretch Distributions

With the US budget deficit in the trillions, this bill would bring in additional revenue in the form of increased and accelerated income taxes paid by beneficiaries of retirement plans. Rather than being able to stretch out inherited retirement money over their lifetime, beneficiaries (your children) will have to take out money over 10 years, likely bumping them up to a higher tax bracket, and increasing the percentage of the inheritance that goes to taxes. What does this mean? Let’s look at an example.

A single 45-year-old making $100,000 inherits a $1,000,000 Traditional IRA from her parents. She can either cash it out immediately (which is what the vast majority of children do) or she can stretch out the distributions.

Cash out: Based on her income and 2018 tax rates, she would be taxed at an effective rate of 33.48%, leaving her with $665,200 of inherited cash.

Current Stretch Rules: She can opt to take the required minimum distributions over her life expectancy. After 10 years, she has paid a total of $243,000 in taxes, received approximately $368,000 in required minimum distributions, and has $1.64 million left in the IRA.

Proposed Stretch Rules: She can opt to take the required minimum distributions for a maximum of 10 years. After 10 years, she has paid $615k in taxes and inherited a total of $865,000.

Below is a graph that visually represents the difference in these rules, assuming the child invests the required distributions after paying taxes and has normal living expenses and Social Security Income:

Image credit: “The Hidden Money Grab in The SECURE Act” James Lange, Forbes Contributor

As usual, all parties involved will continue to look for ways to maximize their benefits under any changed law. We will continue to look for ways to protect and preserve your assets for you and your family. There are options involving trusts that could still preserve a lifetime income stream for children who inherit your retirement savings.

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