Defusing a Future Tax Bomb With Roth Conversions - 510 - podcast episode cover

Defusing a Future Tax Bomb With Roth Conversions - 510

Dec 31, 202433 minEp. 510
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Episode description

Does it make sense for Alex and his wife in Massachusetts to do Roth conversions now to the top of their eventual tax bracket? Steve in San Diego got serious about saving for retirement after Joe and Big Al gave him some tough love 5 years ago. Is he good to retire now, and should he convert to Roth? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 510 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, can Barbara in New Jersey’s grandson move excess 529 funds to a Roth and withdraw the money after 5 years? PWare has a cunning plan to gift appreciated stock to avoid capital gains tax, but will it work? Should Mike create a limited liability company for his rental properties? And finally, qualified charitable distributions don’t make sense to GetSmart Paul. Sherri in California wonders if her kids can inherit her savings account without any tax penalty, and whether there’s a safe, high-yielding investment she should put it in. And Houry in New York wonders if her IRA can fund a charitable remainder unitrust, or CRUT.

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro: This Week on the YMYW Podcast

01:08 - Should We Do Roth Conversions to Our Eventual Tax Bracket? (Alex, MA)

07:51 - YMYW Tough Love Made Me Get Serious. When Can I Retire? Should I Do Roth Conversions? (Steve, San Diego, CA)

14:11 - Download the Complete Roth Papers Package for free

14:59 - Can Grandson Withdraw 529 Funds From Roth After 5 Years? (Barbara, NJ)

18:37 - Can We Avoid Capital Gains Tax With This Appreciated Stock Gifting Strategy? (P Ware)

20:57 - Should I Create an LLC for Rental Properties? (Mike, voice)

23:00 - Qualified Charitable Distributions Don’t Make Sense to Me (GetSmart Paul, YouTube)

24:59 - Watch the Retirement Pop Quiz on YMYW TV, Download the Retirement Readiness Guide for free

25:45 - Do My Kids Inherit My Savings Account Without Tax Penalty? What’s a Safe, High-Return Investment for Them? (Sherri, CA)

27:18 - Can an IRA Fund a Charitable Remainder Unitrust? (Houry, NY)

31:43 - Outro: Next Week on the YMYW Podcast

Transcript

Intro: This Week on the YMYW Podcast

Andi

Does it make sense for Alex and his  wife in Massachusetts do Roth conversions now to the top of their eventual tax bracket?  Steve in San Diego got serious about saving for retirement after Joe and Big Al gave him some  tough love 5 years ago. Is he good to retire now, and should he convert to Roth? That’s today on  Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 510. Plus, can Barbara in New Jersey’s grandson move  excess 529 funds to a Roth and withdraw the

money after 5 years? PWare has a cunning plan to  gift appreciated stock to avoid capital gains tax, but will it work? Should Mike create a limited  liability company for his rental properties? And finally, qualified charitable donations don’t  make sense to GetSmart Paul. Sherri in California wonders if her kids can inherit her savings  account without any tax penalty, and whether there’s a safe high yielding investment she should  put it in. And Houry in New York wonders if her

IRA can fund a charitable remainder unitrust, or  CRUT. I’m Executive Producer Andi Last, and here are the hosts of Your Money, Your Wealth®,  Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA.

Should We Do Roth Conversions to Our Eventual Tax Bracket? (Alex, MA)

Joe

Alex from Massachusetts, “Joe and  Al, YMYW team. Call me Alex. I thoroughly enjoy the show. A lighthearted mockery.  Lighthearted, lighthearted mockery-“

Al

Mockery. Is that what we do?

Joe

Yes. “While being extremely thankful for the  insane amount of useful information you share. Thanks for all you do.” All right. Well, thank  you, Alex. Well, “Long time listener, and given that my attention span approaches that of a  goldfish, I frequently review the, I frequent, a frequent reviewer of past episodes.  Probably due  to a consistent sampling of scotch and bourbon, not together.” Alright.  “My wife prefers  her amigo Tito and soda, and we both enjoy

a good Cab with our dinner. We both drive Lexus  vehicles, and I'm a GS 350 sedan and her tank GX 460 SUV. We keep our vehicles for the long term  and consistently get well over 350,000 miles on each of them. No pets due to our demanding work  travel schedules. Looking for a little spitball on the value of Roth conversions into the 24% tax  bracket given that our eventual tax bracket will

likely be 24% based on today's tax conditions  once RMDs start at 75.” So the question is, if he converts into 24% and he's going  to stay in the 245, what's the benefit?’

Al

Yeah, that's a good question.

Joe

Alright.  Okay, here's the specifics.  ‘I'm 59, my wife's 57. We have a combined income of $271,000, approximately $200,000  after deductions. I'm a high earner and plan to retire completely at age 62. My wife will  work past 65 to carry the health insurance until we are eligible for Medicare.  We will start Social Security at 67, and I will start at 70. At that point, my  wife will transition to spousal benefits

and the PIE increasing from $27,000 in mine at  54. Assets, we have $2,500,000 in our TSP. She has $400,000 in her 401(k). We have a Roth IRA  $600,000 each.”  So that's $1,200,000 in Roths.

Al

Right.

Joe

Very good. Alright. “Brokerage accounts  totaling $700,000, $150,000 cash reserves. We continue to max out all of our retirement  contributions, including catchups and backdoor Roths. And make monthly contributions to  brokerage accounts. I will continue my Roth contributions until my wife retires. No debt,  home and cars are paid off, credit cards are paid off monthly. We estimate a $200,000-a-year  income requirement to maintain our lifestyles.

I have two pensions that will cover $140,000 and  plan to cover $60,000 gap with the TSP.”  Okay.

Al

That's long winded, but we're getting there.

Joe

“Roth accounts will be used to splurge when  needed. Worried about the impending tax bomb and wanted to mitigate B. O. Roth conversions,  if that makes sense. Not sure where taxes are going to be in 2027, but in today's  environment, we are at the top of the 22% tax bracket after deductions will continue  to be in post-retirement. Any conversions, we move into the 24% tax bracket. My  back-of-the-napkin calculation puts us

at the top of the 24% tax bracket once our  RMDs are materialized. If I do nothing-“

Andi

“Once my RMDs materialize if I do nothing-“

Joe

“-will only be greater if one of  us decides to die. What to do?” All right. So he's going to be in the  24%. He's doing some projections.

Al

Yeah.

Joe

So what's the benefit?

Al

Right. Yeah. So if you convert in the same  tax bracket, you're going to be into the future.

Joe

The flexibility. I think it's the  biggest benefit that you're going to get.

Al

Because if you don't convert, you have  to take a required minimum distribution whether you want it or not. And therefore,  you're going to be in what tax bracket, whatever tax bracket is now. They're 59  and 57, required minimum distribution started at age 75. Who knows what the  tax rates will be in 16 years from now.

Joe

You're taking the uncertainty of taxes off the table. Taxes could be a lot  lower. Taxes could be a ton higher.

Al

Could be the same.

Joe

But if you take a look at the  balance that you have in 16 years by doing the conversions and you have  several million dollars in Roth IRAs, that's 100% all yours, I'm sure  you're not going to complain.

Al

Yeah. I agree with that. So anyways,  the uncertainty, plus, as you mentioned, if one of you passes away, now you're in  the single tax bracket. So, so you got to be concerned about that, right? Which is, that means  you're going to be in a higher bracket that way.

Joe

Because I think a lot of  people don't consider this, I get why. Because it's pretty morbid.

Al

It is.

Joe

But the RMDs are, they don't  change.  So let's say you take a look at, if they're both past the required beginning date.

Al

Right.

Joe

So let's just assume they're both 75  and he's taking his RMDs from his 401(k), she's taking RMDs from her IRA. And let's just assume that RMD’s $100,000- one of them  dies. The RMD doesn't get cut in half.

Al

Right.

Joe

It's the same percentage that you have  to pull out on all of the retirement accounts.

Al

Yeah, the only thing that goes away  is the lower Social Security benefit. Right? That's it. Otherwise, it's the same income.

Joe

Right. Yeah. The force out of the  retirement accounts is going to be the same.

Al

Yeah. And the tax brackets are the same  married versus single. It's just with single, you hit the higher brackets much  earlier with lower income levels.

Joe

So the income roughly  is going to be the same, but now instead of being in 22% tax  bracket, you're likely going to be in a lot higher tax bracket because of how the  tax brackets work at single versus married, you kind of double the dollars, you know, to  get to that same bracket as a married couple.

Al

Yeah. I think if they don't do anything  under current law, they'd probably be in the 32% bracket, but chances are, I mean- We don't know if  tax rates are going to go up or not, but we know they're slated to go up in just two years, and  that, 24% bracket will be 28%, probably subject to

alternative minimum tax as well. Who knows what  it's going to be in the future, but one other quick point, Joe, is if you have, if you paid the  same tax and to get the money to the Roth as you do when you pull the money out from your RMD, one  other advantage is with a Roth, you can put your asset classes that have higher expected returns.  You might still have the same asset mix, but you have assets that have higher expected returns  in a Roth, where you get a benefit for taking

that risk because you don't pay tax. So you can  end up with more money in your pocket that way.

Joe

Cool. All right, let's go to Steve from San  Diego. He goes “Hi Joe, Big Al, Andi. First,

YMYW Tough Love Made Me Get Serious. When Can I Retire? Should I Do Roth Conversions? (Steve, San Diego, CA)

I want to thank you for your wisdom you've  shared with us all these years. You've helped many people achieve the holy grail of financial  independence and a financially healthy retirement. That's no small feat. And you made a significant  contribution to society.” Wow, Steve. Look at you.

Al

Nice.

Joe

It seems like-

Andi

He's buttering you up to ask  you a Roth conversion question.

Joe

“I've been listening to your show for  about 8 years, and it just keeps getting better and better. And I love the humor, which makes  the subject so enjoyable. The banter is great, and the knowledge is stellar. If I can get my own  essentials out of the way, let's do that. I love a little dark roast coffee, an occasional glass of  red wine, or a bottle of craft beer.  My favorite food is dark chocolate. I drive an older car so  I can throw all of my money into investments.”

Wonderful. All right. “And I wrote to you about 5  years ago when I was 66. And you answered on the show and my portfolio at the time was worth about  $100,000. Al, he said I'll be living in a trailer. Joe, he said I better be able to do a side  hustle from my wheelchair until I'm 80.”

Al

You remember that?

Joe

I don't remember that.

Al

I don't either, but it sounds  like something we might have said.

Joe

A wheelchair side hustle?

Al

Yeah.

Joe

Okay. “By the grace of God, I don't have to  worry about either of those.  I will say I've been in some very nice trailers, and theoretically, I  can do a side hustle, as you say. I appreciate the tough love he gave me even though it was tough on  me at the time.  It spurred me on to get even more serious about my nest egg.  Now I can give you  the true details here. I'm 71, a single male. No kids. No pets. No exes. My current investments  add up to about $775,000. We're in the middle

of a bull market around Thanksgiving in 2024 as  I write this. Here's the breakdown. Rounding up for each.  $150,000 in a brokerage account.  $575,000 in a rollover IRA. $2000 in a Roth. $39,000 in a self-employed 401(k). $3000 in an HSA  and about $9000 in a crypto account.  My current income is $140,000 per year before taxes. Social  Security is $47,000 per year also before taxes. My current expenses are about $100,000 annually.  I don't have a pension, so my only source of

income and earnings is from work, plus Social  Security, plus my investments. The investments are all in equities, and I include a number  of dividend stocks, plus REITs, plus an MLP, and bond like funds. In addition to a few growth  stocks, dividends and interest are currently about $28,000 per year. I also have a house  worth $600,000 if you believe Zillow, and the

remaining mortgage on that is less than $300,000.   So the equity is about $300,000 plus. But we know that's not something easily gotten to,  although I guess it does count on my net worth. Understanding the stock market is volatile,  and there could be a sequence of return risks, my questions are these. First, when can I retire?  And second, should I be doing Roth conversions at any point over the next few years?  Thank you so  much for your wisdom and guidance, aka opinions.

Always keep in mind that you are appreciated out  there in this podcast, in Radio Land, and we all wait eagerly for those episodes on Tuesdays, Steve  in San Diego.” Steve, the wheelchair side hustle.

Al

Yeah, I guess he got serious. Well, I'll  tell ya, Steve, you went from $100,066 to $800,000 in 5 years. You did take it seriously,  and this put you in a whole different situation.

Joe

He wants $100,000 a year, he's got $50,000. Coming from Social Security. When  can I retire? He can retire soon.

Al

I would say soon too, because when you're in  your 70s, you can probably do a 5% distribution rate. Just saying. If he had $1,000,000,  that'd be $50,000. He's basically there. So, he’s really close. Or, I mean, he's just  very close. You could potentially even do it now just by, you might have to watch expenses  just a wee bit, but, yeah, should be all right.

Joe

Yeah, I would say a couple more years  for sure, just to, to pad that, that savings, but he's all in equities. I would start  toning down the risk a little bit here, Steve, because you're going  to have to take, you know, let's say anywhere from a 4% to 6% percent  distribution from that overall account.

Al

Correct.

Joe

If the market drops 20%.  You  know, that's a pretty big number.

Al

Yeah, it is.

Joe

You know, $8,000,000, $9,000,000,  depending on when you actually retire. So.

Al

Yeah. And so, so if you could, get it  up to $1,000,000, let's just say based upon your numbers and maybe at least $250,000 is  safe because you need about $50,000 a year just for it to supplement Social  Security, then maybe something like that.

Joe

I don't think Roth conversions  make a ton of sense for Steve.

Al

I agree with that.

Joe

You got $575,000 and you're taking a fairly  large distribution. You're going to be spending the distribution. Your RMDs are probably going  to not push you into any higher tax bracket.

Al

I 100% agree. Especially because he needs  them. So I wouldn't even worry about that.  Yep.

Joe

I can't believe you said he's  going to be living in a trailer.

Al

Well, I can't believe you said to be got  a side hustle from a wheelchair until 80.

Andi

Nice job. Tough loving on him so that  he got his portfolio up so high. That was, he's accrediting that to you guys.

Joe

Yeah. He still probably needs to do a wheelchair side hustle.   He's still a little short.

Al

Not necessarily. He's pretty close.

Joe

Still a little short, Steve.  But no,  very good job. Great job saving.  Yeah. And good luck in retirement and thanks for  the very kind words. It's always nice.

Al

It's nice to hear. Even  when we kind of treated you poorly. Joe: Yeah.  It's called tough love, Al. And that's what he said. Download the Complete Roth Papers Package for free

Andi

Steve’s situation is probably different  from yours - maybe Roth conversions make sense for you. Download our Complete Roth Papers  Package to find out. This bundle of guides

Download the Complete Roth Papers Package for free

includes our Roth IRA Basics Guide to get you  started, the 5-Year Rules for Roth Withdrawals, and the Ultimate Guide to Roth IRAs. It’s packed  with useful stuff: you’ll learn the difference between a Roth contribution and a Roth conversion,  the pros and cons of saving in a traditional IRA vs. a Roth IRA vs. a Roth 401(k), how to  withdraw money from your Roth without penalty,

and what can you do if you make too much money to  contribute directly to a Roth. The Complete Roth Papers Package is yours free, courtesy of Your  Money, Your Wealth® and Pure Financial Advisors. Click or tap the Complete Roth Papers Package  link in the episode description to get yours.

Joe

Alright, let's go to Barbara from New  Jersey. Goes, “Hello Joe, Big Al, Andi.

Can Grandson Withdraw 529 Funds From Roth After 5 Years? (Barbara, NJ)

Financial spitball is gonna have to wait. I'm  73, drive a 2018 Honda HRV and drink a little red wine.  If there's no red, I'll drink white.” There  you go. “My question's not about me, it's about my grandson. He's 18. My son-in-law opened a 529 plan  for Nick when he was born. As it turns out, Nick has become an electrician. While some money in the  529 plan will pay for those educational expenses,

there absolutely will be some left over. I started  the process to roll over that money to a Roth IRA, but some rules around this are not clear to me.  I've searched and searched and cannot find an answer to the following. Mainly, I need  to know, if Nick ever needs those funds, would he be able to withdraw the 529 rollover  contribution after the account has been open for 5 years?  I know the earnings cannot be touched till  59 and a half, unless $10,000 for a phone, home,

etc. I love your podcast. I just found it a few  months ago and have become a forever listener.”

Andi

Dang!

Joe

All right. Thank you. “Thank you for any  info you may proffer, Barbara.” Proffer. So she's gonna move the money into a 52- or the 529  plan dollars, she's gonna move out and put it into the Roth.  So she's going to put $6000, $7000 into  the Roth IRA. After 5 years, she's curious, hey, can he take those contribution dollars out without  any penalties?  And I would say the answer is yes.

Al

I would say so too. Although this is such a  new thing. I'm not sure IRS has even discussed it, but that's how other conversions are.  So  by the way, just so you know, so this is a relatively new law. You can take $35,000  from a 529 plan and convert it to a Roth, but several caveats. So you have to have  had that Roth for 15 years or longer. Okay.

Joe

Roth or 529 plan?

Al

529, sorry. The 529 for 15 years, you're  limited to your annual contribution amount, which is $7000 right now, plus your contributions  and earnings of the last 5 years, you can't do it on those. And the Roth owner has to be the same as  the beneficiary for the 529 plan. So if you can do all of those things, you can get $7000 in a year.  Oh, and the individual has to have earned income

to be able to qualify for this. So it's a lot of  steps here, but it can be done. And I'm assuming it'll be similar to other conversions where you  have access to the principal within 5 years.

Joe

Yeah, the tracking or tracing rules  is going to be pretty hard to find.

Al

It is.

Joe

So let's say Nick's already got  a Roth IRA. He's made contributions in the past.  Then his grandmother puts  money into this from the 529 plan, assuming that Nick's the beneficiary and has  earned income that qualifies for a Roth IRA.

Al

Correct.

Joe

She puts whatever dollar amount that  she puts in for this year or the next couple of years.  Nick needs the money 5, 6 years  from now. Right. It's going to be so hard to figure out, well, what were contributions  versus rollover versus this versus that.

Al

It is. So here's a better idea.  Don't take money out of the Roth.

Joe

There you go.

Al

Let it grow for retirement tax-free.

Joe

Okay. Great. Thanks for the question. Here's another one from, I don't  know where this question's coming from.

Can We Avoid Capital Gains Tax With This Appreciated Stock Gifting Strategy? (P Ware)

Andi

This one's P Ware. This  is from somebody who saw us on YouTube and then emailed [email protected].

Al

Okay.

Joe

“My wife and I have an  adult daughter with little income this year. Can we give her $36,000 of  appreciated stock so that when she sells it, there is zero capital gains at the tax  of sale?  Then she can gift it back to us after the sale and save the 15% taxes we pay. Does  that make sense?” Sure, if you like tax evasion.

Al

Well, I would say it's probably tax  avoidance. It wouldn't fly if it were checked, because you're basically just doing this to  avoid a tax. So I wouldn't try it. I mean, theoretically, you could. But-

Joe

So you're gifting $36,000 to your  daughter. Your daughter doesn't have any income, right? The daughter sells  the stock. They pays no capital gains tax because she's in, or yeah, she's  in the zero, 10% or 12% tax bracket.

Al

Right.

Joe

And then when she sells the stock, then  she's going to gift it back to Mom and Dad.

Al

Yeah. And because that would be in, well, I  guess, I guess she's below the gifting limits, but, yeah, I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't  do it because basically you're trying to avoid a tax. IRS doesn't like this  sort of thing, this kind of strategy. And it's, you see this in  different things. It gets, always gets overturned when  it's found and looked at.

Joe

What about, when does the  kiddie tax come into play again?

Al

Well, I think it's up to age 18 and younger,  or 24 if they're a full-time college student.

Joe

So then, but it's still  taxed at the parent's rate.

Al

Correct. That's correct.  So it would  have to be a, well, he says adult daughter, so assuming that the kiddie tax doesn't  apply, but I wouldn't do it. I think it’s, the only way this would really work is if you  really wanted the daughter to have the $36,000 gifted to her.  She can sell it, pay little or  no tax, and then keep it. If that's your goal, then this is a great strategy. If you're just  trying to avoid this tax, I wouldn't do this.

Mike

“Hello, this is Mike. I have a question  about rental properties. My wife and I own 3

Should I Create an LLC for Rental Properties? (Mike, voice)

duplex rental properties.  And we've been told  by a few people that it might be financially advantageous for us to create an LLC for  the rental properties and run them as a business versus just taking the income as personal  income. What are your thoughts? Thank you.” Okay.

Andi

He decided to call from his car.

Joe

Yeah.

Al

All good.

Joe

He's driving.

Al

Right. He's driving to one of the rentals.

Joe

He's driving to a duplex.

Al

Yeah.

Joe

He's got to collect his rent.

Al

That's right.

Joe

LLC Al, what do you think?

Al

Well, it’s a great question and you hear  this a lot. You should have LLCs and I can tell you it doesn't do anything tax-wise. Because  if you set up an LLC as a husband and wife, it's a single-member LLC, it's disregarded. So  it's, there's not even a separate tax return. It just goes on your individual tax return just  as it would normally. So why do people have LLCs is because of asset protection, right? So they  put their properties in an LLC. Something goes

wrong with one of the properties, they get sued.  Then theoretically the assets of that LLC are the only assets that are available for a lawsuit  or a judgment, right? If you want to have ultra protection, you got 3 properties, you set up 3  LLCs. There's a huge hassle factor, but that's what some people do if it's worth it to them. Or  you can just get liability insurance and call it good. Or maybe you do both, but it's a- Joe,  it's for liability. It's not for tax purposes.

Joe

Well, as a rental, he's  got a duplex. It's people that have multiple duplex that they're  running that like a business anyway.

Al

Yeah, you already are. You  should be. And in other words, anything that is deductible in LLC is also  deductible on your Schedule E personal tax return. There's no difference in  what's deductible and what's not. Yep. That's what I'm saying.

Joe

Very good. This person writes in, he doesn't think  a QCD donation, it doesn't make sense to him.

Qualified Charitable Distributions Don't Make Sense to Me (GetSmart Paul, YouTube)

Al

Okay.

Joe

So QCD, Qualified Charitable Distribution,  just backdrop on that, is that you can give up to $100,000 or is it a little bit more  now, they index that with inflation?

Al

It is indexed, so it's a little  bit more than $100,000 I think.

Joe

So you could give that  directly to a charity versus taking the RMD. And so he's like,  well, I, this doesn't make sense.

Al

Why? Why would I do that? Why  don't I just take the RMD pay the tax, don’t I, think that's what he is gonna get to.

Joe

So he was like, “Taking the RMD when I don't need the cash is better than  giving it all to charity. For example, if I don't pay state income tax and the RMD is  federally taxed at 25% and 35%, then I'm basically donating the 65% to 75% out of my pocket. That  money can be reinvested. What am I missing?”

Al

Nothing.

Joe

Nothing. You're not charitably inclined,  so don't do it. If you're charitably inclined, this is another way to give to charity.  So if you're already giving to charity and you're taking a charitable deduction,  you know, but now that most people take the standard deduction, the QCD  works out quite well because you, it- The distribution avoids the tax  return, it goes directly to the charity.

Al

Yeah, exactly. So you don't have to pay  tax on what would have been a required minimum distribution. But I, and I used to get this  question a lot as a tax preparer in my old days, which is simply this, don't. I do. Do I do better  giving to charity than I would just taking the money? The answer is no, absolutely not. Because  all you do in a case like this is you just pay

the tax. So you end up with more dollars in your  pocket. But if you're charitably inclined anyway, this is a way to create a tax deduction  that you might not otherwise have.

Joe

Yeah, right. If you're  already giving to charity-

Al

- that's the key.

Joe

-then it's looking at what is  the most effective and efficient way to give to the charity to maximize  whatever tax benefits you're looking for.

Al

Right, yeah. Watch the Retirement Pop Quiz on YMYW TV,  Download the Retirement Readiness Guide for free

Andi

Pop quiz: are you required to take minimum  distributions from your Roth account? How much money do Americans think they need when they  retire? Are you ready for retirement? Test your

Watch the Retirement Pop Quiz on YMYW TV, Download the Retirement Readiness Guide for free

retirement knowledge this week on the Your  Money, Your Wealth® TV show, as Joe and Big Al give you a Retirement Pop Quiz: 18 Questions  To Get You Ready to Retire. With each question, Joe and Big Al have actions you’ll want to take  now to secure your future retirement. Watch Retirement Pop Quiz on Your Money, Your Wealth  TV, and download the free Retirement Readiness Guide to find out how to control your taxes in  retirement, create income to last a lifetime,

make the most of your retirement investing  strategy, and much more. You’ll find links for both in the description of today’s episode  in your favorite podcast app, or in the show notes at YourMoneyYourWealth.com,  along with the episode transcript.

Joe

Alright, we got Sherri from  California writes in, Big Al.

Al

Okay.

Joe

“My savings account has in the event  of death- has an in the event of death,

Do My Kids Inherit My Savings Account Without Tax Penalty? What's a Safe, High-Return Investment for Them? (Sherri, CA)

my children inherit my money. Does that go  to them without tax penalty? I'd like to invest my money in safe investments that gives  a higher interest rate of return. Do you have any recommendations?”  No, zero recommendations  for Sherry in California. But I'm assuming she's got a savings account and she passes away.  She wants to know what happens to the money.

Al

Yeah.

Joe

The kids inherited sounds like there's  a transfer of death on the account. Without tax penalty. No, there's a step-up  in tax basis, I don't know, I don't-

Al

Yeah, that's right.

Joe

It's a savings account.

Al

Savings account, so-

Joe

It could be liquid.

Al

I mean, there's, well, there's not  really a step-up because there's no growth. But she would have been paying interest,  taxes on interest all throughout. So, but anyway, yeah, I think that's right. I think she's  talking about a transfer on death account, which you can do without regard to a will  or a trust. You can just take like a savings account. Even a brokerage account and have a  transfer on death. So it would go directly to

your beneficiaries. In the case of a brokerage  account, typically there is growth or loss, but it gets stepped up to current value. In the  case of a savings account, it's already principle, so it just is what it is. There's no penalty.  In fact, the kids get and that's true of any inheritance except for retirement accounts  where they have to pay taxes. They take the money out. But typically you get an asset  from an inheritance. You don't pay tax on it.

Joe

Speaking of retirement accounts,  we have a question that came in,

Can an IRA Fund a Charitable Remainder Unitrust? (Houry, NY)

“Can an IRA or company retirement plan fund  a CRUT? Is there any amount limitation?”

Andi

What is a CRUT?

Joe

The charitable remainder unitrust, so-

Al

I got some information on that, Joe.

Joe

Yeah. You can and this was a strategy  that people are using depending on the size of the retirement account that you  would use it as like the old stretch.

Al

Yeah, now that would be to set up the  IRA, the charitable trust as a beneficiary of the IRA. And that, I think that still  works, but there's something new that just happened with the SECURE Act. You actually  can do a once-in-a-lifetime amount from an IRA to a charitable remainder unit trust  or charitable gift annuity of $50,000.

Joe

Yes, not very much.

Al

No, $53,000 in 2014, but, yeah, it's not very  much. I'm not sure who would do that, but you can.

Joe

Right.  So, charitable remainder  trust, let's explain that for a second, isn't it? Right.  They're used  to avoid capital gains tax.

Al

Yeah, that's the primary purpose.

Joe

And, so, let's say you bought  an investment for $100,000 and it's worth $2,100,000 today. So you have  a $2,000,000 gain. A lot of times, there's a ton of tax there where most people  don't necessarily want to pay the tax. So they might hold on to that asset until they  pass away, and then the beneficiaries would get a full step-up in tax bases, they  could sell that asset and not pay any tax.

Al

Right.

Joe

However, if they need liquidity, if they  need to use some of that asset, you can sell it outright and pay a bunch of tax, or there's  strategies such as a charitable remainder trust or a CRUT or a tax exempt trust where you can  put that asset in the trust, the trust sells the asset, it pays no tax, you then get an income  stream from the trust, and then the charity gets the remainder, depending on when you pass away.  If you live until life expectancy, it could be as

little as 10%. If you pass away prior to life  expectancy, it could be a lot more than that.

Al

Yeah, that's exactly right. And so typically,  it has to be set up, Joe, where at least 10% goes to charity. I mean, that's, the design. That would  be kind of the minimum. Now, but that's based upon actuarial tables. So if you live less than or  if you, live less than normal life expectancy, charity will probably get more than 10%. If  you live longer than normal life expectancy per

the IRS tables, then charity may get less than  10%. So it's a way to not pay taxes currently, although we're when you get your distributions,  annual distributions, quarterly distributions, however you set it up, you will pay tax on  those distributions. It'll be some interest in dividends depending upon the earnings in  the charitable trust and the rest will be

capital gains. That same capital gain that you  tried to avoid, you will pay tax on it. Joe, it just comes out slowly over time,  which can be an advantage because you might be in lower tax brackets and plus  deferring a tax is always a good thing.

Joe

I wonder what the goal is  that Hour-ee, what's his name?

Andi

Houry. It's her, and her name is Houry.

Joe

Oh, sorry. Houry. Houry from New  York. I have no idea what the goal is.

Al

I don't know either. But those  IRAs and charitable trust, I mean, so those are the couple things I've  heard. Is that new once-in-a-lifetime thing where you can put $50,000 in  from an IRA or the other one is- Joe The cost of the trust- You would never do it for that.

Joe

It's going to cost way more to  administrate that trust, it's going to cost way more than whatever savings  that you get by putting $50,000 in it.

Al

Right. So it would only be  if you already have one, right?

Joe

I suppose, yeah.

Al

Yeah, right. So I don't, like I  say, that's a pretty limited thing. The more important thing I think is the,  is it's setting up a charitable trust and having it as the beneficiary of an IRA could  accomplish something similar to the stretch, not as good as a stretch, but you get  sort of some of the same deferral.

Joe

Alright, that's it for  us. Have a wonderful weekend, happy holidays. Show's called you're  wonderful... It's a wonderful life.

Al

It's a wonderful life.

Joe

I'm just in the holly,  holly, what’s it?  Holiday spirit.

Al

Yes.

Andi

Happy New Year.

Al

It's also Your Money, Your  Wealth®. Thanks for listening.

Joe

Alright, we'll see you soon.

Andi

There you have it - the final  episode of 2024. Happy new year,

Outro: Next Week on the YMYW Podcast

friends. I hope you enjoyed listening to YMYW this  year as much as we’ve enjoyed making it for you, and I hope 2025 brings everything you hope for.  Next week in episode 511 we’ll continue our annual tradition with the Your Money, Your Wealth  Podcast Best of 2024. Check out the best of 2021, 2022, and 2023 in the episode description. Edward  in Illinois, Pebbles and Bam Bam in Kentuckystone, Keith in Connecticut, and Gus in Philly, listen  for answers to your questions in YMYW podcast 512.

If you haven’t already gotten serious about  your retirement plans like Steve did earlier in the episode, what better time. Start  the new year off with a resolution to get a Free Financial Assessment from the  experienced professionals on Joe and Big Al’s team at Pure. They’ll analyze your financial  situation, identify any potential roadblocks,

and help you create a personalized plan to get you  where you want to be in retirement. Click the free assessment link in the episode description  or call 888-994-6257 to schedule yours. Pure Financial Advisors is a registered  investment advisor. This show does not intend to provide personalized investment advice  through this podcast and does not represent that the securities or services discussed are suitable  for any investor. As rules and regulations change,

podcast content may become outdated. Investors are  advised not to rely on any information contained in the podcast in the process of making  a full and informed investment decision.

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