RMD – AKA Required Minimum Distributions – the Governments’ mandate of distribution from our IRA (Pre-Tax) funds in order to finally occur taxes is upon us…..
RMD Season 
In the coming weeks we will begin transferring mandated funds from our IRA/Qualified/Pre-Tax accounts to their directed destinations….
As a reminder this is so the US Government gets to take the taxes due …
IMPORTANT (Neat) Facts –
- RMD $$ mandated amounts are determined by the value of applicable accounts on the last day of the prior year
- Current year age is a necessary factor included in calculating the RMD – see below next, first time exception – each year of seasoning (getting older) we are forced to take more out of the applicable accounts – hey the IRS has never taxed us on these in many cases – it’s their time!
- After tax contributions to a qualified account MUST be accounted for in order to avoid taxes – here are greater details and our taxpayer obligations on this – don’t overpay – the IRS is not tracking this and will not come to the rescue and lower your taxes
- All of an individual’s accounts must be included/totaled/value (certain exceptions are made to those continuing to work) to ascertain the needed distribution
- Any one account can be used to satisfy the needed distribution (you do not have to take a little from each account, making it easier from an organization standpoint) BUT you must take at least the minimum distribution
- Failure to take the mandated distribution amount COULD result in a 100% tax – Break in – our experience has been the IRS is nice about this, but let’s not test them
Here is a neat three part series from a while back that is worth a review!
70.5 is the key starting age
The mandatory commencement date of RMD’s is the year AFTER you turn 70.5 years young, under current tax law…
If you accept this first year deferral, you will incur two RMD’s in the year you commence your first RMD…
Depending on the situation, it may be advisable to distribute your first year RMD a year early so as not to clump your taxable distribution….
Is your DOB between 7-1-47 to 6-30-48?
Then you turn 70.5 in 2018 and you CAN defer your RMD until 2019, however you will have two RMD’s next year — be careful, large distributions could toss you into an extra tax bracket.
Reach out if you have ANY questions, we have plenty of time, BUT the clock is ticking…
Have a great ‘RMD Efficient Distribution” Day!
John A. Kvale CFA, CFP
Third Quarter 2018 Cover Letter
The third quarter of 2018 is behind us and the original theme from the first month of the year seems still most appropriate, patience. After rocketing to an unsustainable trajectory in January, the excuse was an over use of a dangerous product, the reality looks to be, we just got too far ahead of ourselves and corrected harshly to a more reasonable trajectory.
It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times
As we look forward, the best part of the year “historically” lies just in our view as we finish the year. Using history as our guide, oddly the first month of the coming quarter has been the most treacherous. Not the time to get to overzealous or glum!
Earnings Eventually Matter
In our Q4 2018 Capital Market Newsletter Article we discuss in detail the correlation of earnings and capital market movement. This obvious connection does not always hold true in the shorter term as aggressive emotions such as greed and fear overshoot constantly in both directions. Eventually the correlation re-connects and more normal heads prevail, making earnings growth and market growth work in tandem.
Interest Rates
The fear of, or at least watching for, an inverted yield curve has grown in popularity. We discussed this item last quarter in great detail. Oddly, when many are looking for an event, it loses it’s predictability. We are not ignoring, and will continue to monitor, but we are concerned at a possible loss of predictively with the crowds of followers swelling. Predictive or not, the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) has been slow and open to interest rate increases, so far, and capital markets, the economy and participants are very happy with the increases and have digested them nicely.
Bonds, most effected by interest rates, and one of the safest asset classes tend to feel the headwinds most of higher interest rates. Higher, and increasing rates are initially a headwind, but once the increases stabilize, they become a tailwind, and increased yields push more money into our pockets. This cycle is no different, other than the fact that interest rates we so unprecedented low to begin with, this temporary headwind seems stronger than in other cycles, but it is really not. Look for more details on this subject again in our coming Newsletter.
Have a good start to fall!
John A. Kvale CFA, CFP
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Posted in Clients/Clients Only, Earnings, General Financial Planning, Investing/Financial Planning, Market Comments, Performance Report Cover Letter
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