Life and Death Planning for Retirement Benefits

520

Life and Death Planning for Retirement Benefits

Many financial institutions offer free Roth conversion analysis programs for their customers and/or the general public, including Fidelity Investments (“Roth Conversion Evaluator,” https://calcsuite.fidelity.com/rothconveval/app/launchPage.htm ), and Charles Schwab (“Roth IRA Conversion Calculator”; http://www.schwab.com/ ). Another commercially available Roth-conversion analyzer is The Roth IRA Conversion Expert™ from CCH, developed in connection with Robert S. Keebler and Stephen J. Bigge of Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP, http://tax.cchgroup.com/roth-ira-conversion-expert .

Newsletters

Ed Slott’s IRA Advisor . Ed Slott, CPA, is one of America’s most knowledgeable retirement benefits experts, plus he writes beautifully and is a great speaker. Each issue has in-depth discussion of practical retirement tax info by top practitioners. $125 for twelve 8 -page issues per year (includes all back issues). Sent by mail (800-663-1340), or download (and find lots of other useful info) at www.irahelp.com/ . Choate’s Notes , by Natalie B. Choate. Published irregularly, free for now, sent by regular USPS mail to customers of Ataxplan Publications and to professionals who request it by handing in business card at a Natalie Choate seminar (or sign up at www.ataxplan.com ). Each issue contains a short article on some aspect of planning for retirement benefits, plus other info of interest to estate planning professionals. Steve Leimberg’s Employee Benefits and Retirement Planning Newsletter . E-mail-only. Expert analysis of breaking news “as it happens, such as rulings, cases, and legislation. Written by Bob Keebler, Barry Picker, me, and others, edited by the incomparable Steve Leimberg, Esq. Includes 24-hr access to extensive database. $28 per month (includes all four of Steve’s newsletters). Indispensable. Visit one-time free or subscribe at www.leimbergservices.com . Access is provided free through membership in some Estate Planning Councils and possibly other professional associations, so check with yours. In addition to being a nationally recognized expert on estate planning, retirement benefits, and life insurance, and a major supplier of helpful tools for our industry, Steve also has ready-to-go seminars for estate planners at www.leimberg.com .

Quick Reference Guides

I highly recommend Denise Appleby’s “IRA Quick Reference Guides.” These are laminated charts neatly summarizing such subjects as what plan can be legally rolled over into what other plan (see “IRA Portability Quick Reference Guide”), the current limits on contributions to every type of plan (see “Rollover Chart and 2010 Limit Table”), and the distribution options/requirements for inherited plans and IRAs (see “IRA Beneficiary Options”). You will find yourself using these “cheat sheets” more than you expect. Purchase at http://iraeducationcenter.com . Denise also offers consulting services and a free newsletter.