Retirement Distributions: Case Studies (Completed)

Learn to spot the potential pitfalls and provide solid advice to unwary clients needing retirement plan distribution help
Clients may expend substantial effort and sacrifice to maximize their retirement plan contributions, and typically feel that they can deal with their plan balances at will. That is not the case. Distributions from retirement plans are subject to a series of complex requirements and decisions as well as income and estate tax obligations that can lead to substantial tax liabilities and penalties if not carefully addressed. Timing of plan withdrawals and distributions, careful identification of beneficiaries, and following rules that favor form over substance are all important to understand. There is legislation in Congress likely to pass this year that will change some of these rules dramatically.

This two-hour online CPE program will address a number of real-world client situations and problems, and suggest what recommendations the clients’ advisors can address to solve them.

Topics Covered

• Retirement Plan Distribution Issues that Arise in Every Case
• Specific Retirement Plan Distribution Case Studies, Including:
  • The client who needs funds and wants to withdraw money from an IRA, but is not yet age 59½
  • The client is approaching age 70½, and must address minimum required distributions
  • The client is a surviving spouse and wants to know how to handle a retirement plan distribution from a deceased spouse
  • The client is doing estate planning and wants to know what options are available for leaving the retirement plans to: A spouse outright or in trust, or Children with the same concerns
  • The client is not survived by a spouse. What distribution alternatives are possible?
  • The client wants to leave significant retirement plan assets to grandchildren
  • The client wants to include charities as retirement plan beneficiaries

Learning Objectives

• Recognize the key tax and non-tax issues involved in retirement plan distributions
• Identify potential planning options for common client situations
• Identify planning opportunities for clients to help them achieve their objectives and comply with legal requirements

Level
Basic

Instructional Method
Group: Internet-based

NASBA Field of Study
Taxes (2 hours)

Program Prerequisites
None

Advance Preparation
None