Safe Harbour Advisors
IRA BLOG
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IRA Rollovers and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: My wife and I have a large disparity in IRA balances. It is about a 10 to 1 ratio. I would like to transfer a significant amount to her IRA. Our brokerages say they do not allow these types of transfers....
The Right Moves – How to Move Retirement Funds
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The year 2025 has been a turbulent time for the economy. Whether due to job loss or seeking better investment opportunities in volatile markets, the result is that more and more retirement account funds are on the...
The Tricky Still-Working Exception – After Death
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst For those who have 401(k)s or other retirement plans, the required beginning date (RBD) when required minimum distributions (RMDs) are officially “turned on” is April 1 of the year after the year a person turns age 73. This...
The 5-Year Clock and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: A husband owned a Roth IRA which had been in existence for at least 5 years. He died in January of 2025. His wife was his primary beneficiary. The wife opened a Roth IRA in late January 2025 to receive the distribution...
When Can I Take an In-Service Withdrawal from My 401(k)?
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst With continuing economic uncertainty, it’s not surprising that the number of employees who need to dip into their 401(k) and other company plan funds is on the rise. Congress originally set strict limits on the ability of employees...
5 Times When You Should Not Name Your Spouse as Beneficiary
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education While naming a spouse directly as the IRA beneficiary has many advantages and is a popular choice, it is not always the correct planning strategy. In some cases, another beneficiary may be better such as...
Penalty-Free Withdrawals of Roth Conversions and the First RMD Year: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Greetings, In 2025, I converted a traditional IRA to an existing Roth IRA, which I have held for 20 years. I will turn age 60 in 2026. Can I withdraw the converted money from my Roth IRA penalty free? Or do I have to wait five...
IRAs and 401(k) Plans: Different Rules, Different Worlds
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst At their core, IRAs and 401(k) plans operate in a similar fashion. Contributed dollars avoid taxation until they are withdrawn at some point in the future. Also, Roth is available in both IRA and 401(k) form. Roth dollars grow...
8 Questions Answered About the New Mandatory Roth Catch-Up Rule
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Many employers with company plans, and their recordkeepers, are scrambling to be ready for the soon-to-be-effective SECURE 2.0 rule requiring high-paid employees to make plan catch-ups contributions to Roth accounts. Here are 8...
Health Insurance
Are you paying an arm and leg for health insurance or maybe don’t have any coverage at all right now? Avoid costly medical bills with an affordable health insurance alternatives.
Life Insurance
How much coverage is enough? Make sure your family is protected with enough coverage to provide for them when you are gone.
Annuities
If you’re looking for principal protection with the potential to earn an attractive rate of return that is tied to the market, without being directly invested, a fixed indexed annuity may be a fit for you.
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Jim E. Sloan is the founder of Jim Sloan & Associates, LLC, a comprehensive wealth management firm located in The Woodlands, Texas. Jim is an Investment Adviser Representative providing investment advisory services through AE Wealth Management, LLC, an *SEC Registered Investment advisor. This relationship allows Jim Sloan & Associates, LLC to bring institutional-level experience, practices, and pricing to individual families. Jim is also a licensed insurance agent in Colorado and Texas. This is Jim’s sixth financial book and is aimed at helping investors become financially informed. Jim is a U.S. Army veteran, native Houstonian, and lives in the Woodlands, volunteers with several local charities, believes in the name of Jesus, loves to travel, and enjoys most things outdoors.