The Complete Guide to IRA Contributions and Withdrawals
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Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are one of the most important account types, and understanding the difference between Roth and traditional contributions and withdrawals is foundational to tax planning.

Q&A: What Happens to an Inherited IRA RMD After a Multi-Beneficiary Trust Dissolution?
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While not the most favorable RMD rules imaginable, I’m sure it is still a relief to know that you don’t need to navigate the new SECURE Act rules just because you dissolved the trust.

Investment News You Maybe Missed (2022 Bear Market)
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Hopefully, you didn’t bother looking, and I can be the first to tell you.

IRS Guidance on Pension-Linked Emergency Savings Account (PLESA)
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What procedure can you put in place to prevent employer match churning? That is still unclear.

Tax Changes in 2026 (Radio)
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After over a decade of broken promises and rising costs, our need for a more sustainable tax system is acutely felt.

Today Was An Intraday Recovery (January 2024)
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While we still cannot call the end of the Bear Market from this performance, today’s returns strongly suggest that 15 months ago, October 12, 2022 was the end of this bear market.

Account Funding Priorities for 2024
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A savings waterfall helps investors navigate the financial complexity available to them.

How to Correct Excess Backdoor Roth Contributions
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While an excess or failed backdoor Roth can feel very stressful to solve, it is a normal and quick fix for your qualified financial custodian.

Tax Savings Opportunity for Charlottesville City Seniors This February
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Seniors over age 65 may receive relief on their real estate taxes limited by AGI but regardless of net worth.

New IRS Notice Moves SECURE 2.0 Act Implementation Closer
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The IRS authors make clear that the purpose of the notice is to “provide guidance on discreet issues to assist in commencing implementation of these provisions” not to provide comprehensive guidance.

A Christmas Sermon from David Marotta
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This 2008 article is an uplifting, timeless sermon.

Health Insurance: How Did We Get Here?
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After over a decade of broken promises and rising costs, our need for a more sustainable healthcare system is acutely felt.

Dwindling Savings Highlights Need for Tax Reforms
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The Tax Foundation recently published the article “Dwindling Savings and Increasing Financial Stress Highlights Need for Tax Reforms” suggesting that tax reform could improve the current state of American personal finances.

In Roth Conversions, Reducing Your RMD is One of the Benefits
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Required minimum distributions are taxed as taxable income, the same as other types of traditional IRA withdrawals and Roth conversions.

Pension-Linked Emergency Savings Account (ESA) Available in 2024 (Secure 2.0)
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While the initial details sound promising, the downsides are many.

In Roth Conversions, Paying the Tax is One of the Benefits
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Taxes related to traditional IRA withdrawals only happen once. Meanwhile, the funds in your taxable account are subjected to taxation each year.

Don’t Increase Your Bond Allocation In Bear Markets
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There is an artistry to a bond allocation, and while historical analysis can only be suggestive, it does tell a strong narrative.

How to Uncap Your 529 Plan Virginia State Tax Deduction
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You can have an effectively uncapped state tax deduction if you have a high tolerance for paperwork.

2024 Tax Facts
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Here is a reference chart with 2024 income tax rates, capital gains rates, retirement contribution limits, and more.

How to See Closed Account Information at Schwab
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If closing an account at Schwab is in line with your goals, take comfort in knowing that you are able to close your accounts at Schwab without losing access to your important documents.

The Lie Of The Century
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This lie was PolitiFact’s 2013 lie of the year, but we dub it the lie of the century.

2024 Contribution Limits
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Twelve-month inflation for all items ending in September 2023 has been 4.1%, so the 2024 contribution limits increased significantly but less than last year.

States with Death Taxes (2023)
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While most states do not have their own estate or inheritance taxes, some states do and often their exemption is lower than the federal one.

Should I Change Financial Advisors Over Poor Performance?
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The fact that markets are down isn’t a good reason by itself to fire your advisor, but there are reasons to switch financial advisors related to performance.

IRMAA Event: Loss of Income-Producing Property
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It sounds broad and easy to use, but it is actually very specific and uncommon.

Why Did My CD Lose Money?
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Many people don’t understand how fixed income is priced, so let me take you through the math.

Schwab’s New HSBAs (Health Savings Brokerage Accounts)
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Now that these accounts are open at Charles Schwab, Marotta Wealth Management can manage and invest Health Savings Brokerage Accounts.

2023 Babies: Start Saving for College Today!
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For babies born in 2023, here are the amounts that should be saved starting at birth to cover four years of college expenses at age 18.

Freedom Investing in Review (September 2023)
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This quarter, we saw that in 1-year returns ending September 30, 2023, Developed Freedom Investing had a -4.77% disadvantage, Emerging Market Freedom Investing had a +3.89% advantage, and Overall Freedom Investing had a -1.63% disadvantage.

The Fickleness of Five-Year Returns
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Return reporting can create either darker or rosier pictures depending on the dates selected.

All About Jacob Massanopoli, CFP®
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We are very pleased to announce that Jacob Massanopoli is our newest CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) professional at Marotta Wealth Management!

Founder’s Day: Celebrating George Marotta (Part 3)
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My grandfather turns 97 this year. While not often celebrated or recorded in history, my grandfather played an important supporting role to many important events.

Distribute Your First 401(k) RMD in April or December?
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Within employer-sponsored retirement plans, there are special provisions for employees (not owners) who continue to work beyond their typical required beginning date.

529-to-Roth Rollover Contribution Available in 2024 (Secure 2.0)
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This new rule says that the account owner can distribute funds from a 529 plan directly to the designated beneficiary’s Roth IRA and have the rollover “be treated in the same manner as the earnings and contributions of a Roth IRA” (meaning no taxation).

Avoid Investing Mistakes (the series)
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This series of articles covers some of the most common investing mistakes and how to avoid them.

All About Greg Vairo, CFP®
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We are very pleased to announce that Greg Vairo is our newest CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) professional at Marotta Wealth Management!

We Are Not Afraid. (A Reply to Recent Headlines)
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There are strategies to achieve a better inner calm.

How to Upload a Secure Document to Marotta
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We can receive documents to our secure ShareFile client portal.

Proposed RMD Rules: The Madness Continues
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“And the now-20-year-old beneficiary who lost her father less than a year ago is supposed to navigate this mess on her own? No chance. This is madness.”

QCD Limitation Starts Inflation-Adjusting in 2024 (Secure 2.0)
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Congress decided to inflation-adjust both the existing and the new split-entity qualified charitable distribution limitations.

How to Set Beneficiaries on Your HSA with Fidelity
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Once you’ve open an HSA and have started making contributions, it is important that you set beneficiary designations on the account.

How to Implement a New Investment Plan
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Next time you are wondering if you should invest now or “wait for a better time,” remember Schwab’s study and invest now in whatever way makes you invest now.

2023 Tax Facts
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Here is a reference chart with 2023 income tax rates, capital gains rates, retirement contribution limits, and more.

Q&A: Wash Sale: VFIAX and VOO?
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The IRS has very limited case law on what constitutes a substantially different fund. However, here is what we do in our own trading.

How to Calculate Fair Market Value if the Date of Death Is on a Weekend?
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Calculating the fair market value of property varies in difficulty depending on the type of property and the date of death.

How the Kiddie Tax is Calculated
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Some investable assets in the name of the child can currently keep $2,300 of unearned income from the tax rate of the parents.

Why I-Bonds May Not Be As Great As They Seem
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If you’re thinking about buying an I Bond, make sure it fits properly into your financial plan, and you aren’t just chasing the high interest rate.

How to Calculate Taxable Social Security (Form 1040, Line 6b)
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If you receive Social Security benefits, the portion of those benefits which will be taxable depends on your income. The taxable portion can be anywhere from 0% to a maximum of 85% of your benefits.

Can Taxable Life Insurance Benefits Contribute to an IRA?
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If you have this fringe employer or former employer benefit, I hope you are able to take advantage of making small Roth IRA contributions throughout your retirement.

When to Enroll in Medicare
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If your miss your initial enrollment eligibility window, then your premiums are hit with a late enrollment penalty.

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