IRA

Withdrawals from Traditional IRAs

In these challenging economic times, you may be considering taking a withdrawal from your traditional IRA. While you’re allowed to withdraw funds from your IRAs at any time, for any reason, the question is, should you?

2011 Tax Season Considerations

You don’t want to pay more in taxes than you have to. That means taking advantage of every deduction and credit that you’re entitled to, and recognizing potential opportunities to save. It also means staying on top of deadlines, and avoiding mistakes that could prove costly down the road. So, here are some things to keep in mind this filing season.

Retirement Plan and IRA Limits for 2012

Many retirement plan and IRA limits are indexed for inflation each year. Some of the key numbers for 2012 are discussed below.

Elective deferrals

If you’re lucky enough to be eligible to participate in a 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), or SAR-SEP plan, you can make elective deferrals of up to $17,000 in 2012, up from $16,500 in 2011. If you’re age 50 or older, you also can make a catch-up contribution of up to $5,500 to these plans in 2012 (unchanged from 2011). (Special catch-up limits apply to certain participants in 403(b) and 457(b) plans.)