Raising the RMD, Repaying Student Loans and Other Potential Changes to Retirement Accounts

Helping Americans save more for retirement is very much on the mind of Congress.

In the spring, Senators Ben Cardin of Maryland and Rob Portman of Ohio reintroduced legislation (Retirement Security and Savings Act of 2019) that proposes raising the required minimum distribution (RMD) age for retirement accounts to 75, with increases to be phased in over several years from age 70½. Additionally, it would potentially increase savings in 401(k)s and IRAs, help with small employer coverage for part-time workers, and remove obstacles for including lifetime income options in retirement plans.

NOTE: Currently, account holders of Traditional IRAs and SEP IRAs must start taking required minimum distributions no later than 70-1/2 but this rule does not apply to Roth IRAs, Coverdell ESAs and some other plans.

A different bill, Retirement Parity for Student Loans Act, contains a provision that would enable workers to make student loan payments while their employers make matching contributions into their retirement account “as if the student loan payments were salary contributions.” These elements give Americans more time and more financial freedom to save for retirement.

The House of Representatives has also been looking at retirement legislation; in late May, the House passed the SECURE Act—Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement, which currently awaits passage in the Senate. The bill’s significant retirement policy changes are designed to improve access to financial products in order to encourage more Americans to save for retirement. It also contains incentives for employers to expand access to 401(k) plans, particularly to employees of small businesses and part-time employees.

Is a self-directed IRA on your mind?

Here are some reasons why it should be:

• The flexibility to take RMDs from one’s retirement plan at a later age can help account holders continue to grow their retirement savings for a longer period of time if they wish—and for those investors with self-directed IRAs, to continue building more diverse portfolios for a longer time horizon.
• Self-directed investors who are including alternative assets within their plans would have the potential to accrue more retirement income from real estate, precious metals, commodities, private equity, and many more nontraditional investments these plans allow.
• Two of the nontraditional investments allowed in a self-directed account are secured and unsecured loans. This means the plan can make loans to qualified individuals for tuition or other education-related expenses. Terms of that loan are worked out between the two parties, with all income flowing back into the tax-advantaged self-directed retirement plan.
• Individuals can also self-direct a Coverdell ESA, which—as noted above—does not carry with it the mandatory RMDs by age 70-1/2. Coverdell ESAs can be set up to pay for education-related expenses, as we explored in a prior post.

If you’re thinking about opening a self-directed IRA of any kind, please register for a complimentary educational session with one of our knowledgeable representatives. Alternatively, you can call our team directly at 888.857.8058 or email NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com with any questions.