The 2020 RMD Waiver and How it May Affect Your Retirement Plan

The 2020 RMD Waiver and How it May Affect Your Retirement Plan

The CARES Act (or the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) was an enormous piece of legislation enacted in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was designed to mitigate the effects that lockdown and lost business (and wages) were having on employers and employees. Its passage was preceded by the SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement) in late December 2019. Both brought many changes to retirement plan design, participation, and administration.

Waiving the requirement for required minimum distributions

One change concerns the 2020 required minimum distribution (RMD) that retirement account owners or participants historically had to withdraw upon reaching age 70½ .These distributions must be taken for Traditional IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SEP IRAs, rollover IRAs, and most 401(k) and 403(b) plans. RMDs do not apply to Roth IRAs unless it is an inherited IRA.

However, for 2020, the CARES Act waives RMDs. Even if you’d already been taking this distribution, you no longer have to do so in 2020 (which enables you to keep those funds in a tax-advantaged retirement plan for continued investment and growth).

Here are some other updates regarding RMD regulations:

Additional RMD updates:

As with any retirement plan and investment, individuals are encouraged to consult their trusted advisor or tax professional to work out the best way to handle their required minimum distributions—whether to take advantage of this year’s waiver, do a rollover, or wait until age 72 to begin, depending on your age and situation. If you have a qualified retirement plan through work, check with the plan administrator about your options.

RMDs and self-directed retirement plans

The RMD waivers and updated provisions concerning these distributions apply to self-directed retirement plans as well. And, with the age increase for taking these distributions, self-directed investors with alternative assets within their plans have the potential to accrue more retirement income from real estate, precious metals, private equity, and many more nontraditional investments these plans allow. There is also now a longer time horizon for using self-directed funds for unsecured or secured loans, which are other popular ways to invest through a self-directed IRA.

The professionals at Next Generation are available to help you calculate your RMD when you’re ready—whether in 2020 or in the future—and will handle all the tax reporting and administration associated with your self-directed IRA. If you have questions about RMDs or about self-direction as a retirement wealth-building strategy, you can schedule a complimentary educational session. To connect with our team directly, call Next Generation at 888.857.8058 or email us at NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.

Investing in Cryptocurrency in a Self-Directed IRA

One of the benefits of self-direction as a retirement strategy is the ability to include a broad array of nontraditional investments in an IRA or retirement plan. One such investment that has the attention of certain savvy investors is cryptocurrency.

Many people have heard of Bitcoin—a form of cryptocurrency—but what is this alternative asset all about?

What is cryptocurrency?

In short, it’s a digital or virtual currency—not paper money or metal coins—that is created on decentralized networks of computers using blockchain technology. Blockchain is a distributed/online ledger and an organizational method for ensuring the integrity and security of all transactional data—an essential component of many cryptocurrencies.

Cryptocurrencies are secured by encryption techniques called cryptography and allow for secure online payments as virtual tokens—these tokens are the ledger entries in the system. Cryptocurrencies are not held at a bank nor issued by any central authority such as a government agency or financial institution. No personal information is exchanged during a transaction and there is no third-party interaction with institutions such as a banks or credit card companies. The parties’ digital wallets are account addresses with a public key and the owner has a private key to sign transactions.

Bitcoin, launched in 2009, became famous as the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency; today, there are many others that compete with it. A more detailed explanation of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency can be found here.

Including cryptocurrency in a self-directed IRA

Diversifying one’s retirement plan through self-direction enables individuals to include many non-publicly traded alternative assets—such as cryptocurrency—in their retirement portfolios. Investors who know and understand this asset also know that market prices are based on token supply and trader/user demand, and the exchanges the currencies trade on.

(NOTE: There is a limited supply of this computer-generated currency by design; for example, Bitcoin was designed to cap at 21 million).

That said, like many nontraditional investments, cryptocurrencies can provide a hedge against stock market volatility and inflation, and unlike other alternative assets, are certainly easy to transport and use.

Investing in Cryptocurrency through an IRA at Next Generation

Note that any time you buy or trade a digital asset, this transaction is done through a digital wallet that is linked to a checking account. If you plan to invest in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, most self-directed IRA custodians, like Next Generation, require that this be done through an LLC; the LLC is funded by the self-directed IRA and opens a business checking account to use for the digital wallet. This checkbook control should ensure that the funds are held and used specifically for the purpose of buying or trading this digital asset (or other alternative assets within the IRA)

If you’ve done your research on cryptocurrencies—or if you’re already trading these digital assets outside of your existing IRA—you can form an IRA LLC with Next Generation and start building a more diverse retirement portfolio that includes Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. You can also schedule a complimentary educational session with one of Next Generation’s team members to discuss how this all works. For questions about self-direction as a retirement strategy, contact Next Generation by phone at 1.888.857.8058 or by email at NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.

 

Investing in Private REITs with a Self-Directed IRA

A  real estate investment trust (REIT) is a company that invests in/owns and usually operates all types of income-producing commercial real estate: multi-family housing/apartment buildings, student housing, retirement and senior communities; warehouse and industrial properties; retail centers, hospitality, and office buildings.

In order to qualify as a (REIT), the company must file with the SEC and meet certain SEC requirements. Although most REITs are publicly traded on stock exchanges (known as public, traded or listed REITs), there are also private REITs; like their stock exchange-traded counterparts, private REITS must register with the SEC and are subject to the same IRS regulations. That includes the requirement to return 90 percent of their taxable income to shareholders annually.

One big difference in public vs. private REITs is that the latter are not as susceptible to demand-driven price volatility as public REITs, whose value fluctuates daily; private REITs are valuated annually.

Why invest in a REIT

Renters are on the rise—and so is rental property popularity

Multi-family housing represents a large portion of real estate investments, thanks to an increase in the renter population, which has been in growth mode for a few years and continues to rise. There are several reasons for this:

Investing in private REITs with a self-directed IRA

As you know, a self-directed IRA can include many different types of nontraditional investments, with real estate being the most popular class of alternative assets within these plans.

When your self-directed IRA invests in a private REIT, all income and expenses related to the asset flow in and out of the retirement plan. However, private REITS are not the only type of real estate investment you can include in a self-directed IRA. Other types of real estate investments might allow you to partner your self-directed IRA with another buyer, transact a “fix & flip” and take the profit on the sale of the property, or buy and hold the asset, so the IRA earns tax-advantaged rental income over time.

After you’ve researched a REIT or any other real estate investment you’d like to include in a self-directed retirement plan, it’s time to open and fund your account. At Next Generation we not only provide comprehensive transaction support, we also provide client education about investing in real estate and other alternative assets through a self-directed retirement plan. Of particular importance is understanding prohibited transactions and disqualified persons as defined by the IRS.

If you have questions regarding this strategy, don’t hesitate to contact Next Generation at NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com or call 888.857.8058. Alternatively, you can schedule a complimentary educational session with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

Considering Taking a Hardship Distribution from Your Retirement Plan?

The coronavirus pandemic is leaving millions of Americans on furlough or out of a job, dealing with reduced hours or workload… but NOT with reduced monthly bills to pay. For many, this is a time of financial hardship. Sadly, according to a 2018 Federal Reserve report, 40 percent of adults cannot cover a $400 emergency expense and the current situation goes far beyond that.

Sometimes, individuals consider dipping into one’s retirement plan to cover short-term expenses. Among the emergency expenses that may qualify for such a withdrawal are tuition/education expenses; down payment or repairs on a primary residence, rent or mortgage payments (to thwart possible eviction or foreclosure); out-of-pocket medical expenses; and funeral costs.

Historically:

Changes with the CARES Act

This stimulus package has loosened the rules around taking hardship withdrawals from retirement plans, and loans from 401(k) plans. A CARES Act provision allows individuals who are facing adverse financial consequences due to COVID-19 to withdraw funds from their retirement accounts without penalty (regardless of age). This applies to IRAs and 401(k) plans.

The withdrawal must be made before December 31, 2020 and can be up to $100,000. Tax payments on this income are extended out three years. For those taking loans against their 401(k)s, that amount is also raised to $100,000. Note that there are no loans from IRAs.

Why gamble with your retirement savings?

Many financial experts argue against taking out a hardship loan from one’s 401(k) plan to avoid reducing any retirement savings, when there are other loan options available (such as a home equity loan, SBA loan, or other lines of credit). And, all good intentions aside, it may be difficult to replace the funds from a hardship distribution from an IRA or other retirement plan—and then rebuild on that money for retirement.On top of that, the stock market has suffered a tremendous downturn, with subsequent volatility almost daily, as a result of COVID-19 and the economic stressors stemming from lockdowns.

Weathering market volatility through self-direction

Self-directed investors have greater leeway when it comes to hedging against that stock market volatility. That’s because of the many alternative assets that can be held in a self-directed retirement plan. Investing in real estate, precious metals, private equity, or other non-publicly traded assets give savvy investors many more ways to build a more diverse retirement portfolio that have stronger potential to weather the COVID-19 storm (and other times of economic uncertainty). One reason is because the returns on nontraditional investments in a self-directed IRA do NOT directly correlate with stock market returns.

You can even loan funds from your self-directed IRA to someone who is dealing with a cash flow shortage, with the terms worked out between both parties, and receive interest and principal paid back to your IRA.

As always, it is best to consult your trusted financial adviser about how to navigate financial hardship as it relates to your retirement plan. At Next Generation, we’re here to answer any questions you have about self-direction as a retirement strategy, or about the many alternative assets allowed in these plans. You can schedule a complimentary educational session to learn more or contact us directly via phone at 888.857.8058 or email NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.

Want Out of the Stock Market? Consider Precious Metals in a Self-Directed IRA

Buckle up, investors—the stock market is taking millions of people for a very uncomfortable ride during the Covid-19 pandemic. Individuals who maintain retirement portfolios with traditional assets like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds have seen precipitous declines in their retirement accounts this month as the markets, businesses, and the world deal with the virus.

Advisors will say that diversification is always the key to a healthy portfolio—something self-directed investors know and practice. One way to hedge against the volatility of the stock market and reduce risk is to include alternative assets within a self-directed IRA. Along with real estate, precious metals are among some of the most popular nontraditional investment options that can be held in a self-directed IRA. In fact, there has been a recent spike in demand from investors who wish to diversify their retirement accounts with metals like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. You can read the particulars of including precious metals in a self-directed IRA in this blog post.

Why include precious metals in a self-directed IRA?
Long before there was paper currency, there were gold and silver, traded around the world. Key benefits to including precious metals in a self-directed IRA is that these assets have no credit risk, serve as a hedge against market volatility, and also do so vis-à-vis political instability, currency weakness, and economic collapse. As Goldman Sachs was quoted this week, “gold is the currency of last resort.” Given the news swirling around us right now, it’s no wonder precious metals are in higher demand as a long-term investment.

In a move to stabilize the U.S. economy and ward off a credit crunch, the U.S. Federal Reserve has committed to purchasing an unlimited number of Treasuries and securities tied to residential and commercial mortgages. This process, called “quantitative easing,” is meant to enhance liquidity of financial markets. Pushing more money into the market affects gold prices inversely; as more money is available, interest rates go down and the value of gold goes up. This article on MarketWatch explains further and predicts gold will increase sharply in value in the coming weeks.

If you’re already knowledgeable about investing in precious metals or want to include this alternative asset in your retirement plan, check out our helpful Precious Metals Guide to learn more. If you have questions about self-direction and the other kinds of nontraditional investments these plans allow, register for a complimentary educational session with one of our knowledgeable representatives. Alternatively, you can call us directly at 888.857.8058 or send an email to  NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.

Amid Stock Market Downturn, Consider Self-Directed IRAs

Many investors are dealing with yet another stock market downturn, which is in reaction to current events such as global concerns about the Coronavirus and U.S. politics during an election year. These and other factors—from geopolitics to macroeconomics, trade issues to plant closings to a company’s profitability and earnings—can influence a stock market downturn.

Stocks by nature are volatile, which is why many investors look to alternative assets to build their retirement savings and avoid stock market downturns that are often hard to predict. That means looking at self-directed IRAs, which allow individuals to include a variety of nontraditional investments and build a more diverse retirement portfolio based on assets they already know and understand.

Look at it this way: unless they work there, many people are not experts on what a Blue Chip or Fortune 500 company produces or sells, and they certainly cannot control what those companies do in the marketplace. However, many people know a lot about investing in real estate, precious metals, or private equity. Others like the idea of including secured or unsecured loans in their retirement plan, with terms they determine with the borrower. All of these investment types can be included in a self-directed IRA, where investors build retirement wealth with alternative assets—and have better control over their earnings.

A self-directed IRA has the same tax advantages as regular retirement plans with the added bonus of being a great hedge against stock market volatility. For those who are comfortable making their own investment decisions and conducting their due diligence, self-direction is a powerful retirement strategy.

Typical retirement plans offered by brokerage houses or banks limit investors to publicly traded stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, and mutual or exchange-traded funds. But a self-directed IRA allows you to hold the alternative investments noted above plus notes, private placements, limited partnerships, tax lien certificates and more.

Our whitepaper library has a lot of great information about self-directed IRAs and our helpful team is here to answer your questions about self-direction. To find out more about self-direction, you may call us at 888.857.8058 or send an email to  NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com. Alternatively, you can sign up for a complimentary educational session with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

Americans are Working Longer

Recent research from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies* shows that Americans are working longer, with 54 percent saying they expect to work past age 65 or never retire at all. Twenty-two percent of respondents said they plan to retire either at age 65 or later, and 22 percent plan to retire earlier.

While there are personal factors around why Americans are working longer – such as maintaining social connections, longer lifespan and emotional health – financial factors are also part of this story. In the U.S., it’s often not having enough saved for retirement and Social Security concerns; three-quarters of the workers surveyed said they are worried that Social Security will not be available when they retire.

Global expectations around retirement age are very interesting to look at and compare with U.S. figures. Transamerica conducted additional research across 15 countries, in collaboration with the Aegon Center for Longevity and Retirement. While the current expected age of retirement in the U.S. is 66 (shared by the United Kingdom and Australia), it is 65 in many European countries and Canada, 60 in India, and 58 in Turkey and China. The findings are based on 14,400 workers and 1,600 retired people surveyed online between 22 January and 14 February 2019.

However, as we know, the average retirement age is rising in the U.S.; for Americans born in 1960 and later, it is 67. The Netherlands is already there and according to the study, France, Spain and Poland are planning to move their retirement age to 67 as well.

Americans are Working Longer, but a Self-Directed IRA Can Help Make the Most of Your Employment and Retirement Timelines

In the Transamerica/Aegon global study, a majority of respondents said they envision an active retirement, where work and leisure can co-exist. Sixty percent cited travel and 57 percent cited spending time with family and friends as important retirement goals; 49 percent said they look forward to pursuing new hobbies. Additionally, 27 percent aspired to do volunteer work and 26 percent planned to include some form of paid work. The two biggest retirement concerns were declining physical health and running out of money.

Whether you retire at age 65 or 66, or continue to work in some capacity well into your retirement years, you can make the most of your retirement savings through self-direction. A self-directed IRA allows you to include many alternative assets, which are not allowed in typical retirement plans, and build a more diverse retirement portfolio. This also allows investors to hedge against the volatility of the stock market, and include nontraditional investments they already know and understand. Why limit yourself to stocks and bonds when you can invest in real estate, precious metals, promissory notes, private equity and joint ventures—and have more control over your returns—within a self-directed IRA?

At Next Generation, we help individuals make the most of their retirement savings and live up to their retirement goals through self-directed retirement plans. If you’re someone who’s comfortable making your own investment decisions and conducting your full due diligence about certain types of investments, you may benefit from self-direction.

Plus, with the SECURE Act provisions that enable workers to continue contributing to a Traditional IRA for a longer timeline, and delay taking required minimum distributions from their plans until age 72, there’s more time to build up one’s retirement nest egg with a broad array of nontraditional investments.

Want to learn more? Sign up for a complimentary educational session about self-directed IRAs with one of our knowledgeable representatives. Alternatively, you can call us directly at 888.857.8058 or email NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.

*Online survey conducted between October 26 and December 11, 2018 among a nationally representative sample of 5,923 workers who were U.S. residents, age 18 or older; and full-time or part-time workers who are not self-employed and work in a for-profit company employing one or more people.

Including Joint Ventures in a Self-Directed IRA

Did you know that you can use funds in a self-directed IRA to invest in a joint venture? These investments allow you, as a self-directed investor, to enter into a business arrangement with one or more individuals, and create a way for different investors to pool resources for a particular project.

Unlike partnerships, which are between individuals and are long-term arrangements between parties to operate a business, joint ventures are typically for a limited time or for a specific investment. Joint ventures (JVs) are often done in real estate but can be for other investments that the parties intend to sell at a profit within a specified time frame.

According to Investopedia, “Joint ventures, although they are a partnership in the colloquial sense of the word, can take on any legal structure. Corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and other business entities can all be used to form a joint venture.”

JVs can be formed for many different types of business activities. Liability is mitigated since the venture is its own entity, separate from the participants’ other business interests. When the JV is a self-directed investment, the IRA, as one of the partners, shares responsibility for the profits, losses and expenses associated with the JV. It is possible for two or more self-directed IRAs to team up on a joint venture.

How joint ventures work with self-directed IRAs

Let’s say you have a self-directed retirement plan and wish to partner with another investor to purchase a piece of real estate. The self-directed IRA makes the investment along with another party or parties as a private placement. Terms of the arrangement are worked out between all involved, including:

Gains on the investment flow back to the self-directed IRA, tax deferred or tax exempt, depending on the type of retirement plan.

Joint ventures carry with them tax and legal considerations. At Next Generation, we recommend that as part of their due diligence, investors consult with their trusted advisors before entering into a joint venture of any kind. It’s also important to educate yourself to avoid a prohibited transaction. As a self-directed retirement plan custodian and administrator, we review all documentation for compliance with IRS guidelines to identify disqualified persons or prohibited transactions.

If you’re considering using your self-directed retirement plan to invest in a joint venture, and have questions about how to get started, contact us via email at NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com or call 888-857-8058. Alternatively, you can schedule a complimentary educational session with one of our representatives to discuss self-direction as a retirement wealth-building strategy.

Promissory Notes and Secured/Unsecured Loans in a Self-Directed IRA

As we wrote about last fall, promissory notes are one way that self-directed investors—individuals with a self-directed IRA or other retirement plan—can provide funding assistance to other parties while building retirement savings. In that article, we focused on real estate notes, also called private mortgage notes; these are promissory notes secured by a piece (or multiple pieces) of real estate.

Self-directed investors can also include promissory notes in their retirement plans. Also known as commercial paper, these are issued by organizations to raise short-term capital for business purposes. Investment notes are essentially loan agreements that guarantee investors that they will receive a return on their investment within a specified time frame.

There are various reasons why a company issues commercial paper—to finance payroll, accounts payable, inventory purchases, or to meet other short-term liabilities. The maturity term is generally from a few weeks to a few months; the loan is based on the borrower’s promise to repay and the lender’s confidence in that ability.

Another type of loan that can be funded through a self-directed IRA is a student loan. The IRA lends money to someone to pay a student loan and the debtor pays back the self-directed IRA with interest.

When promissory notes and other loans come from a self-directed IRA, the repayment terms (such as maturity date, payment schedule, interest paid on the loan, and a default clause) are worked out between the parties involved, instructions are sent to the self-directed IRA administrator, and the repaid funds with interest go directly back into the IRA.

While investing in notes can be a great way to help others get the funding they need in the short term, investors should always be aware of the risks and should fully understand the nontraditional investments they are considering. As with any investment, we strongly recommend that our clients conduct full due diligence in order to protect the tax-advantaged status of their account(s).

When it comes to questions about self-direction as a retirement wealth-building strategy, we’re here to help. We offer many ways to get in touch with us to learn more. One of those ways is to arrange a complimentary educational session with one of our representatives. Alternatively, you can contact us via phone at 888.857.8058 or email NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.