A qualifying longevity annuity contract (QLAC) lets you move part of an IRA or 401(k) into a deferred annuity that pays income later in life while excluding that money from required minimum distributions. Learn the limits, rules, pros, cons, and how to buy one.
A cash balance plan is a defined benefit pension that looks like a 401(k)-style account. Learn how pay credits and interest credits work, why business owners use them for large tax-deductible contributions, costs, risks, and how they pair with a 401(k).
Rule 72(t) lets you take substantially equal periodic payments from an IRA or retirement plan before age 59½ without the 10% additional tax. Learn the three calculation methods, how long payments must last, modification risks, and alternatives.
A 403(b) plan is a retirement savings plan for employees of public schools, hospitals, churches, and other nonprofits. Learn the 2026 contribution limits, the 15-year catch-up rule, investment options, fees, and how it compares with a 401(k).
A spousal IRA lets a married couple fund an IRA for a spouse with little or no earned income. Learn the 2026 contribution limits, eligibility rules, deduction and Roth income limits, deadlines, and common mistakes.
A solo 401(k) lets self-employed people with no employees contribute as both employee and employer. Learn 2026 limits, how to calculate contributions, Roth options, Form 5500-EZ, and how it compares with other plans.
How Social Security survivor benefits work, including eligibility for widows, widowers, divorced spouses, children, and dependent parents, benefit percentages, claiming age strategies, remarriage rules, the lump-sum death payment, and how to apply.
How 457(b) deferred compensation plans work for state and local government and certain nonprofit employees, 2026 contribution limits, the special three-year catch-up, penalty-free withdrawals after separation, combining with a 403(b) or 401(k), Roth options, and governmental vs. non-governmental plan differences.
How a fixed indexed annuity credits interest based on a market index, how caps, participation rates, and spreads limit returns, surrender charges, income riders, taxes, and how to decide whether one fits a retirement plan.
How the net unrealized appreciation (NUA) rules let you pay long-term capital gains rates instead of ordinary income tax on employer stock in a 401(k), the triggering events and lump-sum requirements, a worked example, and when NUA does not make sense.