The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, better known as the SECURE Act, was signed into law on Friday.
Here are the significant changes.
RMDs Will Start age Age 72, not 70 ½ - Starting Jan. 1, 2020, the new law pushes the age at which you need to start withdrawing money from your traditional IRA retirement accounts to age 72 from age 70 ½. If you turn 70 ½ in 2019, you will still need to take your RMD for 2019, no later than April 1 of 2020. If you are currently receiving RMD's (or should be) because you are over age 70 ½, you must continue to take RMD's. Only those who turn 70 ½ in 2020 (or later) may wait until age 72 to be taking required distributions.
You can contribute to Your Traditional IRA After Age 70 ½ -The new law beginning in your 2020 tax year, will allow you to contribute to your traditional IRA in the year you turn 70 ½ and beyond, provided you have earned income. You still may not make 2019 (prior year) Traditional IRA contributions if you are over 70 ½.
Inherited Retirement Accounts - Upon the death of the account owner, distributions to individual beneficiaries must be made within years. There are exceptions for spouses, disabled individuals, and individuals not more than ten years younger than account ten. Minor children who are beneficiaries of IRA accounts also have a special exception to the 10-year rule, but only until they reach the age of majority.
Adoption/Birth expenses - Allows penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans for birth or adoption expenses up to certain limits.