Dear Liz: When my wife reached age 59½, we initiated required minimum distributions for all of her retirement funds. During the process, the investment company representative stated that as long as she was still working and contributing to her 401(k) and 403(b) at work, she was not required to take RMDs for those accounts. With all the changes lately in those types of accounts, is that still the case, or has the law changed?
Answer: Minimum distributions have never been required at age 59½ from any retirement fund. That’s the age at which people no longer have to pay penalties for accessing their retirement funds, not the age at which they must start taking money out.
The current age at which retired minimum distributions must begin is 73, and it rises to 75 for people born in 1960 and later. If your wife is still working at that point, she can put off RMDs from the retirement plans sponsored by her current employer. RMDs will still be required on other retirement accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k)s or 403(b)s from a previous employer. The other RMD exception is for Roth accounts, which don’t have RMDs for the account owner.
Generally you want money to stay in tax-deferred retirement accounts as long as possible. Unnecessary distributions just increase your tax bill and can reduce the amount you have to live on later in life.
If your wife has already taken a distribution, she has 60 days to roll it over into an IRA and avoid taxation.
Tax law can be confusing and mistakes can be expensive. Please use this experience as a reason to hire a good tax pro who can answer your questions and ensure you don’t make another potentially expensive misstep.