| “This is a costly deadline to miss.”
You must receive your first minimum distribution by April 1 of the year following the year you turn 70 1/2. Inaction can cause you to pay a penalty of 50-percent of the distribution you should have taken. So, take these steps:
- Allow yourself plenty of time to research your distribution options.
- Consider talking to a financial professional to understand more about your options and how they will affect you and your heirs.
- Contact your former employer’s Benefits department to find out what paperwork you must fill out to make your distribution election, and the deadline for filing it.
- Go to www.irs.gov to read more about required minimum distributions for income-tax-deferred plans. Look up Publication 590 – Individual Retirement Arrangements.
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