Deeper, structured explanations on retirement rules — built for trainers, front-line reps, and serious DIY investors.
The regular emails from the Rundown are built for quick reads. The guides in this library are built for something different: deeper, structured explanations you can highlight, reference, and keep at your desk.
Everything here is still education-only — not individualized investment, tax, or legal advice — but the format is designed for trainers, front-line reps, and serious DIY investors who want a stronger grasp of the rules.
Long-form, structured guides built to be read once and referenced often. Each one covers a single account type from top to bottom.
Contribution limits, deductibility phase-outs, withdrawal rules, RMDs, rollovers, Roth conversions, and the mistakes most people make — all in plain English.
Read the Guide →Contribution limits, income phase-outs, the 5-year rules, qualified distributions, Roth conversions, rollovers, no-RMD advantage, and the mistakes that cost people money — all in plain English.
Read the Guide →Surviving spouse options, the 10-year rule, annual RMDs, eligible designated beneficiaries, the SECURE Act changes, and the mistakes that cost beneficiaries the most — all in plain English.
Read the Guide →For accounts inherited before January 1, 2020 — the stretch IRA, the reduce-by-one RMD method, the 2022 table reset, surviving spouse options, and the mistakes that still cost people money.
Read the Guide →What happens when an estate, trust, or charity inherits an IRA — the 5-year rule, ghost life expectancy, see-through trust requirements, and the mistakes that eliminate better options.
Read the Guide →The 60-day rule, the 20% withholding trap, the one-per-year rule, the pro-rata problem, and the decisions that matter when you leave a job with a 401(k).
Read the Guide →How a non-working spouse can still save for retirement, the contribution rules, the deductibility traps, and why this is one of the most underused strategies in retirement planning.
Read the Guide →What the term actually means, what you can and can't invest in, prohibited transactions, the Checkbook IRA structure, UBTI/UDFI, valuation requirements, and the scams to watch for.
Read the Guide →Contribution limits, the self-employment math trap, employee obligations, and what small business owners get wrong.
Read the Guide →Dual-role contributions, Traditional vs. Roth, the 2026 Roth catch-up rule, loan provisions, Mega Backdoor Roth, and why it beats the SEP IRA at most income levels.
Read the Guide →Mandatory employer match, the two-year penalty trap, the 2026 enhanced limits, and how the SIMPLE IRA compares to a SEP IRA and 401(k) for businesses with employees.
Read the Guide →Contribution limits, employer matching, in-service distributions, rollovers, and the rules most participants don't learn until it's too late.
How pension benefits are calculated, payout options, survivor benefits, and what happens when you leave or the plan terminates.
These are the first topic-focused guides planned for the library. Status will update as drafts are completed and released.
A structured walk-through of how Roth conversions work in practice: timelines, tax reporting, common misconceptions, and sample case studies.
Focused on missed RMDs, penalty waivers, and edge cases, with a checklist-style approach you can use when these scenarios appear.
SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, and solo 401(k)s compared side by side, with a focus on where each fits and what questions to ask business owners.
As the Rundown grows, this library will expand. These are candidate topics; final selection will be driven by subscriber questions.
A practical guide to 10-year rules, eligible designated beneficiaries, and how the rules actually show up on forms and timelines.
Mapping out the most common IRA and plan movement scenarios with clear yes/no, “watch for this,” and “ask this question” prompts.
Turning the Rundown + guides into a personal reference system so you don’t have to relearn the same rules over and over.
Subscribers to the Rundown will occasionally be asked to vote on which guide gets finished and released next. If you’d like to help prioritize topics — or be notified when new guides go live — make sure you’re on the list.
The Retirement News Rundown, its Substack newsletter, and all guides in this library are for general education and information only. They do not provide individualized investment, tax, or legal advice, and they do not establish a client relationship with any firm or individual.
Always consult your own tax professional, financial advisor, or legal counsel before making decisions about your accounts, investments, or retirement strategy.