Your 50s are a pivotal decade for retirement planning because several rules change in your favor. Under SECURE 2.0, catch-up contributions let savers age 50 and older put more into 401(k)s and IRAs each year than younger workers — and starting at age 60-63, an even higher 'super catch-up' limit...
Retirement security isn't a single number — it's a mix of legal protections and asset allocation choices. Employer-sponsored plans like 401(k)s are protected from creditors under ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act), while IRAs get separate protection in bankruptcy proceedings under...
In any IRA, including a self-directed one, a bank or IRS-approved non-bank trustee holds legal title to the account's assets under IRC Section 408(a) — you direct how the money is invested, but you don't personally hold the assets. This is precisely why self-directed IRAs use custodians and, for...
Written by Samuel, Certified Public Accountant Published August 2026 Last updated: August 2026 About this guide: This page is reviewed for tax treatment and account-structure accuracy by a Certified Public Accountant on our team. It reflects independent research and is not personalized tax, legal,...
The core rule is IRC Section 408(m): gold held in an IRA must meet a 99.5% purity standard (with a statutory exception for American Gold Eagle coins, which are lower purity but specifically allowed) and must be held by an IRS-approved custodian in an approved depository - not by the account owner...
