Morningstar Advisor

A look back at what Congress and the IRS did for-and to-retirement benefits in 2007.

Natalie explains why you should use plan-to-plan transfers instead of rollovers, if at all possible.

Some retirement-plan work must be done by Dec. 31, while other things are optional. Natalie clues you in on what you need to do to keep your clients' retirement plans in shape.

What is a stretch IRA, what are their advantages, and how do you get one? Natalie has all the answers, including one pointer: Don't leave it to the kids to do it after your client dies; they'll mess it up.

Natalie discusses exceptions that only apply to certain types of retirement plans or ones that are just temporary exceptions.

It's no joke. Congress created the retirement plan tax penalty and then wrote 18 exceptions to it. Natalie gives an overview of how the "funniest section of tax code" works and then tackles some of the exceptions.

A client recently inherited an IRA from his deceased mother. He proudly tells you that he is going to cash out the inherited IRA and transfer the funds into his regular IRA. You respond, "Not until you understand the five differences between your own IRA and your inherited IRA." Or at least that what Natalie advises in her newest podcast.

The beneficiaries of a deceased plan participant are pounding at your door. He died without naming a beneficiary or he named the wrong beneficiary, and they need your help to get them out of their mess. In this podcast, Natalie Choate outlines seven strategies to use when an IRA owner fails to put into place a proper plan for his retirement benefits.

New opportunities for benefits rollovers have been created under the Pension Protection Act of 2006. In this podcast, Natalie outlines the IRS' recent interpretation of the rule and provides you with some opportunities for clients who want to preserve life expectancy benefits for their heirs.