Independent guidance for Americans 50 and over
Know your options before you move your retirement money.
Clear guides and free calculators for rollovers, required withdrawals and gold IRAs. We never call you, and we won't scare you or rush you into anything.
60days
to finish an indirect rollover before the money can be taxed.
20%
withheld when a 401(k) pays you directly instead of the new account.
1per year
indirect rollover allowed between IRAs in any 12-month period.
73/75
the age required minimum distributions begin: 73, or 75 if you were born in 1960 or later.
These are IRS rules. Our guides explain each one without the jargon.
Start where you are
Wherever you are after 50, start here.
Pick whichever sounds most like you. Each one starts with the decision you're facing rather than something to buy.
- In your 50sI want to make the most of my 50sCatch-up contributions, changing jobs, and what's worth doing this decade.
- Retiring soonI plan to retire in the next few yearsWhat to check now so the last few years hold fewer surprises.
- Old 401(k)I have a 401(k) from a previous jobFour choices, and what's good and bad about each one.
- Gold IRAI'm considering gold for my IRAHow it works, what it costs once the fees add up, and who it actually suits.
- WithdrawalsI'm taking money out, or will soonRequired minimum distributions, deadlines, and the IRS table.
Free tools
Run the numbers before anyone runs them for you.
No sign-up. Your answers stay on your device.
Gold IRA fee calculator
How much does gold have to rise just to break even?
Drag the slider and watch the dealer's markup change the answer. The example is a $100,000 account held for 10 years, with typical fees.
Markup on common bullion tends to be a few percent. Proof or "premium" coins can run 30% or more.
10.2%
rise in gold's price needed just to get back to $100,000
Is a gold IRA right for me?Eight questions and a straight answer, including when it's no. 
RMD calculator and tableYour first required year and this year's minimum, from the IRS table. 
Rollover checklistEvery step of moving an old 401(k) or IRA, in order. 
Gold vs. stocks: what history showsCompare gold and a standard retirement mix over any period since 1972. 
Good retirement decisions are rarely urgent. Give yourself time to understand them.
The library
The guides readers return to
Moving your money
- What to do with an old 401(k)
- Direct rollover, indirect rollover, or transfer
- What to check five years before you retire
- Sequence of returns risk, explained
How this site works
We get paid when readers pick a company we recommend. That's exactly why we tell you when a gold IRA is a bad idea.
Reading our guides costs you nothing. If you decide a gold IRA fits your plan and contact a company through our link, that company may pay us. That money doesn't change what we write. Our quiz is built to say so plainly when a gold IRA isn't a good fit.
What we will never do
- Call you, or sell your personal information
- Use scare headlines about the economy or the dollar
- Promise what gold or any investment will do
- Hide a paid link or dress an ad up as advice
- Pretend to be your financial advisor