Can You Combine Two IRAs Into One? Expert Explains IRA Rules and Options

Can You Combine 2 IRAs Into 1? Expert Explains IRA Rules and Options: In this episode of Ask The Hammer, financial expert Jeffrey Levine answers a question about combining two individual IRAs into one account. A couple is struggling with a “dead-end” investment in their self-directed IRAs and wants to reduce fees by consolidating accounts. Levine explains that IRAs cannot be gifted or combined, even between spouses, as they are individual accounts. He suggests two potential options:

1. If the investment is worthless, distribute it from the IRA, potentially incurring taxes and penalties.
2. Evaluate if the fees associated with the self-directed IRA are worth maintaining for the investment’s potential.

Levine emphasizes the importance of understanding the nature of the “dead-end” investment and weighing the costs and benefits of maintaining the account versus distributing the assets. He also cautions about the typically higher fees and illiquidity associated with self-directed IRAs.

Watch this video to answer the question “Can You Combine Two IRAs Into One?” and catch more Ask The Hammer episodes at this link: https://www.finstream.tv/videos/ask-the-hammer/