Inheriting an IRA? The 10-Year Rule That Can Quietly Cost Your Kids Six Figures

Align Your Retirement · Jun 23, 2026 · 15m · transcript

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You just inherited an IRA. Somewhere in the grief and the paperwork, a clock started, and almost no one tells you it's running.

Since the SECURE Act, most people who inherit an IRA from someone other than a spouse have just 10 years to empty the entire account, and every dollar that comes out is taxable income. The old "stretch IRA," where you could spread withdrawals over your lifetime, is mostly gone. Handle it on autopilot and you can stack a six-figure tax bill on top of your highest-earning years. Handle it with a plan, and you keep far more of what was left to you.

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