Case Summaries The SECURE Act: What Estate Planners Need to Know

Under the SECURE Act, enacted in December 2019, qualified plan and IRA benefits generally must be distributed within 10 years, with some important exceptions for the surviving spouse and certain other recipients, following the death of the plan or IRA owner.   This change dramatically changes traditional “stretch” planning.  In particular, complications arise if trusts are beneficiaries of qualified plans or IRAs.