THE
STERLING
Advantage
Information to
Sterling Trust Accountholders
1st Quarter 2005 7901 Fish Pond Road
Waco, Texas 76710
PO Box 2526
Waco, Texas 76702-2526
800 955 3434
254 751 1505
Fax: 254 751 0872
www.sterling-trust.com
IRS Form 5498 to be Filed inside…
by May 31st 2 ..........
Strategy Tip
If you made a tax-year 2004 reportable 3 ..........
contribution to your Sterling Trust IRA, we will New Rule Expands
mail you an IRS Form 5498 on or before May 31, Eligibility for Roth
IRA Conversions
2005. You do not need to attach the IRS Form
5498 to your tax return. However, you should 3 ..........
keep this form with your tax records. IRS Changes
Reporting
Requirements for
IRS Form 5498 will be filed with the IRS on or 72(t) Distributions
before May 31, 2005, and it will report:
4 ..........
Supreme Court
• Regular IRA contributions made during 2004 Says Bankrupt
and through April 15, 2005, Couple Can Shield
• Rollover contributions made during 2004, IRAs
• SEP-IRA employer contributions actually
5 ..........
made during calendar year 2004 Important
Enclosed with this newsletter is (regardless of tax year), Information and
• SIMPLE IRA employer contributions Time Saving Tips
your March 31, 2005, quarterly
actually made during calendar year
statement. Please review it 2004 (regardless of tax year),
carefully and report any
• Amounts converted from a
Traditional or SEP-IRA to a Roth
discrepancies within 60 days to IRA during 2004, and
Sterling Trust by mail, by fax to • Amounts recharacterized to or from a
Mission Statement
Roth IRA during 2004.
(254) 751-0872, by calling Client To be the national leader
in retirement plan and
Services at (800) 955-3434, The reporting of SEP and SIMPLE related services through
or send an email to IRA contributions on Form 5498 confuse aggressive growth,
many people. Per IRS instructions, innovation, and efficient
IRAServices@Matrixbancorp.com employer contributions made to a SEP processing -- with loyalty,
plan must be reported in Box 8 of IRS dedication, and a
or
commitment of
QPServices@Matrixbancorp.com. excellence to our
See IRS Form 5498, pg. 2 customers.
IRS Form 5498, Cont.
Form 5498 for the year in which the contributions are actually made, regardless of the tax year. Employer
contributions made to a SIMPLE plan must be reported in Box 9 of IRS Form 5498 for the year in which the
contributions are actually made, regardless of the tax year. Employers should keep their own records,
designating the tax year the contribution is intended and file their taxes accordingly.
Sterling Trust Company
3,000.00
P.O. Box 2526
Waco, TX 76702-2526
74-6357654 123-45-6789
John Doe
25,000.00
123 Any Street
Any Town, USA 00000
02-000000
Carefully review the Contribution and Rollover information shown in the Account Summary section on the
first page of your enclosed statement to be sure the amounts shown are correct as of March 31, 2005. If
you notice any discrepancies, please notify Sterling Trust in writing prior to May 1, 2005, so that our
records may be corrected prior to filing IRS Form 5498 for 2004.
You Asked
for It, You'll
Get It…
Strategy Tip: watch for changes
coming soon to
Does your Traditional IRA hold a non-performing asset that reflects a
$0 value – but you anticipate it may payout at some point in the future? Sterling Trust’s
This happens most often due to a bankruptcy or receivership situation.
You may be eligible to convert the asset to a Roth IRA tax-free and
later withdraw any payout proceeds tax-free after the 5-year holding
phone
period has been met. Check with your tax or financial planning
professional to see if this strategy might work for you. system.
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New Rule Expands Eligibility for Roth IRA
Conversions
Good news! Some IRA owners who have not been eligible to convert their
traditional IRA assets to Roth IRAs might be able to do so in 2005.
One of the rules for converting a traditional IRA to a
Roth IRA is that adjusted gross income (AGI) cannot exceed
$100,000. In addition, people taking required minimum
distributions (RMDs) are required to include the amount of
their RMD when calculating their AGI. That RMD amount
can be more than enough to push AGI over the limit for a
conversion.
For example: John is 75 years old in 2004. His adjusted
gross income (AGI) is $95,000 (before he takes his RMD) and
his RMD is $13,615. John cannot convert his traditional IRA
to a Roth IRA in 2004, because his AGI would be $108,615.
However, for tax years beginning after December 31, 2004
account holders may be able to exclude the amount of their
RMD when calculating their AGI for Roth conversions.
Using the above example, for 2005 John will be able to
exclude the amount of RMD in calculating his AGI, and since
it is under $100,000, he will be eligible to convert any or all of the funds in his traditional IRA to a Roth IRA – just as
long as he takes the RMD before he converts to the Roth IRA. (The RMD is not eligible for conversion and the RMD
is subject to federal income tax.)
Of course, it’s important that account holders interested in this option understand that they will be required to pay
taxes on the contributions and earnings being converted. Considering this option early in the year provides time to
plan accordingly.
IRS Changes Reporting Requirements for 72(t)
Distributions
The IRS has clarified the instructions for reporting distributions to IRA and qualified plan participants
receiving substantially equal payments in accordance with IRC §72(t) on IRS Form 1099-R for 2004.
Based on this IRS clarification, Sterling Trust has determined that we must report all distributions taken
for substantially equal payments according to 72(t) using the age-based codes on Form 1099-R. Participants
receiving scheduled payments based on 72(t) that are under age 591/2 will receive Forms 1099-R with
distribution code 1, “premature”, in box 7, rather than code 2, “premature exception applies”.
We have implemented this change as of January 1, 2005, and it is reflected on the filing of Form 1099-R
for the 2004 tax year. Individuals who are under 591/2 and receive a distribution that qualifies for an
exception to the penalty under 72(t) will be required to file Form 5329, Additional Taxes on Qualified
Plans (Including IRAs) and Other Tax-Favored Accounts, with their Form 1040. For more information,
refer to IRS Publication 590, or the instructions for Forms 1040 and 5329.
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Does your Sterling
Trust account hold a
real estate property?
You can help prevent delayed
payments and/or late fees charged by
utility companies, homeowner
associations, taxing authorities and
others by instructing the entity to
mail invoices to you directly. Since
Sterling Trust requires your
authorization to remit the payment,
you may then forward the invoice to
us, along with your instructions for
us to pay the invoice from your
account.
Supreme Court Says Bankrupt
Couple Can Shield IRAs
On April 4, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that
a married couple can shield their individual retirement account
(IRA) assets from their creditors during bankruptcy, just like other
retirement income.
Under the Bankruptcy Code, exempt assets include a debtor's
rights in distributions from a "stock bonus, pension, profit-sharing,
annuity, or similar plan or contract," "on account of illness,
disability, death, age, or length of service," "to the extent" that is
"reasonably necessary to support" the accountholder or his or her
dependents.
The Court explained while IRAs provide a right to payment on demand, this
right is restricted by a 10 percent tax penalty on withdrawals made before the
accountholder turns 591/2. Therefore, the right to payment is causally
connected to the accountholders' age.
And although IRAs are not stock bonus, pension, profit-sharing or
annuity plans or contracts, the Court noted, they are similar to such
plans or contracts. IRAs provide a substitute for wages (compensation
earned as hourly or salary income) and are not mere savings accounts.
Therefore, they are "similar plans or contracts" within the meaning of the Code,
the Court ruled.
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Important Changes and Time-Saving Tips
® If your IRA holds a structured settlement, beginning May 1, 2005, your account will begin
incurring a $25 non-standard asset holding fee annually for each structured settlement and any other
non-standard asset or private placement investment held, up to 5 assets (capped at $125 per account).
This fee will be charged upon the annual renewal of your account, which is the anniversary month of
the opening of your IRA account.
® Important note about payment of annual IRA fees… If your annual IRA custodial fee
is paid by check and your payment is not received by the due date, Sterling will deduct the fee from
your cash account, provided there is sufficient cash. If your fee payment is received after this deduction
occurs, under IRS guidelines, the payment must be considered an “IRA contribution”, regardless of
whether or not you are eligible to make an IRA contribution. Beginning January 1, 2005, fee payments
received after the fee has been deducted from the account can not be considered a “fee reimbursement”.
® Have an address change? An address change request form is now available for download from
our Online Forms menu at www.sterling-trust.com.
® Receive transaction confirmations via email. We can now send confirmations of your
account transactions to you by email. Do we have your email address? You can request this added
convenience via email to: IRAServices@Matrixbancorp.com or by fax to our IRA Client Service team
at (254) 751-0872.
® Watch for changes coming soon to Sterling Trust’s new account and other
forms… Sterling Trust will soon be revising its account opening forms and other forms will also
undergo important changes. Please check our website and the next quarterly newsletter for more
details. As always, you can obtain the latest versions of Sterling Trust’s forms by downloading the form
you need from the “Online Forms” menu on our website at www.sterling-trust.com .
Sterling Trust’s eService for your account questions
For inquiries about your IRA or SEP-IRA, send your email message, including your name,
account number, and social security number to our IRA Client Service team at:
IRAServices@Matrixbancorp.com
For questions about your custodial account or qualified retirement plan, direct your email
message to our Qualified Plans Customer Service team at: QPServices@Matrixbancorp.com
Let us show you that we are ready to respond!
See Tips, pg. 6
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Tips, Cont.
Use STERLING ONLINE!
You can view your IRA, personal custodial or 403(b)(7) custodial account 24/7 from any place that
you have internet access. To check your available cash or view transaction details, simply log on to
www.sterling-trust.com and click the STERLING ONLINE! icon. If you’re a first-time user,
complete the form to request access, set your own password, and then log on! For assistance with
STERLING ONLINE!, you may email our IRA Client Service team at
IRAServices@Matrixbancorp.com, or call us at (800) 955-3434, option 2.
Don’t wait to take advantage of this convenient service — sign up today!
Thank You
Thank you for using the services of Sterling Trust Company. We appreciate your business!
This newsletter is intended to provide you with general information about your retirement account. The articles and opinions are not meant to provide legal, tax or
other professional advice or recommendations. You are encouraged to contact your tax advisor or legal professional before making decisions concerning these
matters.
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