IRA Minimum Distrubtion Calculator (MRD) (2000 (9.

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(Edited by HansV to make URL clickable – see Help 19)

I set out to create a spread sheet that would allow me to calculate the minimum required distribution on my IRA. I’m not a macro programmer, so I entered the needed values the hard way. I took the actuarial table of divisors that generate the MRD from the IRS Publication 590. I wanted to provide for the possibility of also making partial Roth IRA conversions. I’ve attached a copy I created using a capital nest egg of $100,000 for illustrative purposes.

To check my results, I entered the same capital nest egg at:

http://personal.fidelity.com/retirement/re…/mrdframe.shtml%5B/url%5D

My results differ from theirs. I can’t see how they do their calculation. I did mine by adding 5% and 4% to the initial capital in compound fashion. Since I was born in March 1940, I begin distributions in 2010. Once distributions commence, I subtract them from the new balance before calculating the next distribution. The example contains no Roth conversions. Were they there, they would be subtracted out just like the distribution.

Can anyone see if I’ve done anything wrong? I’d like to share this calculator with others, but I’d like to know that I am doing it right.

Thanks,

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Nobody will be able to see what you might have done wrong until you attach the file. A link to IRS Pub 590 would also be helpful.

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I could have sworn I browsed for the spreadsheet before I posted last time. Perhaps I forgot and did a last preview and lost it. I’ll try to do better this time.

I tried extracting the first page and the table page from Pub 590 as an Acrobat file, but it is still 897 kb so I cannot attach that.

It is found here:

http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/lists/0,,id=97819,00.html[/url]

but one must scroll down to it, select it, and then download it.

To save people the bother, I copied the table and relevant instructions and pasted them into a Word document. I’ll attach that, too.

Thanks again,

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It was not clear if I could attach two files to one post. I did not see where the attachments were recorded until I edited the above post and attached only one file. The Word document is attached to this post.

Thanks,

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You can specify only one attachment to a post. If you want to attach multiple files, you can create a zip file containing them, and attach the zip file.

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(Edited by JohnBF on 30-Jul-07 08:35. )

OK, the answer is simple:

1. Your calcs have an error in that the first required distribution is at age 70.5, yours begin in year 71.
2. The Fidelity Calculations are based on using Table III, which most frequently applies. (Their calculation in cell J9 is cell D8

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Thank you John,

The answer is that I was tired and made another major error. I copied and pasted values from the IRS table starting at age 86 and pasted them starting at age 70. I must have been scrolled part way down the worksheet with the IRS table in it.

Lesson #1, just like in skiiing, do not try another run if you are tired. You can get into trouble!

Thanks,

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it’s easy to lose the attachment on initial posting.

It would be less load on the Lounge to provide a reference to the publication: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p590.pdf [/url], rather than an attachment. Loungers, be warned that this is a large document.

The instructions for calculation of the MRD seem simple, though it’s not very clear which table to use.

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