I don't deal with Vanguard, but I assume the survivor will roll the inherited IRA into their own existing IRA, or into a newly created one titled in their name. What does Vanguard say?In the case I'm talking about both of them are over 80 years old and the Roth was first funded well over 5 years ago. The intention is to never take any RMDs and just let the assets grow. In this case does it make sense to immediately assume ownership? What does one tell Vanguard to accomplish that?
Most custodians will first set up an inherited Roth IRA, after which there is no deadline to assume ownership. Once ownership is assumed, the holding period is the longer of the holding periods for both spouses. but the age of the surviving spouse determines when the Roth is qualified.
In certain cases, it is preferable to maintain the Roth as inherited when it is qualified due to death, but assumption would result in loss of qualification if the surviving spouse is under 59.5.
Statistics: Posted by RyeBourbon — Sat Dec 27, 2025 6:44 am — Replies 51 — Views 4347