Do you know what your MRD is on your IRA, or when your RBD will be? These questions actually got easier to answer with the 2001 Tax Act. Much of it will depend upon your plan administrator and your type of retirement account, but in general the change is favorable for the taxpayer AND easier to calculate, a combination that is rare in tax law changes. Before the tax act, the Minimum Required Distribution, or "RMD", was determined by taking the life expectancy of the owner of the IRA and calculate the RMD so that the owner would receive the last penny from the account on the day he died. If you added a beneficiary, however, you could use their life expectancy, if it were longer, but only up to ten years younger than you. This allows the owner to retain assets longer in the IRA where they appreciate tax free. They have made it easier by essentially assuming your beneficiary is ten years younger, or, more simply, by figuring your life expectancy based on someone ten years younger than you. Note, however, if your beneficiary is your spouse, and is more than ten years younger than you, the actual age is used. It is recommended that anyone who is approaching their Required Beginning Date (April 1 of the calendar year after the year in which the IRA owner turns 70 and ½) should consult with both a financial planner and an estate planning or tax attorney to discuss the best ways to keep the account earning tax-free appreciation as long as possible.