Congress just agreed to a bipartisan appropriations bill that will help avert another government shutdown. However, attached to the spending bill is a piece of legislation called the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act), which passed the House with a 417-3 vote earlier this summer.
Honestly, the passage of the SECURE Act came as a bit of a surprise as it appeared to be derailed during the fall. Now, just a few weeks before the end of the year, Congress is changing major tax laws implicating 2019 and especially 2020 going forward.
The most important provision of the SECURE Act – removal of the stretch RMD provisions – is a tax revenue generator, meaning a tax hike on many Americans. This goes into effect Jan. 1, 2020, assuming President Trump signs the bill into law, which seems all but a forgone conclusion.