IRA held by a beneficiary after the original account owner dies, with distribution rules that differ from those for an owner’s own retirement account.
An inherited IRA is an IRA held by a beneficiary after the original owner dies.
It keeps the retirement-account wrapper, but the withdrawal and distribution rules usually change because the beneficiary is not the original saver.
Inherited IRAs matter because tax treatment after death can be very different from ordinary retirement-account use.
spouse and non-spouse beneficiaries often have different options
distribution timelines can accelerate withdrawals
tax planning depends heavily on beneficiary status and account type
That makes inherited IRAs a distinct planning topic rather than just a normal IRA with a new name on it.
IRA: Broader account family to which inherited IRAs belong.
Required Minimum Distribution (RMD): Core withdrawal rule often discussed with inherited accounts.
5-Year Rule for IRAs: Timing rule that can apply in some inherited IRA situations.
Roth IRA: Account type whose inherited version can have different withdrawal treatment from a traditional inherited IRA.