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Birthday Benefits Quiz

Remember when you turned 16 and rushed to get your driver’s license? Or earned the right to vote at 18 and enjoyed the privileges and responsibilities of adulthood at 21? There aren’t many legal changes associated with birthdays after that until you turn 50, and then there are plenty.



Can you match these ages to the related federal benefits and tax responsibilities? One age will be used twice.

50     55     59½     62     65     67     70     73     75

___ 1. Eligible for full Social Security benefits for those born in 1960 or later

___ 2. Earliest age to make catch-up contributions to a traditional IRA or an
           employer-sponsored retirement plan

___ 3. Eligible for maximum Social Security benefit

___ 4. Must begin taking required minimum distributions from most tax-deferred
           retirement plans, for those born from 1951 to 1959

___ 5. Eligible to enroll in Medicare

___ 6. Earliest age to make catch-up contributions to a health savings account

___ 7. Earliest eligibility age to begin taking reduced Social Security worker benefits

___ 8. Must begin taking required minimum distributions from most tax-deferred
           retirement plans, for those born in 1960 or later

___ 9. Eligible to withdraw money from a tax-deferred IRA or employer-sponsored
           retirement plan (for most employees) without incurring a 10% federal tax penalty

___ 10. Eligible to withdraw money from a tax-deferred employer-sponsored retirement plan
             without incurring a 10% federal tax penalty, for an employee who separates from
             service with the employer

For further information, visit irs.gov, socialsecurity.gov, and medicare.gov.

Answers
1. 67
2. 50
3. 70
4. 73
5. 65
6. 55
7. 62
8. 75
9. 59½
10. 55 (50 or after 25 years of service for qualified public safety employees)