Welcome to Retirement Scan, our daily roundup of retirement news.
Workers who want to get an early start on preparing their children for financial independence — including retirement — can open 529 college savings plans, which in some states may lower an employee's tax bill, according to Forbes. Contributing to their Roth IRAs is another option. Another option is buying a life insurance policy for a child, which could allow them to qualify for additional coverage if they develop health problems later in life, the article says.

A warning story for federal government workers: A retired Department of Veterans Affairs employee's error on a form caused her to receive $25,000 less in a withdrawal from her Thrift Savings Plan. The mistake subjected the TSP funds to a mandatory 20% federal tax withholding, which she was unable to overturn in a lawsuit against the board administering the plan.
Workers who are maxing out contributions to tax-deferred retirement plans should look at HSAs before non-deferred options, writes Peter Lazaroff, CIO of Plancorp, in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal. The contributions are tax deductible and grow tax free, making them an ideal option for expenses "which are likely to represent a significant portion of your future budget," Lazaroff writes. The key to leaving an HSA untouched, he advises, is "sufficient cash flow, but also a healthy emergency fund so you have reserves on hand for large, unexpected medical expenses."
The proposed Secure Act, which would increase the age at which employees begin taking RMDs from 70 1/2 to 72, will not mean workers who reinvest their withdrawals will end up with more money, according to CNBC. Take a 70-year-old with $500,000 in an IRA. Under current law, if they reinvest their RMDs, their yield will grow to $569,000 by their 89th birthday, according to the article. Under the Secure Act, it would yield just $533,000. On the other hand, moving the RMD to a later age gives clients more time to convert their Roth IRA, allowing them to spread the funds over many years and thus minimize yearly taxes, the article says.