
You may have heard about it before. The "stretch IRA" was a popular estate planning tool embraced by people who sought to leave a financial legacy to their heirs in a tax-efficient manner. This strategy allowed beneficiaries of an IRA to prolong the inherited funds by withdrawing only the required minimum distributions (RMDs) annually. This had the potential to leave a large sum within the IRA, enabling beneficiaries to enjoy the tax-deferred growth of inherited retirement funds over their lifetimes.