This seems pretty basic, yet is too often overlooked. Have you already made your IRA contributions for 2010 and/or 2011? Many of us associate April with taxes. You get 15½ months to make your IRA contribution for a given tax year. Hopefully, you contribute the maximum annually and make your contribution at the start of the year. Be sure to indicate the year of the IRA contribution on the check. Postmark deadlines for prior-year contributions vary among IRA custodians, and sometimes checks that arrive after the deadline count as current-year contributions regardless of postmark. If you turned 50 in 2010, your IRA contribution limit for 2010 is $6,000. The recharacterization deadline for Roth IRA conversions is April 18. Write “2010 IRA contribution” or “2011 IRA contribution” or something equally simple and clear on your check (and include your account number on the check to help your IRA custodian). Many IRA owners just let their account custodians calculate the annual RMD for them. Your IRA custodian should have notified you of this deadline at the end of January, and many IRA custodians have online calculators or similar tools that will help you figure out the RMD amount.