What was one of the significant provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1986?

One of the significant provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 was the introduction of a 10% tax on early distributions from retirement accounts before the age of 59 and a half. This penalty was designed to discourage individuals from withdrawing funds from their retirement accounts prematurely, thereby helping to ensure that individuals would have adequate savings for retirement. The imposition of this tax highlights the Act's intent to promote long-term savings and financial security in retirement by incentivizing individuals to keep their retirement funds invested until they reach retirement age.

In the context of retirement planning, this provision serves to emphasize the importance of maintaining funds within retirement accounts to benefit from tax-deferred growth, ultimately supporting the objective of growing retirement savings.