island. 1  a tract of land completely surrounded by water, and not large enough to be called a continent. 2  something resembling an island, especially in being isolated or having little or no direct communication with others.
While you can begin making qualified withdrawals from a traditional IRA at age 59Â½, you must start taking withdrawals that are known as required minimum distributions starting in the year you turn 70 Â½.
Updated June 14, 2016. The IRS requires that you start taking distributions from your qualified retirement accounts (IRA accounts, 401(k)s, 457 plans and other tax-deferred retirement savings plans like a TSA, SEP or SIMPLE) at a specific age. This is called a required minimum distribution, often referred to as an RMD.