I asked:
"On a joint account, do both joint owners have to be 59.5 to avoid the 10% early withdrawal penalty?"

TMFPixy responded:
I think you are confused. There is no such thing as a "joint account" in an IRA or a qualified retirement plan. The "I" in IRA stands for "Individual," so there is only one owner, and that owner is the one who must be 59 1/2 to avoid the early withdrawal penalty in the absence of any distribution exception such as "substantially equal periodic payments (SEPP)."

Regards..Pixy

I tend to be confused a lot, it keeps people from bothering me <g>.
The confusion for me is that the 'account' (Fidelity Advisor, 8+ yrs) is labeled 'joint' though I don't know the context. I of course intend to contact them Monday for clarification.

Thanks,
arahFool