Dec 18, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst With the clock ticking down on 2019, Congress is expected to enact a $1.4 trillion year-end spending bill to keep the government running. Tucked away inside this mammoth piece of legislation is the Setting Every Community Up for...
Dec 16, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst 1. What is a QDRO? A QDRO is a “qualified domestic relations order.” In plain English, it is a state court order obtained by divorcing parties that requires an ERISA plan to pay a portion of a participant’s benefit to the non-participant...
Dec 12, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Question: As year-end approaches, I have just exceeded my 2019 RMD, combining total QCD’s during the year and my regular monthly IRA withdrawals. If I make additional charitable contributions from my IRA this month, are they...
Dec 12, 2019 | Blog, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
The Internal Revenue Service announced on Wednesday, November 6, that several contribution limits in qualified retirement plans will increase next year. The IRS announced the increases as part of an annual adjustment for cost-of-living increases as provided in the...
Dec 11, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When the chips are down, the providers hold all the cards. This is true for both IRAs and workplace plans. Ultimately, the IRA custodian (through its custodial form) and retirement plan sponsor (through the plan document) will...
Dec 10, 2019 | IRA Blog
December 10th, 2019 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Yet Again, the Market Focuses on What Matters – Interest Rates and Earnings After a rocky start to last week, U.S. equity markets rebounded and finished higher, led by Friday’s 1% bounce in the S&P...
Dec 5, 2019 | Blog, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
You definitely want to avoid these at all costs. Millions of seniors today regard Social Security as a critical source of income. But if you’re not careful, you could wind up losing out on some of that money and struggling during retirement as a result. Here are...
Dec 4, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Just like eating too much pumpkin pie with whipped cream isn’t good for your waistline, being a “top-heavy” retirement plan also may not be healthy. Sponsors of certain retirement savings plans must have their plan tested each year to...
Dec 4, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a river of sights and colors and sound. A snappy marching band flows to an army of volunteers clutching the ropes of a six-story inflatable SpongeBob, swaying in the wind. Flag bearers and...
Dec 2, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Jenny earns a salary of $1,000,000. She is single and is not an active participant in a company retirement plan. Jenny can contribute $6,000 to a traditional IRA and deduct the full amount on her taxes. Benny, also unmarried, has a...
Dec 1, 2019 | Market Review and Outlook
November 2019 Market Review -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets crushed it in November with substantial gains across all the major indices. Record highs were inked for the S&P 500, up 3.4%, the Dow, up 3.72%, and for the NASDAQ, which gained 4.5% over the...
Nov 29, 2019 | Blog, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Everyone’s idea of the “perfect retirement” is different. Some of us plan to travel the world, while others hope to move to a new location, perhaps with a warmer climate. Still others might wish to live frugally so they have a sizable nest egg they can pass on to...
Nov 26, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentary
November 25, 2019 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Nasdaq and S&P 500 Reach New Highs Markets broke out today after two weeks of digesting the October and November gains. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are at new all-time highs. Let’s take a look at how we got...
Nov 25, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Roth IRAs first arrived over twenty years ago. A lot has changed since 1998. That was the year that Google was founded and an electronic pet called a Furby was one of the most popular Christmas gifts. However, some things haven’t...
Nov 21, 2019 | Blog, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
The holidays are just around the corner, meaning it’s almost time to prepare for parties, travel, gift-giving and more. But what’s good for the spirit can be hard on the wallet. Without a proper plan in place, it can be easy to lose track of how much you’ve spent,...
Nov 21, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I am over 71 and have 2 IRAs, one in my name, the other is inherited. Can I take one RMD from the inherited IRA to satisfy both? Or must I treat them separately and do 2 separate RMDs? Thank you! Tyler Answer: Hi Tyler, You must...
Nov 20, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst If you are charitably inclined and have an IRA, you might want to consider doing a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) for 2019. The deadline for a 2019 QCD is fast approaching. It is December 31, 2019 and many custodians have even...
Nov 19, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentary
November 18, 2019 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Six Week Market Recap: How Fundamental Data Has Impacted Cabana’s Allocation We hosted our monthly advisor webinar on Friday and touched on a variety of tools and resources we have in the works at Cabana, as...
Nov 18, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Earlier this month, a tax notification service released information declaring that “North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed legislation allowing an income exclusion for distributions from individual retirement accounts (IRAs) to...
Nov 14, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Question: Hello Ed, I have received differing views on making a 401(k) conversion to a Roth IRA. I’m a 64 year old retired federal employee and plan to transfer all my funds from the TSP to my traditional IRA. From there I plan...
Nov 14, 2019 | Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Ensure you have the financial security to be in control of your retirement. Before determining if an FIA is right for your portfolio, make sure you understand the specific product features and if the benefits ladder into your goals. If you… have a retirement plan in...
Nov 14, 2019 | Uncategorized
Ensure you have the financial security to be in control of your retirement. Before determining if an FIA is right for your portfolio, make sure you understand the specific product features and if the benefits ladder into your goals. If you… have a retirement plan in...
Nov 13, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Many 401(k) plans must pass two annual nondiscrimination tests: the ADP test and the ACP test. The November 11 Slott Report discusses the ADP test. This Slott Report tackles the ACP test and the options available to 401(k) plans that fail...
Nov 12, 2019 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
One of the biggest challenges in retirement is building a reliable stream of monthly income to support you for what could be a very long time. While retirees have long relied on bonds for this purpose, a retirement income expert recently told MONEY that there’s a...
Nov 12, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
November 11, 2019 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Money Rotation Continues to be Bullish This past week we saw major U.S. indices tread water at their all-time highs. Underneath the hood, money is rotating from low beta assets such as bonds, real estate, utilities...
Nov 11, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you participate in a 401(k) plan, you probably know about the annual limit on the amount of your deferrals (for 2019, $19,000, or $25,000 if over age 50). But if you are a high-paid employee, another limit may apply. Welcome to the IRS...
Nov 7, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Question: Hi Ed, My question: Is there any way to do a charitable distribution from my IRA before I reach RMD age? I am recently retired and 65 years old. Thanks! Marty Answer: Marty – The number-one requirement to be able to...
Nov 6, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Hypersensitivity to caffeine – this is my affliction. So much so that I limit myself to one energy drink per week. It must be opened before noon and should be nursed for a minimum of 90 minutes. Any violation could result in...
Nov 4, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
The Fourth Quarter Rally We’ve Been Hoping For The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both closed last week at all-time highs. Several weeks ago, we noted improving conditions, which resulted in our reallocation to add risk assets back on during the week of Oct. 21. Other...
Nov 4, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst IRAs are for saving for retirement. However, as these accounts have grown over the years, many IRA owners still have significant funds in their IRA at their death. This means that estate planning for IRAs is essential. Effective estate...
Nov 1, 2019 | Market Review and Outlook
October 2019 Market Review -Darren Leavitt, CFA Global risk assets were in favor during the month of October. In October, investors continued to be hopeful that a trade deal between the US and China could be forged and also optimistic that a no-deal Brexit could be...
Oct 31, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I am 72 years old and converting my traditional IRA to a Roth IRA a little at a time each year. Do I need to concern myself with a 5-year rule for earnings if I were to withdraw ALL my Roth IRA at once? If I do have to address...
Oct 31, 2019 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Washington, D.C. – U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today unveiled the 2020 Best Places to Retire in the United States. The rankings offer a comprehensive evaluation of the country’s 125 largest metropolitan...
Oct 30, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you’re thinking about leaving your job, you may want to inquire about your company retirement plan’s vesting schedule. If you are close to becoming vested in a retirement benefit, it may pay to stick it out until you have enough...
Oct 30, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Week Two of Economic Improvement Last week, we noted overall improvement in underlying economic conditions. That trend has continued. Earnings here in the U.S. have been better than expected, with a number of upside sales surprises. This data suggests that the ongoing...
Oct 28, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Buckle your seatbelt and hang on to your hat. This ride could get bumpy. We are about to embark on a conversation that might give some readers vertigo or whiplash or all of the above. An article I wrote about the two 5-year clocks...
Oct 25, 2019 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
As National Financial Planning Month, October serves as a good opportunity for an annual check-up on your financial health to ensure you’re on track to meet your goals. Whether those goals are specific to retirement or not, regular checks can help prevent any...
Oct 24, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Question: I have a question about an IRA split between my husband and me. I got half of his retirement IRA and I was wondering if I am responsible for the taxes if I was to withdraw the funds. Also, if I didn’t want all the funds...
Oct 24, 2019 | Market Review and Outlook
Third Quarter Check-Up: Is the US Consumer Still Healthy? -David Young, CFA It may seem like a simple question with a simple answer, but there’s a lot more to it than you might think. Financial trade publications and cable television networks often discuss the...
Oct 23, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Many individuals find themselves stepping away from a job for reasons such as raising children or being a caregiver to aging parents. When this happens retirement savings can take a hit. That does not necessarily need to be case. You...
Oct 22, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
October 21st, 2019 Improvements at Home and Abroad Relatively strong earnings reports over the past week in the U.S. helped push our major stock indexes back within reach of their all-time highs. Banks and other financial firms brought in stellar reports. This has...
Oct 21, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Contrary to urban legend, ERISA does not stand for “Every Ridiculous Idea Since Adam.” Instead, it is an acronym for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. ERISA is a federal law that regulates employer-sponsored retirement...
Oct 17, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Question: Hello, I was wondering, will incorrect information on a Beneficiary Designation form cause it to be invalid? I see forms with a wrong or missing date of birth, or ones listing more than one beneficiary, each assigned...
Oct 17, 2019 | Blog, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
How to find coverage that meets your needs and budget Life insurance can form a vital part of your family’s financial stability and well-being but, if you’re like most people, you may find the thought of shopping for the right type of coverage a little daunting....
Oct 16, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst My wife teaches elementary school kids. Been at it for years. Long enough to have former students visit her classroom as adults. She was put on this Earth to teach. Tough job, though. Even at this early age, and oftentimes through...
Oct 15, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
October 14th, 2019 Does the News Really Matter? Equity markets set politics aside last week and focused on renewed hope of a trade deal between the U.S. and China. Initial reports were that the two countries had agreed to a “phase one” (of several) compromise. It was...
Oct 14, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst There are always questions that come up as to the correct way to handle the required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year of death of the IRA owner. Here are three things you need to know about the year of death RMD. 1. The RMD for...
Oct 11, 2019 | Blog, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Are you on track for retirement? These customizable calculators will allow you to run different scenarios and discover how small adjustments could make a big difference for your retirement future. Am I saving enough to retire? Will your current savings strategy lead...
Oct 10, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I turn 70 ½ this year and my last day of work was September 30, 2019. Am I required to take an RMD from my work profit sharing 401(k) plan by April of 2020 and, if so, is the RMD calculated on the 12/31/18 account balance? My...
Oct 8, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
October 7, 2019 Chadd Mason The Jury is Still Out Last week saw more of the same volatility that has plagued equity markets since April. Over the past six months there have been no less than five trends encompassing moves up/down in stock prices greater than 5%. These...
Oct 7, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Retroactive adjective ret·ro·ac·tive | extending in scope or effect to a prior time or to conditions that existed or originated in the past; especially: made effective as of a date prior to enactment, promulgation, or...
Oct 4, 2019 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Its No Myth, Lack of Diversity Puts Retirement At Risk. What Other Myths Need To Be Busted? There is a retirement crisis in America. 1 in 4 baby boomers have less than $5,000 saved for retirement, a staggering amount since average healthcare costs alone will cost you...
Oct 3, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Question: I attended the two-day event in Washington DC. Is there any news on the attempts in Congress to change the stretch-out? Jim Answer: Hi Jim, It sounds like you are asking about the status of the Setting Every Community Up For...
Oct 2, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst October is upon us. This means fall is in full swing. Along with football, pumpkin-spice everything and stocking up on candy for trick-or-treat come four important October 15 deadlines you will not want to miss! 1. Did you contribute...
Oct 1, 2019 | Market Review and Outlook
September 2019 Market Review -Darren Leavitt, CFA Equity markets around the globe bounced back from the sell-off we had in August. Uncertainties around trade continued to be in focus for investors as the US and China countered each other’s policies. The continuing...
Oct 1, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
September 30th 2019 Eyes Wide Open and the Glass Half Full The past week saw continued selling in U.S. equity markets. The S&P 500 ended slightly more than 2% below alltime highs. Given all the recent impeachment noise, mixed messages regarding our trade with...
Oct 1, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Knowing your limits is important when you’re sitting in a bar and realize that you have to drive home. It’s also important to know the dollar limits that apply when you participate in more than one company retirement savings plan or you...
Sep 27, 2019 | Blog, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Earlier this month, the United States celebrated Grandparent’s Day, which serves as a reminder to appreciate the hard work and dedication of generations before us (regardless of our current age). However, as Intergenerational Month, September also marks a time to...
Sep 26, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Question: I am still working at age 71 and don’t really need the required minimum distributions (RMDs) from my rollover IRA. The IRA was funded largely with distributions from a tax-qualified pension plan and a tax-qualified...
Sep 25, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst My son is 14. I make every effort to expose him to a wide array of cultural elements. A variety of music. Plays. History. Food. Movies from the 80’s and 90’s are a significant slice of the “Understanding Social References” pie...
Sep 24, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
September 23, 2019 Fed Cuts Interest Rates Again as We Continue to Keep our Head Above Water During the past week, major U.S indexes reached resistance at summer highs before pulling back and churning 1.3% lower (S&P 500). On Wednesday, Chairman Powell and the...
Sep 23, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Retirement accounts are supposed to be for saving for retirement. If you tap your retirement savings before reaching age 59 ½, you run the risk of being hit with the 10% early distribution penalty. However, there are exceptions to this...
Sep 20, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Here is the situation. The mother is deceased and the father is in jail. He has two minor kids that need the money out of his traditional IRA. Could all of the money be taken out and considered a hardship distribution to avoid...
Sep 19, 2019 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
As both Self-Improvement Month and Self-Care Awareness Month, September serves as a strong reminder to take time out of our busy calendars and turn the spotlight on ourselves. Representing two sides of the same coin, self-improvement asks the question “how can I push...
Sep 18, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Like cassette tapes and slide rules, defined benefit (DB) plans are becoming relics of the past. It’s estimated that 88% of private sector employees with a company plan in 1975 were covered by a DB plan. Today, that number is less than...
Sep 16, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Market Commentary for the Week Ending 9/13/2019 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was an exciting week on Wall Street as US markets posted their third weekly advance. A de-escalation of trade tensions along with new central bank stimulus measures from the ECB and decent...
Sep 16, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst People stumble over themselves all the time. Bad advice is provided, misinformation gets freely disseminated, and sometimes normally smart individuals do less-than-smart things. Stories of good folks fouling up their required...
Sep 13, 2019 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Corporate America really started to take notice of pensions in the wake of the dot-com crash, in 2000. Interest rates and stock prices both plummeted, which meant that the value of pension liabilities rose while the value of the assets held to meet them fell. A number...
Sep 12, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Question: Hello, I’ve been a follower of Ed’s expertise for over 10 years. The information has always been helpful and clearly explained. At this time, I’m looking to help a client minimize her taxes. She recently inherited an IRA from...
Sep 11, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Are you questioning that IRA contribution you made for 2018? Maybe you made a Roth IRA contribution and then discovered your income was too high. Maybe you made a traditional IRA contribution but you were ineligible due to your age....
Sep 9, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Market Recap week ending 9/6/2019 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Last week, the markets had their second consecutive weekly advance. More constructive headlines on trade negotiations between the US and China helped market sentiment. During the week China announced that trade...
Sep 9, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you run a small company, you may be reluctant to offer a retirement plan to your employees because of the cost of plan administration and compliance. If so, you’re not alone: approximately 38 million American workers lack access to a...
Sep 6, 2019 | Blog, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Since 1971, the United States has celebrated Women’s Equality Day on August 26. Although the occasion originally commemorated the passage of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote, today it recognizes and encourages people and organizations to promote...
Sep 5, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Question: Could you please direct me to information that tells me how any conversions I make from my regular IRA to a Roth will be taxed. My belief was that the amount of any conversion will be taxed at whatever my tax bracket is...
Sep 4, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst As I write, Hurricane Dorian is pummeling the Bahamas, churning the ocean and producing catastrophic damage. Godspeed, Freeport. Forecasts suggest the storm will sweep north and brush the east coast of Florida, which is where I...
Sep 3, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Market Recap week ending 8/30/2019 -Darren Leavitt, CFA After four straight weeks of declines, US markets rallied in the last week of August. The prior week’s escalation of trade tariffs between the US and China took a bit of a siesta last week. Early in the week,...
Sep 3, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst The calendar is turning to September and Starbucks is once again selling pumpkin spice lattes. It’s back to school time! We can all agree that education is expensive. If you have children, you know that you cannot afford to miss out on...
Sep 1, 2019 | Market Review and Outlook
Market Recap August 2019 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Investors endured a volatile month in August that saw most developed and emerging equity markets decline. The S&P 500 lost -1.81% during the month, the Dow lost -1.72%, the NASDAQ shed -2.60%, and the Russell 2000 lost...
Aug 29, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Hello, I have an IRA from my deceased father. The beneficiary is my mother, but she passed on before my father. The IRA custodian is saying this doesn’t go through the estate but directly to me. I thought all IRA’s...
Aug 28, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Who says getting old is all bad? Once you reach a certain age, Congress rewards your longevity by letting you contribute an extra amount to your IRA or workplace savings plan – with no strings attached. It’s a great way to boost your nest...
Aug 28, 2019 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Entering retirement can be a particularly jarring experience for seniors, and not only because they’re leaving behind the familiar world of work. For the change also requires a shift in one’s financial orientation — from savings accumulation to decumulation. Above...
Aug 26, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Every year thousands of traditional IRA account owners turn 70 ½ years old. In addition, each year thousands of younger non-spouse beneficiaries inherit traditional and Roth IRA accounts. What do these two groups of people have in...
Aug 26, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Market recap for the week ending 8/23/19 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Investors were treated to another week of volatile markets as increased trade tensions between the US and China cast even more uncertainty on global growth. Markets kicked off the week in pretty good form...
Aug 23, 2019 | Blog, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Nearly three in four affluent respondents to an Allianz Life survey said they’d be willing to give up some gains for protection. Second-quarter market volatility is making Americans increasingly worried about their finances and retirement savings, with only 31%...
Aug 22, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst Question: We found a discussion on your website’s discussion board in 2011 regarding 60-day rollovers straddling two calendar years. We are trying to confirm that a rollover would still be valid even if the Form 1099-R and 5498 may be...
Aug 21, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst IRAs have now been around for decades. This means these accounts are now being inherited by beneficiaries and even, increasingly, by successor beneficiaries. Here are 3 things you must know if you are a successor beneficiary who...
Aug 19, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Market Recap Week ending 8/16/19 -Darren Leavitt, CFA A volatile week of trading entertained investors as uncertainty around trade, and an inverted yield curve stoked fears of an impending recession. The major US equity indices ended the week with losses; however,...
Aug 19, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst You may know that you participate in a DC retirement plan. But what exactly does that mean? (Hint: It doesn’t mean that your plan is sponsored by the District of Columbia.) “DC” actually stands for “defined contribution” plan. Defined...
Aug 19, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst You may know that you participate in a DC retirement plan. But what exactly does that mean? (Hint: It doesn’t mean that your plan is sponsored by the District of Columbia.) “DC” actually stands for “defined contribution” plan. Defined...
Aug 15, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Question: Hello, I have heard Ed speak at several different Wells Fargo events and he spoke one time about clients who over contribute to their 401(k). I believe there was a strategy where they can move the excess to an IRA. Can...
Aug 14, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Just as IRA and 401(k) plans have different levels of bankruptcy protection, so too do other possessions. Whether these assets are qualified or not, there are ways to shield oneself from creditors. Case in point – in order to...
Aug 14, 2019 | Blog, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
August is an exciting time of year. As the start of a new semester approaches, families across the country begin to pull themselves out of vacation mode and think more critically about the future. A spirit of learning is in the air, which makes things just a little...
Aug 13, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Market Recap Week ending 8/9/19 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a turbulent week for investors as uncertainty on trade escalated between the US and China. Markets started the week deep in the red with the worst single-day performance of the year on news that the Chinese...
Aug 12, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD IRA Analyst The Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act recently passed the House of Representatives by a large margin. It is currently stalled in the Senate. This bill includes a multitude of provisions that would...
Aug 8, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: As I understand it, a contribution would be income tax free when sent directly from an IRA to a 501(c)(3) organization. It is not clear to me if the distributions still will affect my MAGI that in turn will affect Medicare Part...
Aug 7, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Participating in a company plan, like a 401(k) or 403(b) plan, is a great way to save for retirement. But to make sure that employees don’t use those plans as checking accounts, Congress has imposed limits on when you can withdraw your...
Aug 7, 2019 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Tax-free health savings accounts, Roth IRAs, insurance and annuities can help cover retirees’ future health-care costs Here’s a counterintuitive thought: Healthy clients are likely to have higher medical costs in retirement than their less-healthy...
Aug 6, 2019 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
August 5th, 2019 Stock Market Selloff Deepens After Fed Remarks and Trade Negotiation Setback As of this writing, stock markets around the globe are taking a beating. The selloff began on Wednesday of last week in response to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s...
Aug 5, 2019 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Many company retirement plans – like a 401(k) – offer company stock as an investment option. Under special tax rules, a plan participant can withdraw the stock and pay regular (ordinary) income tax on it, but only on the original...
Aug 2, 2019 | Market Review and Outlook
US Consumer – Still Strong, Best is Behind Us Expected to contribute 1.5% (solid) of GDP growth, chugging along at 2%ish spending clip Nothing related to the consumer on the horizon that would force the Fed’s hand one way or the other. From the consumer standpoint, it...
