Nov 10, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The September 29, 2021 Slott Report summarized the rules for taking non-hardship withdrawals from 401(k) plans. This article will focus on the hardship withdrawal rules. Most company savings plans allow you to pull out your funds to take...
Nov 8, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 11/5/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Wow-what a week on Wall Street! US equity indices hit another set of all-time closing highs. Market sentiment was bolstered on several different fronts. 3rd quarter corporate earnings continued to...
Nov 8, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst As Roth IRA conversions become more popular, questions and misconceptions abound. In no particular order, here are a dozen Roth IRA conversion facts to be aware of: 1. Anyone with an IRA can do a Roth conversion. There are no...
Nov 4, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Steps you can take to avoid disagreements over spending and much more You’ve looked forward to retirement for decades — the chance to slow down the pace, to live in a different place, to see parts of the world you’ve only dreamed of, to spoil the grandkids...
Nov 1, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst As discussed in the October 18 Slott Report, spousal beneficiaries of IRAs can take advantage of certain payout rules that aren’t available to non-spouse beneficiaries. For example, a surviving spouse who remains a beneficiary can defer...
Oct 30, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 10/29/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Wall Street faced a deluge of corporate earnings in the final week of October. Generally, reports were better than expected but tempered by management concerns related to the current state of the global...
Oct 28, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
What Is Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE)? Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) is a movement of people devoted to a program of extreme savings and investment that aims to allow them to retire far earlier than traditional budgets and retirement plans...
Oct 28, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I have four IRAs. Does the once-per-year IRA rollover rule mean I can only take one distribution per year in total or does it mean I can only take one distribution per year from each of my four IRAs? Glen...
Oct 27, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Charlie Brown, wearing a ghost costume full of too many eye holes cut in all the wrong spots, famously peered into his trick-or-treat bag and said, “I got a rock.” One of the best parts of Halloween remains. It is the moment at the...
Oct 25, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Not everyone has a boss. In an economy upended by COVID, individuals, sometimes by choice and sometimes not, are striking out on their own and starting new businesses or becoming part of the gig economy. A critical...
Oct 23, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 10/22/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets rallied throughout most of the week, with the S&P 500 touching a new intraday high and the Dow closing at a new all-time high. Corporate earnings dominated the headlines and...
Oct 21, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Question: My situation is as follows: I am 56 years old and have an IRA which I have been taking SEPP/72(t) payments since 2008. I have not yet taken my distribution in 2021. I recently received a finding of disability from SSA...
Oct 20, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst One question that continues to come up is whether company retirement plan dollars are protected from creditors. This becomes an issue if you are forced to declare bankruptcy or you owe money after a legal action is brought against you. If...
Oct 20, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Working at 50+ From flight attendants to grocery store managers, older adults made the tough decision to end careers Retirement is supposed to be a happy time, but Lucie Desmond expects there will be tears when her paperwork comes through. Desmond, 62, has been a...
Oct 18, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When a married IRA owner dies, the surviving spouse is oftentimes the beneficiary. Of course, there are instances where a trust might be named as IRA beneficiary, or the children or a charity or someone else is listed. Regardless,...
Oct 18, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 10/15/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financial markets rallied across the board on a solid start to the 3rd quarter corporate earnings season. The Consumer Discretionary sector led gains with a 3.6% advance off of much better than...
Oct 18, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 10/15/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financial markets rallied across the board on a solid start to the 3rd quarter corporate earnings season. The Consumer Discretionary sector led gains with a 3.6% advance off of much better than...
Oct 14, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I am retired and turned 72 in September, 2021, so I must begin required beginning distributions (RMDs) by April, 2022. I have traditional and Roth IRAs as well as a defined contribution plan with a former employer. I understand...
Oct 13, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
What Is Financial Health? Financial health is a term used to describe the state of one’s personal monetary affairs. There are many dimensions to financial health, including the amount of savings you have, how much you’re putting away for retirement, and how much...
Oct 13, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education As you approach your golden years, you may be looking to simplify your life to wring the most out of retirement. It may be time to right size and move from a larger house with an abundance of maintenance to a...
Oct 11, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The Build Back Better Act of 2021, recently passed by the House Ways and Means Committee, includes a number of retirement plan provisions. They were summarized in the September 22, 2021 Slott Report. Two of those provisions are targeted...
Oct 11, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 10/8/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets started the week lower but were able to recover losses and make slight gains by the end of the week. Concerns regarding the debt ceiling, the static state of the infrastructure bill, raw...
Oct 8, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Few are prepared as financial decision-making grows more complex Many consumers have little understanding of finances, how credit works, and the potential hit to financial well-being that poor financial decisions can create for many, many years. In fact, a lack of...
Oct 7, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Dear Ed Slott and Company, I am a longtime subscriber, having met and talked with Ed at several industry conferences, going back well over 20 years. Which, with all of Ed’s great work and active...
Oct 6, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When it comes to taxes and the 10% early distribution penalty, do not allow the underlying investments within a Traditional IRA to confuse what is applicable. Earnings within an IRA are just earnings. It does not matter if those...
Oct 4, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education It’s hard to keep up with the news out of Washington these days! We have been getting a ton of questions on how the new tax proposals recently passed by the House Ways and Means Committee would impact Roth...
Oct 3, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
What to do now, as the pandemic surges yet again in the U.S. COVID-19 is once again raging throughout the U.S., and in much of the world it has never stopped doing so. Safe and highly effective vaccines are available, but not everywhere, and even where they are, not...
Oct 3, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 10/1/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets took a step back in the final week of the third quarter. Increased inflation expectations pushed US Treasury yields higher, which induced valuation concerns on large-cap growth stocks....
Oct 1, 2021 | Market Review and Outlook
-Darren Leavitt, CFA September proved again to be a difficult month for financial assets. A narrative that the growth of global economies has peaked was evident during the month. Market sentiment was further dampened by fears that inflation has become persistent...
Sep 30, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Question: Good morning, I have an inherited IRA. I took a manual withdrawal from it in late August. I thought I had deleted my auto withdrawal on the custodian’s website. I just noticed today that another distribution was taken on...
Sep 29, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Congress designed 401(k) plans as retirement savings vehicles – not as checking accounts. So, there are restrictions on when employees can make “in-service withdrawals” (i.e., withdrawals while still working). It’s important to remember...
Sep 27, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In most states the legal age for alcohol consumption is 21. And you must actually be 21. When you hand your driver’s license to the bouncer and he shines a little flashlight on your date of birth, it is not good enough to say you...
Sep 26, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 9/24/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets had a rollercoaster ride over the week that started on fears that one of China’s largest land developers would default on their debt which stoked rhetoric of a systematic breakdown in...
Sep 23, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The House Ways and Means Committee has released a draft of proposed changes to retirement accounts, including adding income limits for conversions and eliminating the back-door Roth conversion strategy. These...
Sep 23, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
KEY POINTS The Covid-19 pandemic has hurt some Americans’ confidence that they can meet their retirement goal date on time. Among those feeling the most negative effects are women and pre-retirees. Even so, many Americans say the pandemic was a financial wake-up call...
Sep 22, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: If your employer contributes to either a SEP IRA or a SIMPLE IRA, can you (the employee) also contribute to a Roth IRA? Regards, Alfred Answer: Hi Alfred, Yes, you can make Roth IRA contributions even if you participate in a SEP...
Sep 20, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Are you moving assets between IRAs or from a company plan to an IRA (or vice-versa)? You should know that using a direct transfer is a much better idea than doing a 60-day rollover. Direct transfers avoid all of the possible issues which...
Sep 18, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 9/17/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets endured another week of losses that ended with the S&P 500 closing below its 50-day moving average on a quadruple witch expiration. Although investors were treated to better than...
Sep 17, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Studying behavioral economics has taught me that our brains don’t make it easier for us to save. Psychology is often just as important in personal finance as are the numbers — the way we save, spend and invest are all influenced by the way we think and feel,...
Sep 15, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When an IRA owner taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) dies before removing his annual RMD, that year-of-death RMD (or whatever portion remains) must still be withdrawn. Upon passing, the year-of-death RMD immediately...
Sep 13, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education President Biden has declared September to be National Preparedness Month. The goal is to encourage Americans to be more prepared for natural disasters. Unfortunately, from flooding on the east coast to fires on the...
Sep 12, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
If you earn money from the sale of a capital asset — your home, part of a business, stocks, or bonds, for example — that profit may be subject to capital gains tax. There are two categories of capital gains: short term (assets held for a year or less) and long term...
Sep 12, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 9/10/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week produced negative returns across the board for US equity indices. The month of September has historically been a tough month for equities, and given the outsized moves we have...
Sep 10, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Ed I heard on a podcast that you are the number one authority on IRAs, so I want to go to the most informative source. Could you answer this question for me? I have a Roth IRA and suddenly I was unable...
Sep 8, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst What if you have an IRA with your spouse as primary beneficiary, get divorced without changing your beneficiary and then die? Who inherits your IRA benefits. If you live in one of the 26 states (as of June 2018) that have...
Sep 6, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 9/3/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Mega-cap technology issues pushed markets to another set of all-time highs in front of the Labor Day weekend holiday as traders rotated out of issues tied to the reflation trade. Ironically, growth issues...
Sep 4, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Most people over 65 will eventually need some form of paid care. Here are some ways to plan ahead. Many people are frightened of long-term care costs — for good reason. Most people over 65 eventually will need help with daily living tasks, such as bathing, eating or...
Sep 2, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Question: I appreciate all of the information you pass along, both through PBS and now through the American College. In one of your recent presentations, you discussed QCDs and their often-overlooked value. I recommend QCDs to...
Sep 1, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Yes, you are allowed to own real estate in an IRA. Of course, not every IRA custodian will accommodate such an investment, but that doesn’t mean it is forbidden. If you want to own a beach house in your IRA, or a commercial...
Sep 1, 2021 | Market Review and Outlook
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global markets rallied in August as economic data revealed strength across the globe. However, delta variant infection rates soared during the month, especially in unvaccinated populations, which dampened sentiment and global growth...
Aug 31, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The other day an advisor called us with an issue that comes up frequently, especially in these tumultuous times. His client had made an IRA contribution for 2021 and was planning on deducting that contribution....
Aug 30, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 8/27/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a hectic news week. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ hit a set of new all-time highs as Wall Street and global central banks focused on Federal Reserve rhetoric from the virtual economic symposium at...
Aug 28, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
If you want to retire in the next 10 years, lower your spending and increase your income. Paying off debt can give you more money to save and invest, and free up your budget later. Increasing your income with a raise or side hustle could give you more money to save....
Aug 26, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I am 72 years old and have a Roth IRA. I have some extra cash in a bank account. Can I put that into my Roth IRA and how much can I contribute for 2021? Answer: You could potentially contribute up to $7,000 to a Roth IRA this...
Aug 25, 2021 | IRA Blog
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst In the August 16, 2021 Slott Report, we showed that someone participating in a 401(k) plan through a “regular” job could also establish a solo 401(k) plan through a side job and potentially contribute up to $58,000 this year in after-tax...
Aug 23, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Recently, I had a conversation with an advisor who wanted a second opinion. He disagreed with how a 401(k) custodian was handling his client’s required minimum distribution (RMD). To arm himself with facts, the advisor contacted us...
Aug 21, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 8/20/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financial markets fell from their recent all-time highs on fears that economic growth could falter. Traders rotated out of the reflation trade as Covid infection rates increased and the efficacy of...
Aug 21, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
More people are retiring with less savings than they need to be comfortable. Much less. According to Northwestern Mutual, 21% of Americans have no retirement savings at all. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says around 29% of households age 55 and older have...
Aug 19, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Ed, My client recently passed away at the age of 86 and the beneficiaries were his twin grandchildren who are six years old. Does their 10-year clock to withdraw the funds start right away, or can they...
Aug 18, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education It’s back to school time! Any parent will tell you that education can be expensive. You cannot afford to miss out on any possible option out there that may help you save. One savings tool that you might overlook is...
Aug 16, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Going from saver to spender is mostly a matter of psychology It’s Time to Wind Down You’ve done all the right things—financially speaking, at least—in saving for retirement. You started saving early to take advantage of the power of compounding, maxed out...
Aug 16, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 8/13/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 and the Dow inked new all-time highs as the Financials, Materials, and Consumer Staples did well over the week. Energy and Small Caps lagged. The Senate passed the 1.2 trillion dollar...
Aug 16, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst We continue to get lots of questions about the company savings plan contribution limits. There are actually two different contribution limits – the “deferral limit” and the “overall limit.” This makes things very confusing, especially if...
Aug 12, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Question: I read of a way to move money from an IRA to a Roth without incurring any taxes. You set up an IRA account and make a non-deductible contribution of $6,000, then you convert it into a Roth. Is this legal and possible?...
Aug 11, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Regardless of whether you open an IRA, participate in a 401(k) plan, buy a life insurance policy, or start a college saving plan for a child, there is a critical detail which should never be overlooked: naming a beneficiary....
Aug 9, 2021 | IRA Blog
Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is a way for you to move funds out of your IRA to a qualifying charity income tax free. This can be a great strategy for those who are charitably inclined and looking to save...
Aug 9, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 8/6/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity indices forged new all-time highs on the back of an impressive Employment Situation Report and an upward S&P 500 price target revision by investment bank Goldman Sachs. However, the US...
Aug 9, 2021 | Uncategorized
Weekly Market Commentary – 8/6/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity indices forged new all-time highs on the back of an impressive Employment Situation Report and an upward S&P 500 price target revision by investment bank Goldman Sachs. However, the US...
Aug 6, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
No matter what stage of life you’re in, one thing will always remain the same: You’re never too young — or too old — to save money. Using your age can be a helpful way to calculate your potential savings and estimate how much money you should save for various life...
Aug 5, 2021 | IRA Blog
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Can you put funds into a Roth IRA for a 14 year old using money you have paid the child for doing chores? Client was told all he needed to do was keep a record of what was paid by to the child. I have always enjoyed your...
Aug 4, 2021 | IRA Blog
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Suppose you inherit 401(k) (or other ERISA plan) funds and then file for bankruptcy before receiving those funds. Can you lose those 40(k) dollars to your bankruptcy creditors? According to a recent decision of a Bankruptcy Court in North...
Aug 2, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 7/30/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a hectic week on Wall Street as second-quarter earnings continued to roll in with mixed results. Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Google, which are very influential on the indices,...
Aug 1, 2021 | Market Review and Outlook
Monthly Market Review for July 2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets forged new all-time highs in July despite fears of a slowdown in global economic growth due to the delta variant of Covid. A bipartisan infrastructure bill made its way through the House and...
Jul 30, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article
Going from saver to spender is mostly a matter of psychology It’s Time to Wind Down You’ve done all the right things—financially speaking, at least—in saving for retirement. You started saving early to take advantage of the power of compounding, maxed out...
Jul 29, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Educations Question: If you are an employee who participates in a 401(k) who retires at age 73, do you have to take an RMD in the year you retire, or can you take your RMD by April 1 of the year following retirement? If you...
Jul 28, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Educations You may be familiar with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). These accounts have been around now for a while. They work with high deductible health insurance and are known for their triple tax benefits. Contributions...
Jul 27, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst It’s that time of the year! College bills for the Fall semester are arriving, and you may be thinking of tapping into your retirement savings to help with the costs. If you’re under age 59 ½, be careful. Your withdrawal may be subject to...
Jul 25, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 7/23/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financial markets started the week off much as it had ended the prior week, in the red. A continuation of the peak growth narrative catalyzed further by increased Covid infection rates stemming from...
Jul 23, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
If you want to retire in 10 years, it might be possible. But it’ll require some work. Getting your finances in order now can help you meet your goal later. While everyone has a different budget and circumstances, it might be possible to retire comfortably sooner...
Jul 22, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Hi, I have a client who died in 2021 before taking his 2021 RMD. He designated various charities as beneficiaries of his IRA. The IRA custodian is advising the executor to take the RMD, however according...
Jul 21, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst 1. What is the NUA (Net Unrealized Appreciation) tax break? It is the opportunity to pay tax at long-term capital gains rates on the appreciation of company stock held within a company plan vs. paying ordinary income rates on that...
Jul 19, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education On July 15 and 16, financial advisors from around the country gathered virtually for Ed Slott and Company’s Instant IRA Success workshop. We took a deep dive into the rules governing retirement accounts and engaged...
Jul 18, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 7/16/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Despite hitting another set of all-time highs, US financial markets ended the week lower. 2nd quarter earnings kicked off with better than expected results from the financials; however, banks shares...
Jul 15, 2021 | IRA Blog
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Mr. Slott, Would a person who took a Coronavirus-Related Distribution from his IRA in 2020, with intent to repay within 3 years, be disqualified from taking a distribution and making a 60-day rollover in 2021 if it is within 12...
Jul 15, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
More people are retiring with less savings than they need to be comfortable. Much less. According to Northwestern Mutual, 21% of Americans have no retirement savings at all. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says around 29% of households age 55 and older have...
Jul 14, 2021 | IRA Blog
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst In the May 17, 2021 Slott Report, we discussed the rules governing required minimum distributions (RMDs) from defined benefit (DB) plans, also known as “pension plans.” We said that DB plan payments usually have no problem satisfying the RMD...
Jul 12, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst A surviving spouse has a number of options regarding how to deal with IRAs inherited from his or her deceased spouse. The age of both the deceased and surviving spouse will most often dictate the decision as to how to proceed....
Jul 11, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 7/9/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week produced significant swings in the equity and fixed income markets as investors continued to contemplate where we are in the economic cycle. The peak growth narrative appeared...
Jul 9, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
Annuities are contracts issued and distributed (or sold) by financial institutions where the funds are invested with the goal of paying out a fixed income stream later on. They are mainly used for retirement purposes and help individuals address the risk of outliving...
Jul 8, 2021 | IRA Blog
Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Ed, I recently saw an email from you on QCDs when deductible IRA contributions are made in the same year. It discussed how these two transactions interact with each other. I am also wondering if the offset...
Jul 7, 2021 | IRA Blog
Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education When you contribute to a traditional IRA you make a deal with Uncle Sam. You can get a tax deduction and tax deferral on any earnings in your IRA. However, eventually the government is going to want its share and will...
Jul 5, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 7/2/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Economic data for the week was headlined by the Employment Situation Report that resulted in mixed results. The S&P 500, the Dow, and the NASDAQ forged another set of all-time highs while the Russell...
Jul 1, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Question: Hi. My name is John and I have a Roth question. I have read your most recent book but did not find the answer to this question. I have made non-deductible contributions to a traditional IRA for many years, so about half...
Jul 1, 2021 | Market Review and Outlook
Monthly Market Recap – June 2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets were able to rally to new records in June despite a more hawkish Federal Reserve and rhetoric that suggested the US economy had seen peak growth and peak inflation expectations. A...
Jun 30, 2021 | IRA Blog
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Would you like to make charitable donations from your IRA but aren’t eligible for a qualified charitable distributions(QCD) because you’re under age 70 ½? Are you eligible for QCDs but want to donate more than the $100,000 annual limit? Are...
Jun 30, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
IDENTIFY RETIREMENT STRATEGIES TO PUT IN PLACE NOW—LIKE ANNUITIES— TO LIVE RETIREMENT ON YOUR TERMS. As the pandemic thankfully wanes, we are starting to see its impact and long-term repercussions on retirement planning and security. One thing that hasn’t changed is...
Jun 28, 2021 | Blog, Financial, Financial Services Newsletter, New Weekly Newsletter, Weekly Article, Weekly Newsletter
YOU MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR with annuities, but they have a rich history dating back to Ancient Rome. In fact, millions of Americans currently use annuities to help their retirement savings grow and to create protected income that can help cover essential expenses and...
Jun 28, 2021 | IRA Blog
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst By now, we all know the SECURE Act outlined a group of people that are still permitted to stretch inherited IRA payments over their own single life expectancy. This group is called “eligible designated beneficiaries” (EDBs). Yes,...
Jun 28, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentarfy, Weekly Market Commentary
Weekly Market Commentary – 6/25/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financials markets bounced back from last week’s sell-off as buy the dip buyers stepped in and pushed the S&P 500 above its 50-day moving average. Comments for Fed Chairman J. Powell, who was...
Jun 24, 2021 | IRA Blog
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I rolled over an IRA in March 2021 from an TD Ameritrade institutional account to a TD Ameritrade retail account. I currently would like to do a 60-day short-term rollover. Would this not be allowed because of the one rollover per...
