Monthly Market Review & Outlook
Turn Your Clocks Back, and Pay Attention to the Roth IRA Clocks
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Don’t forget to turn your clocks back this weekend! With that reminder comes another: pay attention to the Roth IRA distribution clocks. The key point to remember is that there are two different clocks, each used for a different purpose....
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global markets pulled back last week as investors took the opportunity to reduce some risk before a very close US Presidential election. In the US, nearly 20% of the S&P 500 reported earnings. Generally, results came in better than expected;...
3 IRA Tasks to Complete by the End of 2024
Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The year 2024 has flown by and the holidays season will soon be upon us. That means time is running out on year-end IRA deadlines. You will want to be sure to get the following three IRA-related tasks done...
Home health care through Medicare
It’s important to plan for your health care needs, but sometimes life throws unexpected curve balls. And when that happens, you’ll need to know what’s covered. Fortunately, there are ways you and your loved ones can get the necessary care at home. Here’s what you need...
What the Fed’s Rate Cut Means for You
The Federal Reserve just reduced interest rates for the first time in four years. Here’s how it will impact borrowers and saver What goes up must come down, and after four years, that’s finally true about interest rates. The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate on...
The Zombie Rule
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst This article is NOT about the “ghost rule” applicable to non-living beneficiaries. That payout rule applies when a non-person beneficiary (like an estate) inherits an IRA when the original owner died on or after his required...
Higher Catch-Up Contributions Available for Certain Older Employees Starting in 2025
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The year is flying by, and before we know it 2025 will be here. With the arrival of the new year, several new provisions from the 2022 SECURE 2.0 law that impact retirement plans will become effective. One of the changes allows certain...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 advanced for the sixth consecutive week, closing at a new record high. This week, a broadening out of the market’s rally was evident, with small caps and the equally weighted S&P 500 index outperforming. Markets also appear to...
QTIP Trusts and Successor Beneficiaries: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: We have a client who has children from a previous marriage. Upon the husband’s death, he wants to make sure his current spouse has access to income from his IRA. But he also wants to make sure the remaining balance, when she...
Social Security COLA 2025: How Much Will Payments Increase Next Year?
With inflation cooling, analysts estimate benefit boost could come in around 2.5% The second of three numbers the Social Security Administration (SSA) will use to determine the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is in, and it points to a more modest increase in...
You Missed the October 15 Deadline to Correct an Excess IRA Contribution – Now What?
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education October 15, 2024 has come and gone. This was the deadline for correcting 2023 excess IRA contributions without penalty. If you missed this opportunity, you may be wondering what your next steps should be....
Nuances of NUA
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst We have written about the net unrealized appreciation (NUA) tax strategy many times. Generally, after a lump sum distribution from the plan, the NUA tactic enables an eligible person to pay long term capital gains (LTCG) tax...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average forged another set of all-time highs despite facing several macro headwinds. Chinese markets reopened after celebrating Golden Week with significant losses. Investors were expecting an announcement...
The 10-Year Rule and Required Minimum Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Good afternoon, If a client passed this year with four adult children inheriting equally, and each beneficiary is using the 10-year rule, how do they determine yearly required minimum distribution (RMD)...
Correcting the Record: The Facts on Medicare Advantage Payment and Accountability
The Wall Street Journal recently published a story regarding diagnoses and plan payments in Medicare Advantage. The story was fundamentally flawed and overlooked the value of Medicare Advantage for millions of American seniors. Here are the facts: More than 33 million...
Tax Filing Relief and Retirement Account Withdrawal Options for Hurricane Victims
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Victims of Hurricane Helene have at least a glimmer of good news when it comes to their tax filings and ability to withdraw from their retirement accounts for disaster-related expenses. The IRS usually postpones certain tax deadlines for...
Why Retirement Gets Better With Annuities
Everyone aspires to have a steady source of income after retirement that replaces as much as possible of their pre-retirement earning. But for many people, one big challenge in saving for that goal is to find the right financial product that accommodates their...
Final Regulations Allow Separate Accounting for Trusts
Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The recent final required minimum distribution (RMD) regulations include a new rule change that may be beneficial for IRA owners who name trusts as beneficiaries. In the new regulations, the IRS allows separate...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 closed higher for a fourth consecutive quarter, the first time it has done so since 2011. Investors continued to face a challenging macro environment. Escalating tensions in the Middle East, a Longshoremen’s strike, the aftermath...
New bipartisan survey reveals a supermajority of seniors oppose reducing funding to Medicare Advantage — and will factor that into their vote in November
Today, more Americans than ever are choosing Medicare Advantage for affordable, quality health care — with over 33 million seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in the program. BMA wanted to learn more about seniors’ views on Medicare Advantage and how...
Results From the 2024 Retirement Confidence Survey Find Workers’ and Retirees’ Confidence Has Not Recovered From the Significant Drop Seen in 2023, but Majorities Remain Optimistic About Retirement Prospects
Summary - However, almost 8 in 10 workers and 7 in 10 retirees are concerned that the U. S. government could make significant changes to the American retirement system - A new report published today from the 34th annual Retirement Confidence Survey finds workers’ and...
Recharacterization Still Exists
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When a traditional IRA owner wants to convert all or a portion of his account to a Roth IRA, he needs to think long and hard about the transaction. For example, some questions to consider: 1. When will this money be needed?...
Surprising News About the New Statute of Limitations for Missed RMDs and Excess IRA Contributions
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst A big change made by the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 was adding a new statute of limitations (SOL) for the IRS to assess penalties for missed required minimum distributions (RMDs) and excess IRA contributions. On its face, it looks like...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets posted a third week of gains as global central banks continued to cut monetary policy rates. China, Switzerland, Mexico, Hungry, and the Czech Republic cut their policy rates. Chinese markets gained on the news that several...
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier Today, Medicare Advantage delivers affordable, high-quality care to more than 33 million seniors and people with disabilities, with better health outcomes than Fee-for-Service Medicare (FFS). One...
2024 Pulse of the American Retiree Survey: Midlife Retirement ‘Crisis’ or a 10-Year Opportunity?
Critically underprepared for retirement, 55-year-old Americans enter a crucial 10-year countdown to plan and prepare With just a decade until retirement, 55-year-old Americans have less than $50K in median retirement savings First modern generation confronting...
Eligible Designated Beneficiaries and Disclaimers: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: When an IRA owner dies after their required beginning date, can an eligible designated beneficiary choose either the life expectancy option or the 10-year payout rule? Answer: If an IRA owner dies on or...
Recharacterization Deadline Approaches
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education It happens. You have made a 2023 contribution to the wrong type of IRA. All is not lost. That contribution can be recharacterized. While recharacterization of Roth IRA conversions was eliminated by the Tax...
IRA Acronyms
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When presenting a particular section of our training manual, I usually make the joke that, “if we were playing an acronym drinking game, we would all be on our way to a hangover.” The segment is titled: “Missed stretch IRA...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 notched its 39th record high in 2024 on the back of a fifty-basis-point rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Global central banks took center stage this week, with the Fed playing the headliner. Leading into the Fed’s decision, the street was divided over...
Will My Specialist’s Services be Covered under My Medicare Plan?
Whether you’re switching from one type of Medicare coverage to another, or you’re new to Medicare, you might be concerned about being able to continue seeing your health-care specialist. Will your specialist’s services be covered by Medicare? That may depend upon:...
NEW SPOUSAL BENEFICIARY RULES AND EFFECTIVE DATE OF 10-YEAR RULE: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I inherited an IRA from a younger deceased spouse who wasn’t required to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) until this year. Can I take advantage of the new section 327 rules under SECURE 2.0 since the RMDs haven’t...
Why Retirees Are Carrying More and More Debt
Federal Reserve data shows sharp rise in amount Americans 65 and older owe Americans across generations are carrying more debt than they did three decades ago, according to Federal Reserve data, but the rise has been especially steep among the oldest age groups. The...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets bounced back nicely in the second week of September. It was an intriguing week of trade with several undercurrents to consider. The first and likely only Presidential debate between Harris and Trump appeared to be won by Harris, although...
7 Medicare Changes You’ll See in 2025
Expensive medications? You’ll save thousands. Dementia or mental health care? More options Key takeaways Changes from Inflation Reduction Act will take effect next year. Lower out-of-pocket limit in Part D drug plans erases old “donut hole.” You may find weight loss...
3 Changes Coming To Retirement Required Minimum Distributions in 2025
Saving and investing early, often, and continuously throughout your entire working career is absolutely critical to securing your financial future in retirement. Making contributions to your 401(k) or IRA provides tax benefits, allowing you to defer taxes owed on your...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global equity markets tumbled due to economic growth concerns as the US Treasuries extended their gains from August. The holiday-shortened week started with weaker-than-anticipated manufacturing data out of China, which highlighted just how weak...
3 Changes Are Coming to 401(k) Plans in 2025
Three significant 401(k) plan changes coming in 2025 are worth paying attention to, regardless of when you plan to retire, whether you work full-time or part-time, or whether you even have a 401(k) yet. In late 2022, Congress passed a law to help savers build their...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The final week of August was all about NVidia's second-quarter earnings results and the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the PCE. Expectations for NVidia's earnings were so high that some decided to throw pre/post-earnings parties to...
6 Retirement Savings Changes To Expect in 2025
Big changes are coming to retirement savings in 2025. The shifts in retirement planning come after Congress passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) in 2019 and its 2022 follow-up, the SECURE 2.0, which further expanded and...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets inked another week of gains as investors cheered what they heard from global central bankers at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. In fact, the bulk of the gains were made on Friday after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell...
7 Things to Know About Working While Getting Social Security
If you claim benefits early, income from work can reduce your monthly payments “Retirement” used to be synonymous with “not working.” Not anymore. More than a quarter of U.S. adults ages 65 to 74 are still in the workforce, according to the federal Bureau of Labor...
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