by Kenny | Aug 26, 2024
-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... by Kenny | Aug 22, 2024
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... by Kenny | Aug 18, 2024
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets reversed course last week as investors reassessed the economic narrative of a recession. Better-than-expected inflation data, alongside a robust reading of Retail Sales and a pullback on Initial Jobless Claims, tempered fears of a severe... by Kenny | Aug 15, 2024
Investors should expect volatility but also try not to overreact to news. To prepare, focus now on tax minimization, protecting your portfolio and more. In times of great change, it is only natural for people to wonder and worry. Without perspective, it morphs into... by Kenny | Aug 12, 2024
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Of all the many provisions in the SECURE 2.0 Act, none has been more perplexing than Section 327, which changed the rules for spouse beneficiaries. It has been hard to figure out what Congress intended in drafting... by Kenny | Aug 11, 2024
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Wow, what a week for global financial markets. A rollercoaster ride for investors continued throughout the week as multiple narratives ricocheted off prior expectations. Crowded trades coupled with weaker-than-expected economic data in the prior... by Kenny | Aug 8, 2024
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Thank you for all of the wonderful information. I have a question as to how the July 18, 2024 final regulations impact inherited Roth IRAs. My daughters inherited Roths from their grandmother 3 years ago. She was age 101. They... by Kenny | Aug 8, 2024
For older parents of adult children with disabilities, focus stays on caring for kids Jeanne Piorkowski looks forward to having more time in retirement to navigate the dense bureaucracy of forms, benefits and programs she can already rattle off like an expert. But she... by Kenny | Aug 7, 2024
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Trapped. For two nights in July, I slept on the floor at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport – a victim of the mass Delta computer outage. Booking a hotel after midnight (when the final cancellation hit) was not worth the... by Kenny | Aug 5, 2024
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst One of the positive outcomes of the new IRS final SECURE Act regulations on required minimum distributions (RMDs), released on July 18, is that more beneficiaries will be able to stretch RMDs over their lifetime. Under the 2020 SECURE... by Kenny | Aug 4, 2024
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Last week, markets took a significant step back on weaker-than-expected labor data that challenged the idea of an economic soft landing. Mega Cap technology earnings continued to show massive cap-ex spend on AI; however, enthusiasm about... by Kenny | Aug 1, 2024
QUESTION: I inherited both a traditional and a Roth IRA from my significant other (non-spouse) who passed away in 2021. He had started taking required minimum distributions (RMDs). I am less than 10 years younger than he was. Question is: do I or do I not have... by Kenny | Jul 31, 2024
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education In newly released final required minimum distribution (RMD) regulations, the IRS is doubling down on its position that annual RMDs are required for some beneficiaries during the SECURE Act’s 10-year payout period.... by Kenny | Jul 31, 2024
As folks approach retirement, they often start mentioning their “bucket list” more frequently. The bucket list is generally an itemized agenda of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to accomplish during their lifetime before they “kick the bucket” or die.... by Kenny | Jul 30, 2024
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In Part 1 (July 17), I discussed 5-year clock issues when a non-spouse beneficiary inherits a Roth IRA. In Part 2, I will hit on the important concepts and options available when a spouse inherits a Roth IRA. Keep as... by Kenny | Jul 27, 2024
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets traded mixed last week. News on Sunday that President Biden had decided not to pursue reelection and endorse his Vice President Harris induced a reassessment of the political landscape. However, the overall reaction in the... by Kenny | Jul 25, 2024
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst In the July 22, 2024 Slott Report, my colleague Sarah Brenner explained how the IRS, in its final SECURE Act required minimum distribution (RMD) regulations issued on July 18, did not budge on a controversial position it had taken in its... by Kenny | Jul 25, 2024
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education On July 18, 2024, the IRS issued final required minimum distribution (RMD) regulations under the 2020 SECURE Act. The newly issued regulations fine-tune existing rules for trust beneficiaries and aggregation... by Kenny | Jul 25, 2024
Navigating retirement can be overwhelming given uncertainties like market volatility, inflation, life expectancy and the state of Social Security. Like having a mechanic give your car a periodic once-over, regularly reviewing your spending and saving can help keep... by Kenny | Jul 21, 2024
It was a very busy week on Wall Street as investors seemed inclined to rotate out of Mega-cap tech and into this year’s laggards. A failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump last Saturday in Pennsylvania only bolstered his chances for reelection...