3 Ways Retirement Planning is Changing in 2024

The calendar page has turned and 2024 is here. Before we get too far down the road, be sure to check out these changes around retirement savings. Every so often the federal government approves changes to the contribution limits for tax-advantaged retirement plans....

DON’T OVERLOOK YOUR BENEFICIARY FORM

By Sarah Brenner, JDDirector of Retirement Education You have been contributing to your IRA for years. The market is up, and you are watching those investments grow. Maybe you have rolled over funds to your IRA from your company plan. You may now have a significant...

PARTICIPATION IN MULTIPLE WORK PLANS – IT CAN BE DONE!

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   It is perfectly acceptable for a person to participate in multiple work plans in the same year (even at the same time). For example, a 401(k) and a SEP. Or maybe a 401(k) and another 401(k). However, care must be taken to...

Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA US Markets finished the second week of June with mixed results.  It was an extremely busy week for investors as key Central Bank policy decisions were announced outside of a full economic calendar centered on two key inflation data sets.  There...

A WISH LIST FOR THE IRS BENEFICIARY RMD FINAL REGULATIONS

After more than two years, we might actually soon be getting answers from the IRS on several important unanswered questions concerning required minimum distributions (RMDs) for those who inherit IRAs or company plan accounts. The 2019 SECURE Act completely changed the...

‘What Does Retirement Even Look Like?’

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...

THE SLOTT REPORT TAKES ON AI

We are surrounded with information – and misinformation. Finding accurate up-to-date facts is increasingly difficult. Do an internet search and you will likely run into obsolete websites that have not been updated in years, paywalls demanding you subscribe before...

Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 inked its twenty-fifth all-time high for the year, with outperformance coming from the mega-cap technology names.  The Vanguard Mega-Cap Growth ETF was up 3.3% for the week. NVidia and AMD started the week with new product...

2024’s Big Savings and Retirement Rule Changes

At the end of 2022, the SECURE Act 2.0, short for Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement, became law. It expands earlier legislation, changing many aspects of the savings and retirement landscape for Americans. The rule changes make various accounts...

ROTH 401(K) TO A ROTH IRA ROLLOVER: HOW DOES THIS WORK?

As retirement account questions go, this is the shortest inquiry with the longest answer. When asked what factors to consider and what 5-year clocks apply with a Roth 401(k) to Roth IRA rollover, I take a big breath and say, “Pull up a chair.” There are a number of...

Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week on Wall Street was volatile. The last of first-quarter earnings continued to influence the markets. Earning results from the retailers were mixed as BestBuy, Footlocker, Nordstrom’s, and Costco’s shares increased...

6 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Retired

A recent retiree shares lessons learned late about saving money and spending time Everyone nearing retirement has a vision of what their road will be like once they clock out of the 9-to-5. Maybe that prophecy includes regular travel, longer trips to see the...

FIVE RMD FACTS EVERY IRA OWNER SHOULD KNOW

If you have an IRA and you are approaching retirement age, you have probably heard the term “required minimum distribution” (RMD). But do you know the details of how the rules work and what they mean for you? Here are five facts about RMDs that every IRA owner should...

Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary – 5/24/2024 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets ended the week with mixed results. All eyes this week were on AI darling NVidia, which posted better-than-expected Q1 results and provided guidance above the consensus estimates. The...

5 Things You Need to Know Before Retiring at 62

A new study shows more Americans mulling early exit from workforce. Here’s what to look at before you leap The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a surge in early retirements that came to be called the Great Resignation. New research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New...

SIMPLE PLAN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS: INCREASED FOR MANY

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   We have written about this subject in the past (December 2023), but as is our philosophy here, learning is all about repetition, repetition, repetition. Surprisingly (he says with tongue...