Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
Planning to retire in 2025? Do these 7 things now
A wonderful retirement is the goal of many people, and you want it to come off without any major snags. But retirement plans always face challenges, whether it’s the volatility of the markets, the affordability of healthcare or the risks posed by inflation. Plus,...
read more
3 Retirement Mistakes That Can Still Be Fixed in 2025
Retirement planning is rarely perfect. Life throws curveballs—health issues, market downturns, career changes—and even the most diligent savers can stumble along the way. If you’ve made financial missteps or feel unprepared as you approach retirement, you’re not...
read more
8 Ways to Keep From Going Broke in Retirement
Budgeting, saving and investing tips to help make your money last as long as you do No matter how diligently you’ve been saving for retirement, it’s hard not to worry about outliving your money. But you can take several steps to contain your expenses, manage your nest...
read more
A Loved One Died and Left You an Inheritance. Now What?
Take these steps when you receive a windfall Perhaps you are among the growing number of Americans fortunate enough to receive an inheritance. As older generations pass away and leave money to their families, a great wealth transfer is underway. Those bequests could...
read more
Retirement age change 2025: What it means for your Social Security benefits
A quiet but important shift is happening in 2025: the full retirement age for Social Security is increasing again. If you were born in 1959, the change affects you directly—and if you were born in 1960 or later, you’re next. Here’s what this change means for your...
read more
10 Things Retirees Should Stop Spending On Now
Say goodbye to second cars, warehouse stores and other no-longer-necessary expenses Retirement is a time to rethink some things: how we fill our hours and days, what we do for fun and fulfillment. And, maybe, all that stuff we’ve been spending money on for years. You...
read more
10 Simple Financial Tasks You Can Tackle in an Hour
You won't believe how much you can accomplish — and save — in just a few minutes Have 60 minutes to kill? You could spend it watching TV or playing games on your smartphone. Or you could spend it saving money, by ticking some easy but important financial tasks off...
read more
4 Key Decisions for Early Retirement
‘Will your money last?’ isn’t the only question to consider before retiring. I was chatting with a friend the other day about his retirement—possibly an early one. At age 60, he has worked hard, saved aggressively, and invested well. Most important, he’s pretty burned...
read more
How to Plan for Retirement Like a Veteran
Surveys show ex-service members retire with more assets, less debt and greater confidence. Here are six ways to follow their lead. When her son Corbett joined the Marine Corps right out of high school in 2013, Lara Ferguson was surprised to learn that he was required...
read more
Planning to retire in 2025? Do these 7 things now
A wonderful retirement is the goal of many people, and you want it to come off without any major snags. But retirement plans always face challenges, whether it’s the volatility of the markets, the affordability of healthcare or the risks posed by inflation. Plus,...
3 Retirement Mistakes That Can Still Be Fixed in 2025
Retirement planning is rarely perfect. Life throws curveballs—health issues, market downturns, career changes—and even the most diligent savers can stumble along the way. If you’ve made financial missteps or feel unprepared as you approach retirement, you’re not...
8 Ways to Keep From Going Broke in Retirement
Budgeting, saving and investing tips to help make your money last as long as you do No matter how diligently you’ve been saving for retirement, it’s hard not to worry about outliving your money. But you can take several steps to contain your expenses, manage your nest...
A Loved One Died and Left You an Inheritance. Now What?
Take these steps when you receive a windfall Perhaps you are among the growing number of Americans fortunate enough to receive an inheritance. As older generations pass away and leave money to their families, a great wealth transfer is underway. Those bequests could...
Retirement age change 2025: What it means for your Social Security benefits
A quiet but important shift is happening in 2025: the full retirement age for Social Security is increasing again. If you were born in 1959, the change affects you directly—and if you were born in 1960 or later, you’re next. Here’s what this change means for your...
10 Things Retirees Should Stop Spending On Now
Say goodbye to second cars, warehouse stores and other no-longer-necessary expenses Retirement is a time to rethink some things: how we fill our hours and days, what we do for fun and fulfillment. And, maybe, all that stuff we’ve been spending money on for years. You...
10 Simple Financial Tasks You Can Tackle in an Hour
You won't believe how much you can accomplish — and save — in just a few minutes Have 60 minutes to kill? You could spend it watching TV or playing games on your smartphone. Or you could spend it saving money, by ticking some easy but important financial tasks off...
4 Key Decisions for Early Retirement
‘Will your money last?’ isn’t the only question to consider before retiring. I was chatting with a friend the other day about his retirement—possibly an early one. At age 60, he has worked hard, saved aggressively, and invested well. Most important, he’s pretty burned...
How to Plan for Retirement Like a Veteran
Surveys show ex-service members retire with more assets, less debt and greater confidence. Here are six ways to follow their lead. When her son Corbett joined the Marine Corps right out of high school in 2013, Lara Ferguson was surprised to learn that he was required...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ joined the NASDAQ 100 in forging new all-time highs in an extremely busy week for Wall Street. A de-escalation of the Iran-Israel-US conflict happened on the twelfth day after Israel's initial strikes. The US bombed three key nuclear...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
Despite there being plenty for investors to consider, the holiday-shortened week ended pretty much where it started. Israel and Iran continued to exchange missile attacks, while global leaders tried to find a resolution to the conflict. President Trump opened the door...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
US markets advanced in an erratic week of trading. The S&P 500 ended the week above the 6000 level and is up nearly 24% from the April 7th lows. Investors continue monitoring global trade policy, hoping more trade deals will be signed soon. Trump acknowledged...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week was busy. Trade uncertainties continued to be on investors' minds, with several trade stories hitting the tape throughout the week. News on Tuesday that President Trump had extended the timeline for negotiations with...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a busy week on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Index and the S&P 500 went positive for the year, catalyzed by the announcement that China and the US would significantly lower tariffs for 90 days as trade negotiations continue. ...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global markets rallied for a second week as the S&P 500 clinched nine consecutive days of gains- something not seen in two decades. News that trade negotiations between the US and seventeen countries would occur over the next few weeks...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global financial markets rallied on several reports that suggested significant progress was being made on trade negotiations. Vice President Vance met with Indian Prime Minister Modi on his visit to India. The two leaders announced they were in...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Equity markets regressed during the abbreviated trading week, while US Treasuries found some footing. Trade policies continued to influence markets and foster uncertainty. Little progress was made on country-specific tariffs, while several...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Wow, what a week on Wall Street. Continued uncertainty regarding trade policy induced massive swings in the equity, bond, commodity, and currency markets. A 7% intraday swing in the S&P 500 on Monday was superseded by a 10.8% intraday move...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ joined the NASDAQ 100 in forging new all-time highs in an extremely busy week for Wall Street. A de-escalation of the Iran-Israel-US conflict happened on the twelfth day after Israel's initial strikes. The US bombed three key nuclear...
Weekly Market Commentary
Despite there being plenty for investors to consider, the holiday-shortened week ended pretty much where it started. Israel and Iran continued to exchange missile attacks, while global leaders tried to find a resolution to the conflict. President Trump opened the door...
Weekly Market Commentary
US markets advanced in an erratic week of trading. The S&P 500 ended the week above the 6000 level and is up nearly 24% from the April 7th lows. Investors continue monitoring global trade policy, hoping more trade deals will be signed soon. Trump acknowledged...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week was busy. Trade uncertainties continued to be on investors' minds, with several trade stories hitting the tape throughout the week. News on Tuesday that President Trump had extended the timeline for negotiations with...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a busy week on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Index and the S&P 500 went positive for the year, catalyzed by the announcement that China and the US would significantly lower tariffs for 90 days as trade negotiations continue. ...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global markets rallied for a second week as the S&P 500 clinched nine consecutive days of gains- something not seen in two decades. News that trade negotiations between the US and seventeen countries would occur over the next few weeks...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global financial markets rallied on several reports that suggested significant progress was being made on trade negotiations. Vice President Vance met with Indian Prime Minister Modi on his visit to India. The two leaders announced they were in...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Equity markets regressed during the abbreviated trading week, while US Treasuries found some footing. Trade policies continued to influence markets and foster uncertainty. Little progress was made on country-specific tariffs, while several...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Wow, what a week on Wall Street. Continued uncertainty regarding trade policy induced massive swings in the equity, bond, commodity, and currency markets. A 7% intraday swing in the S&P 500 on Monday was superseded by a 10.8% intraday move...
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10 Things You Should Know about Fixing Late Rollovers With Self Certification
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education When retirement account funds are on the move, things do not always go as planned. The best way to move these funds is to do so directly, but that may not always be possible. It is very common for money to be moved...
read more
Pro Rata, Not “Double Tax”
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The pro-rata rule dictates that when an IRA contains both non-deductible (after-tax) and deductible (pre-tax) funds, then each dollar withdrawn (or converted) from the IRA will contain a percentage of tax-free and taxable funds...
read more
The Roth 5-Year Clock and the Pro-Rata Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I am over age 59½ and have had a Roth IRA account for more than 5 years. Starting in 2025, I designated all of my contributions into my employer’s 401(k) plan as Roth contributions. If I decide to retire before I have met the...
read more
Double Your Pleasure – The 457(b) 2x Catch-Up
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you’re in a 457(b) plan and are nearing retirement, you may want to consider an often-overlooked rule that could allow you to defer twice the usual annual elective deferral limit (for 2025, $23,000 x 2 = $47,000) in the three...
read more
Moving Your Roth Account
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The year 2025 has been a turbulent time for the economy. Whether due to job loss or persons seeking better investment opportunities in volatile markets, retirement account funds are on the move more than...
read more
RMD Calculations and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I am age 85, and my wife is age 75. If I die first and my wife inherits my IRA, are the required minimum distributions (RMDs) that my wife must take after my death calculated using her age or my age?...
read more
Bad Advice Turns Me Into the Hulk
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Before he transformed into the Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner once said to his antagonist, “Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” That’s a little how I feel when I hear stories about lazy financial professionals...
read more
Are My SEP and SIMPLE IRAs Safe from Creditors?
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst You are not alone if you have concerns that your IRA or workplace plan savings could be lost if you are forced to declare bankruptcy or wind up on the losing end of a civil lawsuit. After all, we all count on those savings for a...
read more
IRA Transfers and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Hello, I have two IRA annuities with different insurance companies. One of my annuities is maturing and I would like to transfer it upon maturity to a different insurance company. Do I need to take my 2025 required...
read more
10 Things You Should Know about Fixing Late Rollovers With Self Certification
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education When retirement account funds are on the move, things do not always go as planned. The best way to move these funds is to do so directly, but that may not always be possible. It is very common for money to be moved...
Pro Rata, Not “Double Tax”
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The pro-rata rule dictates that when an IRA contains both non-deductible (after-tax) and deductible (pre-tax) funds, then each dollar withdrawn (or converted) from the IRA will contain a percentage of tax-free and taxable funds...
The Roth 5-Year Clock and the Pro-Rata Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I am over age 59½ and have had a Roth IRA account for more than 5 years. Starting in 2025, I designated all of my contributions into my employer’s 401(k) plan as Roth contributions. If I decide to retire before I have met the...
Double Your Pleasure – The 457(b) 2x Catch-Up
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you’re in a 457(b) plan and are nearing retirement, you may want to consider an often-overlooked rule that could allow you to defer twice the usual annual elective deferral limit (for 2025, $23,000 x 2 = $47,000) in the three...
Moving Your Roth Account
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The year 2025 has been a turbulent time for the economy. Whether due to job loss or persons seeking better investment opportunities in volatile markets, retirement account funds are on the move more than...
RMD Calculations and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I am age 85, and my wife is age 75. If I die first and my wife inherits my IRA, are the required minimum distributions (RMDs) that my wife must take after my death calculated using her age or my age?...
Bad Advice Turns Me Into the Hulk
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Before he transformed into the Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner once said to his antagonist, “Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” That’s a little how I feel when I hear stories about lazy financial professionals...
Are My SEP and SIMPLE IRAs Safe from Creditors?
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst You are not alone if you have concerns that your IRA or workplace plan savings could be lost if you are forced to declare bankruptcy or wind up on the losing end of a civil lawsuit. After all, we all count on those savings for a...
IRA Transfers and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Hello, I have two IRA annuities with different insurance companies. One of my annuities is maturing and I would like to transfer it upon maturity to a different insurance company. Do I need to take my 2025 required...
10 Things You Should Know about Fixing Late Rollovers With Self Certification
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education When retirement account funds are on the move, things do not always go as planned. The best way to move these funds is to do so directly, but that may not always be possible. It is very common for money to be moved...
read more
Pro Rata, Not “Double Tax”
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The pro-rata rule dictates that when an IRA contains both non-deductible (after-tax) and deductible (pre-tax) funds, then each dollar withdrawn (or converted) from the IRA will contain a percentage of tax-free and taxable funds...
read more
The Roth 5-Year Clock and the Pro-Rata Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I am over age 59½ and have had a Roth IRA account for more than 5 years. Starting in 2025, I designated all of my contributions into my employer’s 401(k) plan as Roth contributions. If I decide to retire before I have met the...
read more
Double Your Pleasure – The 457(b) 2x Catch-Up
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you’re in a 457(b) plan and are nearing retirement, you may want to consider an often-overlooked rule that could allow you to defer twice the usual annual elective deferral limit (for 2025, $23,000 x 2 = $47,000) in the three...
read more
Moving Your Roth Account
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The year 2025 has been a turbulent time for the economy. Whether due to job loss or persons seeking better investment opportunities in volatile markets, retirement account funds are on the move more than...
read more
RMD Calculations and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I am age 85, and my wife is age 75. If I die first and my wife inherits my IRA, are the required minimum distributions (RMDs) that my wife must take after my death calculated using her age or my age?...
read more
Bad Advice Turns Me Into the Hulk
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Before he transformed into the Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner once said to his antagonist, “Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” That’s a little how I feel when I hear stories about lazy financial professionals...
read more
Are My SEP and SIMPLE IRAs Safe from Creditors?
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst You are not alone if you have concerns that your IRA or workplace plan savings could be lost if you are forced to declare bankruptcy or wind up on the losing end of a civil lawsuit. After all, we all count on those savings for a...
read more
IRA Transfers and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Hello, I have two IRA annuities with different insurance companies. One of my annuities is maturing and I would like to transfer it upon maturity to a different insurance company. Do I need to take my 2025 required...
read more
10 Things You Should Know about Fixing Late Rollovers With Self Certification
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education When retirement account funds are on the move, things do not always go as planned. The best way to move these funds is to do so directly, but that may not always be possible. It is very common for money to be moved...
Pro Rata, Not “Double Tax”
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The pro-rata rule dictates that when an IRA contains both non-deductible (after-tax) and deductible (pre-tax) funds, then each dollar withdrawn (or converted) from the IRA will contain a percentage of tax-free and taxable funds...
The Roth 5-Year Clock and the Pro-Rata Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I am over age 59½ and have had a Roth IRA account for more than 5 years. Starting in 2025, I designated all of my contributions into my employer’s 401(k) plan as Roth contributions. If I decide to retire before I have met the...
Double Your Pleasure – The 457(b) 2x Catch-Up
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you’re in a 457(b) plan and are nearing retirement, you may want to consider an often-overlooked rule that could allow you to defer twice the usual annual elective deferral limit (for 2025, $23,000 x 2 = $47,000) in the three...
Moving Your Roth Account
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The year 2025 has been a turbulent time for the economy. Whether due to job loss or persons seeking better investment opportunities in volatile markets, retirement account funds are on the move more than...
RMD Calculations and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I am age 85, and my wife is age 75. If I die first and my wife inherits my IRA, are the required minimum distributions (RMDs) that my wife must take after my death calculated using her age or my age?...
Bad Advice Turns Me Into the Hulk
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Before he transformed into the Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner once said to his antagonist, “Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” That’s a little how I feel when I hear stories about lazy financial professionals...
Are My SEP and SIMPLE IRAs Safe from Creditors?
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst You are not alone if you have concerns that your IRA or workplace plan savings could be lost if you are forced to declare bankruptcy or wind up on the losing end of a civil lawsuit. After all, we all count on those savings for a...
IRA Transfers and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Hello, I have two IRA annuities with different insurance companies. One of my annuities is maturing and I would like to transfer it upon maturity to a different insurance company. Do I need to take my 2025 required...