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Retire with confidence: Master your finances and lifestyle
Discover steps to help you prepare for retirement Imagine this: After decades of hard work and dedication, you’re just 12 months away from the retirement of your dreams. Exciting, right? But hold on, this final stretch is crucial. Let’s make sure you’re fully prepared...
read more
7 Strategies for More Income in Retirement
“Old age is always fifteen years older than I am.” —Bernard Baruch, American financier, investor, statesman and philanthropist One of the biggest fears people have is running out of money in retirement. And for many Americans, this is a very real risk, not an...
read more
How an annuity can help as you plan for retirement
As you approach retirement, you may be wondering what are the next steps for your investments. An annuity may be an effective tool for you in retirement planning by providing a steady and reliable income stream. With 2024 being the year with the greatest number of...
read more
Important Tasks & Decisions for Each Phase of Retirement Planning
Important Tasks & Decisions for Each Phase of Retirement Planning Retirement. It tends to be a catch-all word that generally refers to the light at the end of the tunnel after years of hard work. It’s a time to enjoy the things in life that matter the most, like...
read more
Retirement Challenges in 2025: Market Volatility, Inflation and Social Security
Inflation, uncertain markets and a limited Social Security COLA are among the financial hurdles for retirees in 2025. Key Takeaways High interest rates may complicate investment decisions for retirees. Social Security recipients are getting a 2.5% raise, which may lag...
read more
3 Social Security Changes Retirees Need to Know About in 2025
Key Points A modest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will make benefit checks bigger. Note that higher earners will pay a bit more in Social Security taxes. Retirees still earning income may have some of their benefits temporarily withheld. The $22,924 Social Security...
read more
If you’re nearing retirement, these 2025 changes could affect your finances. Here’s what to know
Key Points If you’re nearing retirement, key changes for 2025 could affect your finances, according to advisors. Starting in 2025, there’s a higher 401(k) plan catch-up contribution for workers ages 60 to 63. Plus, there are new rules for inherited individual...
read more
A Checklist for Retiring in 2025
Our checklist for retiring next year includes everything you need to do before the retirement party. Only you can know if you're ready for a checklist for retiring in 2025. If you’re 60 or getting there, retirement is no longer a hazy concept in the distance. It’s a...
read more
Social Security’s full retirement age is increasing in 2025. Here’s what to know.
Most Americans may consider the standard retirement age to be 65, but the so-called "full retirement age" for Social Security is already older than that — and it's about to hit an even higher age in 2025. Social Security's full retirement age (FRA) refers to when...
read more
Retire with confidence: Master your finances and lifestyle
Discover steps to help you prepare for retirement Imagine this: After decades of hard work and dedication, you’re just 12 months away from the retirement of your dreams. Exciting, right? But hold on, this final stretch is crucial. Let’s make sure you’re fully prepared...
7 Strategies for More Income in Retirement
“Old age is always fifteen years older than I am.” —Bernard Baruch, American financier, investor, statesman and philanthropist One of the biggest fears people have is running out of money in retirement. And for many Americans, this is a very real risk, not an...
How an annuity can help as you plan for retirement
As you approach retirement, you may be wondering what are the next steps for your investments. An annuity may be an effective tool for you in retirement planning by providing a steady and reliable income stream. With 2024 being the year with the greatest number of...
Important Tasks & Decisions for Each Phase of Retirement Planning
Important Tasks & Decisions for Each Phase of Retirement Planning Retirement. It tends to be a catch-all word that generally refers to the light at the end of the tunnel after years of hard work. It’s a time to enjoy the things in life that matter the most, like...
Retirement Challenges in 2025: Market Volatility, Inflation and Social Security
Inflation, uncertain markets and a limited Social Security COLA are among the financial hurdles for retirees in 2025. Key Takeaways High interest rates may complicate investment decisions for retirees. Social Security recipients are getting a 2.5% raise, which may lag...
3 Social Security Changes Retirees Need to Know About in 2025
Key Points A modest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will make benefit checks bigger. Note that higher earners will pay a bit more in Social Security taxes. Retirees still earning income may have some of their benefits temporarily withheld. The $22,924 Social Security...
If you’re nearing retirement, these 2025 changes could affect your finances. Here’s what to know
Key Points If you’re nearing retirement, key changes for 2025 could affect your finances, according to advisors. Starting in 2025, there’s a higher 401(k) plan catch-up contribution for workers ages 60 to 63. Plus, there are new rules for inherited individual...
A Checklist for Retiring in 2025
Our checklist for retiring next year includes everything you need to do before the retirement party. Only you can know if you're ready for a checklist for retiring in 2025. If you’re 60 or getting there, retirement is no longer a hazy concept in the distance. It’s a...
Social Security’s full retirement age is increasing in 2025. Here’s what to know.
Most Americans may consider the standard retirement age to be 65, but the so-called "full retirement age" for Social Security is already older than that — and it's about to hit an even higher age in 2025. Social Security's full retirement age (FRA) refers to when...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Growth concerns entered the market narrative as investors continued to look at policy uncertainties on tariffs and the strains on geopolitical relations. The Trump administration confirmed that 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico would be effective...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week saw the S&P 500 hit all-time highs, but late in the week, the move abruptly succumbed to consolidation pressure. Investors are worried about valuations, trade tensions, inflation, and declining consumer sentiment. A...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Despite all of the uncertainties within the investment landscape, global markets were able to post nice gains last week. Fourth-quarter earnings continued to roll in with notable results from Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Roku, Cisco Systems, Draft...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Uncertainty about global trade continued to be at the top of investors' minds as Trump announced 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada while levying 10% on Chinese goods. Mexico and Canada's immediate reaction was to place tariffs on US goods. But an...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets were extremely busy last week as a rush to download a Chinese AI platform called Deep Seek from Apple’s App Store seemingly changed the narrative around artificial intelligence in a heartbeat and on multiple fronts. Capital...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
Darren Leavitt, CFA Wow, what a week! US markets were closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. It was a historic day indeed. The global markets were poised for a barrage of executive...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets advanced this week as a solid start to the fourth-quarter earnings season, and some better-than-feared inflation data gave investors a reason to buy the most recent dip. The financial sector gained 6.1% on the week as bank...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets fell in the first full week of 2025 as investors recalibrated their Federal Reserve monetary policy expectations. Stronger labor data, a robust ISM Services print, and a weaker Consumer Sentiment report showing increased...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The final trading sessions for 2024 extended losses from the prior week, but the S&P 500 and NASDAQ still posted impressive gains for the year, 23.3% and 28.6%, respectively. The so-called Santa Clause Rally did not appear for the second...
read more
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Growth concerns entered the market narrative as investors continued to look at policy uncertainties on tariffs and the strains on geopolitical relations. The Trump administration confirmed that 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico would be effective...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week saw the S&P 500 hit all-time highs, but late in the week, the move abruptly succumbed to consolidation pressure. Investors are worried about valuations, trade tensions, inflation, and declining consumer sentiment. A...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Despite all of the uncertainties within the investment landscape, global markets were able to post nice gains last week. Fourth-quarter earnings continued to roll in with notable results from Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Roku, Cisco Systems, Draft...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Uncertainty about global trade continued to be at the top of investors' minds as Trump announced 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada while levying 10% on Chinese goods. Mexico and Canada's immediate reaction was to place tariffs on US goods. But an...
Weekly Market Commentary
Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets were extremely busy last week as a rush to download a Chinese AI platform called Deep Seek from Apple’s App Store seemingly changed the narrative around artificial intelligence in a heartbeat and on multiple fronts. Capital...
Weekly Market Commentary
Darren Leavitt, CFA Wow, what a week! US markets were closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. It was a historic day indeed. The global markets were poised for a barrage of executive...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets advanced this week as a solid start to the fourth-quarter earnings season, and some better-than-feared inflation data gave investors a reason to buy the most recent dip. The financial sector gained 6.1% on the week as bank...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets fell in the first full week of 2025 as investors recalibrated their Federal Reserve monetary policy expectations. Stronger labor data, a robust ISM Services print, and a weaker Consumer Sentiment report showing increased...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The final trading sessions for 2024 extended losses from the prior week, but the S&P 500 and NASDAQ still posted impressive gains for the year, 23.3% and 28.6%, respectively. The so-called Santa Clause Rally did not appear for the second...
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For the detailed requirements of Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group, please visit: https://www.irahelp.com/
5 Things You Need to Know about the Roth IRA Five-Year Rules
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Here at the Slott Report, we get a lot of questions on all sorts of different IRA topics. However, one area where we consistently get the most inquiries is the five-year rules for Roth IRA distributions....
read more
Young Spouse, Spousal Rollover, Year-of-Death RMD…and a Penalty?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When an IRA owner reaches the required beginning date (RBD), required minimum distributions (RMDs) are officially “turned on.” For IRAs, the RBD is April 1 of the year after the year the IRA owner turns age 73. If an IRA owner died...
read more
Roth 5-Year Clocks and Spousal IRA Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I’m age 72 and my wife is age 63. I want to open a spousal Roth IRA. I already have a Roth for myself that I’ve owned for more than 5 years. Would she have to wait 5 years before she can make a withdrawal without a...
read more
Moving the Clocks Ahead and Reviewing the Roth IRA 5-Year Clocks
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst A few Saturdays ago, many of us moved our clocks one hour ahead to usher in Daylight Saving Time. Adjusting our clocks is a reminder to review the confusing rules surrounding the Roth IRA distribution clocks. It’s no surprise that...
read more
Qualified Charitable Distributions and Roth IRA 5-Year Rules: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Hello Mailbag Folks, I may have missed something in one of the Ed Slott newsletters, but I thought that if one contributed to a non-profit directly from an IRA account to the non-profit, the amount would not be taxed. I made my...
read more
Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 2
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In our Slott Report entry from March 2 (“Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 1,”) we discussed three irreversible mistakes and the negative consequences of each. Despite any repercussions, certain IRA and...
read more
Act Quickly to Avoid Double Taxation on Excess 401(k) Deferrals
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you made excess deferrals to your 401(k) or 403(b) plan(s) in 2025, you need to correct the error while there’s still time. The deadline is April 15, 2026. If you don’t act before then, you’ll be double-taxed on the excess deferrals....
read more
IRA Beneficiaries and Contribution Limits: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Is it wise to designate a grandchild as primary beneficiary for IRA accounts? Answer: You can choose to name whomever you want as your IRA beneficiary. If you want your IRA funds to go to your...
read more
Rolling Over Your Retirement Plan? Here Are 5 Things to Know About Your RMD
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education These days many Americans are still working long beyond what has traditionally been retirement age. This may be by choice or by necessity. If this is your situation, you may be keeping funds in your employer plan...
read more
5 Things You Need to Know about the Roth IRA Five-Year Rules
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Here at the Slott Report, we get a lot of questions on all sorts of different IRA topics. However, one area where we consistently get the most inquiries is the five-year rules for Roth IRA distributions....
Young Spouse, Spousal Rollover, Year-of-Death RMD…and a Penalty?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When an IRA owner reaches the required beginning date (RBD), required minimum distributions (RMDs) are officially “turned on.” For IRAs, the RBD is April 1 of the year after the year the IRA owner turns age 73. If an IRA owner died...
Roth 5-Year Clocks and Spousal IRA Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I’m age 72 and my wife is age 63. I want to open a spousal Roth IRA. I already have a Roth for myself that I’ve owned for more than 5 years. Would she have to wait 5 years before she can make a withdrawal without a...
Moving the Clocks Ahead and Reviewing the Roth IRA 5-Year Clocks
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst A few Saturdays ago, many of us moved our clocks one hour ahead to usher in Daylight Saving Time. Adjusting our clocks is a reminder to review the confusing rules surrounding the Roth IRA distribution clocks. It’s no surprise that...
Qualified Charitable Distributions and Roth IRA 5-Year Rules: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Hello Mailbag Folks, I may have missed something in one of the Ed Slott newsletters, but I thought that if one contributed to a non-profit directly from an IRA account to the non-profit, the amount would not be taxed. I made my...
Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 2
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In our Slott Report entry from March 2 (“Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 1,”) we discussed three irreversible mistakes and the negative consequences of each. Despite any repercussions, certain IRA and...
Act Quickly to Avoid Double Taxation on Excess 401(k) Deferrals
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you made excess deferrals to your 401(k) or 403(b) plan(s) in 2025, you need to correct the error while there’s still time. The deadline is April 15, 2026. If you don’t act before then, you’ll be double-taxed on the excess deferrals....
IRA Beneficiaries and Contribution Limits: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Is it wise to designate a grandchild as primary beneficiary for IRA accounts? Answer: You can choose to name whomever you want as your IRA beneficiary. If you want your IRA funds to go to your...
Rolling Over Your Retirement Plan? Here Are 5 Things to Know About Your RMD
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education These days many Americans are still working long beyond what has traditionally been retirement age. This may be by choice or by necessity. If this is your situation, you may be keeping funds in your employer plan...
5 Things You Need to Know about the Roth IRA Five-Year Rules
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Here at the Slott Report, we get a lot of questions on all sorts of different IRA topics. However, one area where we consistently get the most inquiries is the five-year rules for Roth IRA distributions....
read more
Young Spouse, Spousal Rollover, Year-of-Death RMD…and a Penalty?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When an IRA owner reaches the required beginning date (RBD), required minimum distributions (RMDs) are officially “turned on.” For IRAs, the RBD is April 1 of the year after the year the IRA owner turns age 73. If an IRA owner died...
read more
Roth 5-Year Clocks and Spousal IRA Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I’m age 72 and my wife is age 63. I want to open a spousal Roth IRA. I already have a Roth for myself that I’ve owned for more than 5 years. Would she have to wait 5 years before she can make a withdrawal without a...
read more
Moving the Clocks Ahead and Reviewing the Roth IRA 5-Year Clocks
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst A few Saturdays ago, many of us moved our clocks one hour ahead to usher in Daylight Saving Time. Adjusting our clocks is a reminder to review the confusing rules surrounding the Roth IRA distribution clocks. It’s no surprise that...
read more
Qualified Charitable Distributions and Roth IRA 5-Year Rules: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Hello Mailbag Folks, I may have missed something in one of the Ed Slott newsletters, but I thought that if one contributed to a non-profit directly from an IRA account to the non-profit, the amount would not be taxed. I made my...
read more
Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 2
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In our Slott Report entry from March 2 (“Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 1,”) we discussed three irreversible mistakes and the negative consequences of each. Despite any repercussions, certain IRA and...
read more
Act Quickly to Avoid Double Taxation on Excess 401(k) Deferrals
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you made excess deferrals to your 401(k) or 403(b) plan(s) in 2025, you need to correct the error while there’s still time. The deadline is April 15, 2026. If you don’t act before then, you’ll be double-taxed on the excess deferrals....
read more
IRA Beneficiaries and Contribution Limits: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Is it wise to designate a grandchild as primary beneficiary for IRA accounts? Answer: You can choose to name whomever you want as your IRA beneficiary. If you want your IRA funds to go to your...
read more
Rolling Over Your Retirement Plan? Here Are 5 Things to Know About Your RMD
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education These days many Americans are still working long beyond what has traditionally been retirement age. This may be by choice or by necessity. If this is your situation, you may be keeping funds in your employer plan...
read more
5 Things You Need to Know about the Roth IRA Five-Year Rules
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Here at the Slott Report, we get a lot of questions on all sorts of different IRA topics. However, one area where we consistently get the most inquiries is the five-year rules for Roth IRA distributions....
Young Spouse, Spousal Rollover, Year-of-Death RMD…and a Penalty?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When an IRA owner reaches the required beginning date (RBD), required minimum distributions (RMDs) are officially “turned on.” For IRAs, the RBD is April 1 of the year after the year the IRA owner turns age 73. If an IRA owner died...
Roth 5-Year Clocks and Spousal IRA Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I’m age 72 and my wife is age 63. I want to open a spousal Roth IRA. I already have a Roth for myself that I’ve owned for more than 5 years. Would she have to wait 5 years before she can make a withdrawal without a...
Moving the Clocks Ahead and Reviewing the Roth IRA 5-Year Clocks
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst A few Saturdays ago, many of us moved our clocks one hour ahead to usher in Daylight Saving Time. Adjusting our clocks is a reminder to review the confusing rules surrounding the Roth IRA distribution clocks. It’s no surprise that...
Qualified Charitable Distributions and Roth IRA 5-Year Rules: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Hello Mailbag Folks, I may have missed something in one of the Ed Slott newsletters, but I thought that if one contributed to a non-profit directly from an IRA account to the non-profit, the amount would not be taxed. I made my...
Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 2
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In our Slott Report entry from March 2 (“Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 1,”) we discussed three irreversible mistakes and the negative consequences of each. Despite any repercussions, certain IRA and...
Act Quickly to Avoid Double Taxation on Excess 401(k) Deferrals
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you made excess deferrals to your 401(k) or 403(b) plan(s) in 2025, you need to correct the error while there’s still time. The deadline is April 15, 2026. If you don’t act before then, you’ll be double-taxed on the excess deferrals....
IRA Beneficiaries and Contribution Limits: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Is it wise to designate a grandchild as primary beneficiary for IRA accounts? Answer: You can choose to name whomever you want as your IRA beneficiary. If you want your IRA funds to go to your...
Rolling Over Your Retirement Plan? Here Are 5 Things to Know About Your RMD
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education These days many Americans are still working long beyond what has traditionally been retirement age. This may be by choice or by necessity. If this is your situation, you may be keeping funds in your employer plan...