Weekly Market Commentary – 12/1/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA A mélange of factors pushed US equity markets to a sneeze away from record highs. US Treasuries continued to rally, sending yields lower across the curve. The soft landing narrative continued as...
A few reasons to consider buying an annuity include the tax advantages, income for life and customization options for added benefits. The Annuity.org editorial team interviewed annuity buyers and financial experts to understand the best reasons to purchase one and how...
Take these steps together to help you both get the retirement you want Retirement can last for decades, so the choices you make in the years leading up to it will have huge implications for your financial security, lifestyle and legacy during your golden years. They...
Weekly Market Commentary – 11/24/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets inked a 4th straight week of gains despite the market appearing to be overbought. The holiday-shortened week featured light trading volumes and broad participation. Earnings results...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Year-end to-do lists are commonplace. The problem is, they always seem to get published in mid-to-late December. I can almost hear the collective “thanks for nothing” comment from readers as the...
Weekly Market Commentary – 11/17/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 closed above 4500 after inking its third consecutive weekly gain. Temperate economic data released over the last few months has elevated the idea of an economic soft landing and the idea...
Get trusted annuities advice, news and features. Find annuities tips and insights to further your knowledge on kiplinger.com. Rising interest rates are making annuities more attractive to investors, so much so that annuity sales are smashing records set in 2008 during...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Remember coronavirus-related distributions, or “CRDs”? Passed as part of the CARES Act in March 2020, CRDs were special distributions designed to help people who contracted COVID or had financial hardship...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport You may have noticed grocery stores stocking up for Thanksgiving, and festive lights and displays going up everywhere. Yes, it is the holiday season, but it is also the season to...
Weekly Market Commentary – 11/10/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets were mixed this week as investors digested additional earnings announcements, a plethora of Fed rhetoric, and a large dose of US Treasury issuance. The divergence of mega-cap stocks widened...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: In 2020 and 2021, when I was over 65 years old, I converted some of my IRA into a Roth IRA. Does the five-year rule still apply to me, or can I now draw out all of the...
A budget is the best way to avoid running out of money in retirement Too many online shopping sprees. Frequent dinners at your favorite steak house. Pricey vacation getaways. And, of course, high inflation. Houston, we have a problem: Many retirees are spending way...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport An advisor called and said his 75-year-old client had just passed away. He had questions about the payout rules applicable to the three IRAs the client left behind: a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, and...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Of the 92 provisions in the SECURE 2.0 legislation, signed into law last December, by far the most challenging is section 327. Section 327 changes the distribution rules for spouse beneficiaries of...
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global financial markets rallied big time last week on dovish tones from central bankers and on the notion that this interest rate hike cycle may be over. The Bank of Japan kicked the week off with a vague move that sets their 10-year Japanese...
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...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: Dear Mr. Slott, I made $40,000 additional non-deductible (after taxes) contributions to my IRA many years ago. I have filed IRS Form 8606 every year informing the IRS of the contributions....
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport The IRS has released cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for 2024. Many IRA limits will increase next year. Higher IRA Contributions The limit on annual contributions to an IRA...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Within the 400-page Ed Slott advisor training manual, we include a basic chart that outlines the Roth IRA distribution ordering rules and the availability of those specific dollars. When presenting...
As inflation lingers, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is boosting its cost of living adjustment (COLA) for benefit checks in 2024. It’s just one of many changes announced by Social Security recently. Here are some key changes to Social Security happening next...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport The once-per-year IRA rollover rule sounds pretty easy to understand. You may only do one IRA-to-IRA (or Roth IRA-to-Roth IRA rollover) per year (365 days). However, this rule is...
Weekly Market Commentary – 10/20/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA This week, the debt market resumed its sell-off and wreaked havoc on the equity markets. The US 10-year bond yield hit 5% for the first time since 2007, while longer-tenured issues felt the brunt of the...
A recent survey of Americans who have yet to retire found that just 10% have made plans to receive the biggest possible Social Security payout. And it’s not because people don’t know that Social Security pays bigger benefits the longer you wait to claim. More than 90%...
Weekly Market Commentary – 10/13/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets finished the week with mixed results as investors digested the first tranche of third-quarter earnings results. JP Morgan, Citi Bank, Wells Fargo, and United Healthcare had...
The S&P 500 represents about 80% of the total market capitalization of large-cap U.S. stocks (market price per common share multiplied by the number of common shares outstanding). As it is so widespread, many market analysts use it as an indicator of the overall...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: I have a client who just retired at age 80. He has $800,000 in his 401(k) plan which is being rolled over to an IRA. Does he have to take an RMD this year based on the...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Did you inherit an IRA from someone who is NOT your spouse? This is not uncommon. Maybe you inherited from a sibling or a parent or a friend. If this is your situation,...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport My biggest gripe with legislation is the same complaint held by most – the bulk of it is written in legalese – i.e., difficult-to-understand language. I am no idiot, but sometimes I sure feel dumb...
Weekly Market Commentary – 10/6/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Investors were treated to another mixed bag of market action as the yield curve steepened on the notion of higher rates for longer. There were several central bank officials that echoed the need to...
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...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport QUESTION: On September 6th in a piece titled, “Rules for Inherited IRAs that May Surprise Nonspouse Beneficiaries,” Sarah Brenner from Ed Slott and Company wrote, “If you inherited the IRA funds in...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Earlier in my career, I worked for a company that sponsored a defined benefit (DB) pension plan. Up to now, I’ve chosen to defer payments from the plan. A few weeks ago, I received an official-looking...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport SECURE 2.0 expands qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) by allowing a one-time only QCD of up to $50,000 to a split-interest entity. As a result of this new rule, there is now a...
Weekly Market Commentary – 9/29/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets finished a difficult month of September with mixed results. The prospect of a government shutdown, along with no real progress in the UAW negotiations and a recalibration of interest rate...
Take inventory of your assets and your strategy, or you could regret it later Reaching age 50 is a milestone that most of us celebrate. Still, after you’ve blown out the candles and bid farewell to your guests, you may have a headache from too much champagne, but...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport The Ed Slott team answers thousands of IRA and work plan questions annually – emails, phone calls, in-person conversations, webinars, Q&A programs and texts. We accommodate all members of...
Weekly Market Commentary – 9/22/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets sold off in tandem with the US Treasury market as the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee meeting concluded with no change to its policy rate. The Fed’s Summary of Economic...
Take these write-offs on your 1040, even if you don’t itemize your return Doing your taxes is a hunt for ways to minimize your income: The lower your income, the less tax you pay. For most retirees and pre-retirees, this means taking the standard deduction and moving...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: I have a new inherited IRA, and I believe that I am subject to BOTH the 10-year rule and to annual RMDs. Is this true? My situation: Original owner was age 92 and passed in...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport If you are thinking of buying an NFT (non-fungible token) with your IRA funds, you may want to reconsider. In Notice 2023-27, the IRS said that NFTs associated with “collectibles” are prohibited IRA...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Maybe you made a Roth IRA contribution for 2022 and then discovered your income was too high. Maybe you contributed to a traditional IRA but later discovered that the contribution...
Weekly Market Commentary – 9/15/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a roller coaster ride on Wall Street this week, with early-week gains met with a late-week sell-off. Investors cheered the largest IPO of the year that saw Arm Holdings come to market 10x...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: I understand that my kids will need to empty my Roth IRA in 10 years, but do they need to take RMDs in years 1 through 9? I am beyond my RMD age. Larry Answer: Larry, Assuming none of your...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport If ever I was traveling from Los Angeles to Atlanta, I would choose a direct flight with no layovers. I want the most efficient route to my destination. Point A to Point B. Take off, land. Assuming...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport The August 28, 2023 Slott Report summarized IRS Notice 2023-62, where the IRS delayed the effective date of the SECURE 2.0 rule requiring catch-up contributions by higher-paid older employees to be made on...
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week ended with losses for both US equities and Treasuries. Apple shares tumbled on the news that the Chinese government would ban the use of the iPhone at government agencies at all levels of government. The news comes in...
And 7 ways to make things easier for yours Have you found an executor (also known as a personal representative) to handle your affairs should you become incapacitated or die? Planning for death-related events isn’t fun, so you may be procrastinating. Or you may be...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: My name is Bruce. I am 65 years old, and I have a question about the SECURE Act. My mother died at age 89 on April 19, 2023, and I inherited her IRA. She had been receiving...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Many IRA assets will ultimately go to nonspouse beneficiaries. When these beneficiaries inherit the funds, special rules kick in. Inherited IRAs are not like your own personal IRA...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport The lunacy of IRA beneficiary payout rules continues to boggle the mind. As I guide advisors through the options available to their clients, various nuances present one unique scenario after...
These stealthy cash drainers could be costing you big bucks Yes, you can save a lot by cutting out the little pleasures in life. Nonessentials like caffe lattes and premium channels can really add up. But life is too short for mediocre coffee! The good news is that...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Last Friday afternoon (August 25, 2023), the IRS gave employer plans two more years to comply with the controversial SECURE 2.0 rule requiring “catch-up contributions” for high-paid employees to be made on...
Weekly Market Commentary – 8/25/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets were all over the place last week and ended with mixed results. The S&P 500 gained 0.8% and closed above 4400, a critical psychological level, but fell short of regaining the 50-day...
Facing an insecure financial future, America’s ‘neglected middle child’ may have to chart a different path to post-work life For years, Mike Cundall Jr. thought he was on the proper path to retirement. A professor of philosophy at North Carolina...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport QUESTION: Hello! I recently came across one of your articles and decided to reach out to you in hopes of getting some clarification re: the Secure Act 2.0 and distributions as a qualified public...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport When an IRA or retirement plan owner reaches a particular age, that account owner typically must begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs.) The RMD is calculated based on the year-end...
Weekly Market Commentary – 8/18/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets fell for the third consecutive week. The S&P 500 broke its 50-day moving average and then sank below 4400. The sell-off has been on low volume, and the market may have been due to...
Inflation, stock swings and more erode Americans’ confidence in future financial security When it comes to retirement readiness, many Americans are feeling disillusioned. A spring Gallup poll found that only 43 percent of nonretired adults expect to live out their...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: I am struggling to find an answer to my situation. My wife’s 82-year old father passed away about 8 years ago and he was taking IRA distributions. A portion of his IRA was...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport If you are subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs) and have annuitized part of your IRA, a recent law change could drastically reduce your RMDs. But, without IRS guidance, it may be difficult to...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport The IRS unleashed massive confusion last year. To the surprise of many, it released proposed SECURE Act regulations requiring beneficiaries (on some occasions) to take required...
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financial markets had another week of consolidation. Equities and US Treasuries sold off in tandem on light volume. An early week debt downgrade of 10 small to midsized banks and a notice that other downgrades may follow by Moody’s dampened...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: I’m age 76. My brother died in December 2022 at 84. Do I take required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the inherited account based on my age or on my brother’s age at death? Answer: Since you’re...
A little planning can ease the financial hardship You may not think a disaster can hit you, but a disaster of some sort can occur just about any place, at any time, with little or no warning. Garrett Sorensen knows that. His car was totaled when a powerful tornado hit...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport As already-complicated IRA rules spiral further into an abyss of confusion, it comes as no surprise that irregularities exist. Up is down and left is right. Green means stop, red means throw your...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport If you’re facing the unpleasant prospect of paying college bills for the fall semester, you may be thinking of tapping into your retirement savings to help with the costs. If you’re under age 59 ½,...
Weekly Market Commentary – 8/4/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Global equity markets fell last week as investors digested a full dose of Q2 earnings reports, a packed economic calendar, more central bank policy decisions, and Fitch’s surprise downgrade of US...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Greetings, If I have the beneficiaries on my IRA listed as my wife (50%) and two children over 21 (50%), is my wife still able to move her half of the IRA into her existing IRA when I...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Are you thinking of naming a child or grandchild as your IRA beneficiary? With the start of the SECURE Act in January 2020, the rules for inherited IRAs were upended....
You may think that your big expenses in retirement will be for greens fees at golf clubs, spa charges at that resort in Crete, and taking the kids out for avocado toast on weekends. And that may well be true. But some of your biggest expenses may surprise you —...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport There is no doubt we have written about this topic in past Slott Report entries. Possibly many times. There is also no doubt that people continue to make this same error, over and over...
Weekly Market Commentary – 7/28/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a busy week on Wall Street with announcements of monetary policy decisions from the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and the Bank of Japan, along with an active calendar of Q2 earnings...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: I inherited an IRA in 2022 upon the passing of my father after he had already started his RMDs. I took a 2023 RMD from it in May 2023. Your website says I’m not...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Is your child or grandchild working hard this summer? A summer job can be a valuable experience for a young person. Whether it is making smoothies, serving tables, or being a...
The Secure 2.0 Act of 2022 has several provisions that could significantly impact your retirement savings, and some of the most important ones are set to take effect in 2024. The legislation was designed to make it easier to save for retirement, streamline retirement...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport On July 17, we reported that the IRS had issued required minimum distribution (RMD) relief in two situations. First, the Service excused 2023 RMDs for certain IRA (and plan) beneficiaries subject to...
Weekly Market Commentary – 7/21/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets were mixed last week as investors continued to dissect 2nd quarter earnings results and economic data. The notion of a soft landing in the economy resonated with investors even as...
3 ways to ensure you’ll be able to afford your essential retirement expenses If your safe investments won’t produce enough income to cover your “floor” expenses, the answer is to rethink and reduce your expenses. When you’re young, you...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Hi, I have a question regarding solo 401(k)s. Does a solo 401(k) contribution affect the pro-rata rule when considering a backdoor Roth IRA? Best, James Answer: Hi James, No. 401(k) assets...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport We say in our training manuals that “the SECURE Act obliterates IRA trust planning.” That’s an aggressive word – “obliterates” – but it is accurate. We also shout from the mountain top that...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport If you’re an IRA beneficiary subject to the 10-year payout period and would have had a 2023 RMD (required minimum distribution), you’re in luck. In Notice 2023-54 issued last Friday (July 14),...
Weekly Market Commentary – 7/14/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US markets rallied on the notion that the economy may be able to execute a soft landing as inflation wanes and employment continues to hold up. Inflation data reported during the week showed moderating...
Are you prepared for retirement? With longer life expectancy, rising healthcare costs, and the possibility of Social Security insolvency the pressure to prepare is mounting. To help you navigate the process, here’s an overview of the key factors you should consider...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport QUESTION: Dear Mr. Slott, I have a client who, during 2022, was separated from employment, turned 55, and took a distribution from his former employer’s 401(k) account. We properly used...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport You can have too much of a good thing. While it is a good strategy to contribute to an IRA, some contributions are not allowed. When a contribution is not permitted in...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Oftentimes with these articles, I compare certain retirement account rules to arbitrary items. A creative metaphor or simile can help the reader grasp a concept. For instance, past entries have...
Weekly Market Commentary – 7/7/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week was discombobulated, to say the least. Trading desks on Wall Street were lightly staffed despite a full economic data calendar. The start of the third quarter ushered in equity...
These five steps will help you toward a safe, secure, and fun retirement Retirement planning is a multistep process that evolves over time. To have a comfortable, secure—and fun—retirement, you need to build the financial cushion that will fund it all. The fun part is...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: I believe we are all waiting for the IRS to issue rules related to distribution requirements (or not) for beneficiaries who are subject to the 10-year rule under the...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport In her June 28, 2023 Slott Report post, Sarah Brenner discussed several reasons why it pays to roll over your retirement plan savings to an IRA. Another option is to keep your funds in the plan. Keep...
Weekly Market Commentary – 6/30/2023 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets ended the month of June in strong form. Better-than-expected economic data for the week showed a resilient economy and inflation moderating. Investors were dismissive of hawkish commentary from...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Ed Slott and Team, I am 73 and a retired financial planner. I would like to do a partial withdrawal from my 403(b) and do a 60-day rollover back into the same 403(b)....
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport If you are like most American workers, you will change jobs many times during your lifetime. With a job change, you will have a decision to make. What should you do with the...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport When an IRA owner dies, we look to the beneficiary form to determine who should receive the IRA funds. After death, there is a transition process as assets are moved into an inherited...
When you retire, you leave behind many things—the daily grind, commuting, maybe your old home—but one thing you keep is a tax bill. In fact, income taxes can be your single largest expense in retirement. Taxation of Social Security Benefits Many older Americans are...
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets tapped on the brakes with modest losses across the board. The notion that higher rates will further dampen global economic growth gave investors reason to take some profits. Economic data painted a resilient economy but...
Planning to retire in 10 years or less? Find out what you need to know and do for a smoother transition. If you’re thinking of retiring within the next 10 years, you may feel like you’re confronting quite a few “what ifs” and unknowns....
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Question: Hello, I am involved with a traditional non-spouse inherited IRA that was passed from my mother to myself and two siblings in 2022. My mother was 84 when she passed and was taking RMDs. I...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport Some of you are aware that there are two types of section 457(b) retirement plans – governmental plans for state and local municipal workers, and “top hat” plans for highly-paid and manageIARl...
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on Twitter: @theslottreport June is Pride Month. While celebrating, same-sex couples may want to take this opportunity to consider plans for their retirement accounts. Since the SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0...
