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...
Mental health is a critical part of overall health. Conversations on the topic of mental health were rare when the baby boomer generation was young. Today, the topic is far more accepted. Mental health is a critical part of overall health. Conversations on the topic...
-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 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...
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 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 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...
-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...
5 steps to taking care of what matters most: You The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is the time of year when you can decide to stick with your current health plan or make changes for the upcoming year. As you consider coverage for next year, it’s important to review...
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 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....
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 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...
-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...
Whether you need medical care while traveling, in the comfort of home, or you want the flexibility to see any medical doctor or specialist that accepts Medicare, a Medicare Supplement plan may be just what you need. As you prepare for the next chapter of your journey,...
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 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...
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...
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...
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: One of our clients wants to cash out his IRA and then roll it into a Roth IRA within 60 days. Can this be done directly, or does it have to be rolled back into an IRA first and then converted? Thanks, Samuel Answer: Hi Samuel, A...
