Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
Is 2025 a Bad Year To Retire With the Stock Market in the Dumps?
2025 may seem like a bad year to retire if you're looking at the stock market alone. But that's not the only consideration. It sure seems like a bad year to retire. The...
5 Dos and Don’ts When Lending Money to Loved Ones
Helping friends or family shouldn’t mean hurting your finances Let’s face it: Money is tight for many people. And if you have loved ones in your life who are struggling...
11 Mistakes Retirees Make at the Supermarket
It’s not just inflation. Your bad habits may explain why you’re paying too much for groceries. Retirees living on fixed incomes have been feeling the pinch of rising...
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...
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...
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...
9 Ways Retirement Will Be Different in 2025
How changes in Social Security, Medicare, 401(k) contributions and more will affect your finances Retirement is not static. Even when the kids are gone and the career...
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...
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...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global financial markets tumbled last week as investors moved out of risk assets, fearing that a worldwide trade war would ensue after Trump's...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA It's been a difficult month for investors, and sentiment indicators tell that story. Wall Street appeared poised to build on the prior week's...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 avoided a fifth straight week of losses as investors continued to assess the impact of Trump’s policies. A late rally on Friday...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Investors endured the fourth consecutive week of losses in US equity markets as concerns around tariffs and their impact on the economy continued...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Economic growth concerns weighed on US financial markets as manic trade policy fostered uncertainty and volatility. It was a hectic week as...
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...
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....
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...
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%...
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Backdoor Roth Conversions and IRA Losses: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Thank you for all you do to educate the public. I’m hoping you guys can settle a debate that’s been going...
Taking Tax-Free Distributions from Your HSA
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) may be one of the biggest tax breaks currently available. If you have a qualifying...
Self-Certification After 60 Days: 12 Reasons
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF®| IRA Analyst There are two ways to move money from one IRA to another: a direct transfer or a 60-day rollover. With direct transfers, the funds...
First RMD Year and Roth IRA 5-Year Period: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Our client is 75 years old. He just retired on January 1, 2025. The company has recognized his retirement date as being...
How the Compensation Limit Affects Retirement Plan Benefits
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Many retirement plans base employer contributions on employee compensation. For many years, Congress has limited the compensation...
New Reporting for 2025 QCDs
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The IRS has introduced a new code for the reporting of qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) by IRA custodians...
Roth Conversions and 401(k) Distributions: This Week’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Since I retired in 2020, each year I have been converting amounts from my employer plan to my Roth IRA....
Check Both Boxes for Tax-Free Roth IRA Earnings
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Roth IRAs follow strict distribution ordering rules. Contributions come out first, then converted dollars, and then earnings. It...
How Plan After-Tax Contributions Are Taxed When Converted
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The April 23, 2025, Slott Report article, “After-Tax 401(k) Contributions Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought,” discusses how 401(k)...
How to Avoid Medicare Scams While Applying for Medicare
Key Points Unfortunately, seniors can be a prime target for scammers, and many will try to trick seniors into falling for their Medicare scams. Scammers use several different tactics to try and scam Medicare beneficiaries and make attempts by phone or email. Scammers...
HSAs and Medicare: Things to consider when you turn 65
Retiring soon and wondering what to do with your health savings account (HSA)? You’re not alone – many people find the rules around HSAs and Medicare to be confusing. Here’s what you need to know about having an HSA after 65, spending your contributions and avoiding...
12 Things Caregivers Need to Know About Medicare
Learn how to navigate the system to get the best coverage for your loved one Medicare can be complicated when you’re making your own health care decisions, but it has an extra layer of complexity when you’re trying to help a sick or aging relative navigate the system....
Preparing for Future Health Care Needs
Many people assume that their family members would automatically be able to make decisions about medical treatments if they were to become incapacitated. But rules vary greatly from state to state. In some cases, decisions are left up to the health care providers and...
Get the care you need quickly when you’re sick
Discover 6 ways to access care fast, even if your doctor is busy. Hint: You may not need to go in person. Doctors’ offices are busier than ever these days. Sometimes it can be tough to book a timely appointment with your primary care provider. You might be sick or...
7 Medicare Changes You’re Seeing in 2025
Expensive medications? You’ll save thousands. Dementia or mental health care? More options Key takeaways Changes from Inflation Reduction Act are in effect now. Lower out-of-pocket limit in Part D drug plans erases old “donut hole.” You may find weight loss...
It’s Time to Shop for Medicare, and 2025 Brings Big Changes
A bumper crop of revisions, including a stronger drug benefit, means the plan you enrolled in for 2024 may not be the best fit next year. Americans on Medicare will see big, and welcome, changes next year. The program’s prescription drug insurance will be much...
5 big changes to Medicare 2025 plans you should know during open enrollment
Big changes to Medicare plans are in store for 2025 as open enrollment is underway. Medicare is a federal health insurance program for older adults ages 65 and older. Open enrollment for 2025 Medicare plans runs through December 7. Some major changes in 2025 include a...
Capturing the Opportunity: Medicare Advantage Trends to Watch in 2025
Key lessons learned from the 2025 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP); plus actionable strategies for Medicare Advantage plans looking to improve member experience and reduce costs. 2025 is set to be a pivotal year for Medicare plans nationwide. As the market...
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Fax: (888) 885-2293
Mark@CharterFinGroup.com