Retirement Articles
Found 3640 Articles.
Get access to 4376 articles by subscribing to Retirement Watch and Retirement Watch Spotlight Series.
Bob’s Journal for 3/2/23
Why Interest Rates Haven’t Peaked Investment markets indicated investors thought interest rates peaked in late 2022. The yield on the 10-year treasury bond reached 3.96% in October 2022 and began falling. By late January 2023, the yield was below 3.50%. Throughout that period, futures markets prices indicated investors believed interest rates would decline steadily for […]
Bob’s Journal for 2/23/22
Higher Valuations Prop Up Stocks We’re well past the midpoint of the earnings season for the fourth quarter of 2022, so we can draw some conclusions. There is some good news, but it’s not especially good news. About 68% of the companies that reported so far had earnings higher than analysts’ pre-report estimates. Also, 65% […]
Investors Are Anticipating Goldilocks’ Arrival
The markets are ignoring one of the prime investment rules: Don’t fight the Fed. Federal Reserve officials say they will have to maintain tight monetary policy considerably longer to bring inflation to the 2% target, even after the historically aggressive rate increases of 2022. Markets seem to disagree, while anticipating what some call a soft […]
7 Reasons Not to Buy an Annuity
Annuity purchases soared the last couple of years, yet only a small percentage of retirees and near-retirees own or consider annuities. That goes against the advice of many economists and actuaries, who say that most people should include annuities in their retirement portfolios. Some financial advisors and media personalities say annuities never should be purchased. […]
SUBSCRIBE TO RETIREMENT WATCH SPOTLIGHT SERIES
In my new Retirement Watch Spotlight Series, I’ll share my newest breakthrough strategies for protecting your assets and growing your portfolio, including how to prepare for the next market downturn. Click here now to learn more.
Know the Tricks and Traps of the ‘Wash Sale’ Rules
Few taxpayers were interested in or needed to know the “wash sale” rules, until recently. When stock prices rose steadily, the wash sale rules didn’t come into play. The rules matter only when investors sell stocks at losses. That’s why the wash sale rules have been more important since 2021. The wash sale rules were […]
The Tax Traps in Delaying IRA Distributions
Congress expanded a tax trap for many owners of traditional IRA and 401(k) accounts when the SECURE Act 2.0 was enacted in December 2022. The law delayed the starting age for required minimum distributions (RMDs) to age 73, effective January 1, 2023. The starting age will jump to 75 effective January 1, 2033. If you […]
There Are Four Ways You Can Make Tax-Free Gifts
Gift giving is an essential strategy in many estate plans. When done properly, gifts reduce lifetime income taxes and reduce or eliminate estate and gift taxes. Through gifts, you help loved ones today, and see the benefits of that help, instead of having them wait to inherit. To optimize gifts, know how to minimize gift […]
Bob’s Journal for 2/15/23
Key RMD Changes in The SECURE Act 2.0 You Should Know It is hard for people to keep up with the more than 100 changes the SECURE Act 2.0 made in retirement plans and related tax code provisions. Here’s a summary of the key changes in required minimum distributions (RMDs) in the law that was […]
