Trusts are an important part of an overall estate plan, and should not be overlooked For the average investor, setting up a trust with your estate attorney as part of estate planning can make a lot of sense. For wealthy investors, it can be nearly essential. So why then do only 33% of Americans [...]
Strategic Reasons for Partial Roth Conversions Before Year-End Looking for a tax-strategy for your investment portfolio? A Roth Conversion is something to consider. Both IRAs and 401(k)s provide the opportunity to cultivate tax-free growth within your investment portfolio. While contributions to Roth retirement assets incur taxes, the potential for tax-free growth and withdrawals in [...]
Key Takeaways Inflation expectations over the next 12 months have convincingly improved, giving the Federal Reserve (Fed) reasons to pivot. We will likely notice improving inflation dynamics later this week. Risk appetite improved as investors considered bringing cash off the sidelines and into capital markets, pushing the markets to new all-time highs. Building permits, [...]
The Two Faces of Debt - Good Debt vs. Bad Debt Understanding Good Versus Bad Debt Can Help You Make Smart Financial Moves Credit card debt is a huge challenge for many people. According to Debt.org, Americans owe $986 billion on credit cards, surpassing the prepandemic high of $927 billion. While credit card debt [...]
Tools and Techniques Raising a child is expensive. From the day a baby is born until the day they turn 18, a typical family will spend about $310,605 — or about $17,000 a year, according to a recent Brookings Institution analysis of data from the U.S. Agriculture Department.1 If you’re planning to start a [...]
Your Dashboard for Retirement Planning and Beyond! Hey there, future retiree! As you approach the golden years (and much much earlier), it's so important to put on your financial detective hat and dive into the world of numbers to ensure a smooth sail into retirement. Let's make this journey as friendly as possible by [...]
Erick, are there any tricks to paying down credit card debt? I’d love to put the money in my 401(k) instead! Try the avalanche or snowball method. In each you’ll focus on making extra payments to one debt — while continuing to make the minimum payment on all your other debts. With the avalanche [...]
Knowledge is Retirement Power Thanks to the passage of SECURE Act 2.0 at the end of last year, the age for starting required minimum distributions from your 401(k) has been increased from age 72 to age 73 for individuals who attained age 72 after December 31, 2022. It will increase again, to age 75, [...]
Stock Market Performance After Fed Cuts Rates - Historical Perspective Market-watchers have been intensely focused on the Federal Reserve (Fed) this year. Recently, they’ve mostly opined on when the first rate cut might be coming and, generally, making the assumption that a rate cut would be good for stocks. It could be good, but our analysis [...]
As you approach the year's end, it's so important to consider ALL potential tax strategies to optimize your financial situation. Here are some considerations to guide your decisions: Defer Income to 2024: Consider all opportunities to defer income to 2024, especially if you anticipate being in a lower tax bracket. Ideas: postpone receipt of a [...]
