Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
Retirement Planning in 2026: Building Confidence for the Years Ahead
Retirement is no longer viewed as simply “stopping work.” For many individuals and families, retirement is about creating freedom, protecting the lifestyle they’ve...
Understanding Fixed Indexed Annuities: Balancing Growth Potential and Protection
In today’s unpredictable financial environment, many retirees and pre-retirees are searching for ways to protect their savings while still maintaining the opportunity...
Why Retirement Planning Should Start Earlier Than Most People Think
When people hear the words “retirement planning,” many immediately picture someone in their 60s preparing to leave the workforce. The reality is very different. The...
Why Financial Confidence Starts With a Plan
For many people, financial confidence is not about having millions of dollars or a perfect investment strategy. It is about feeling secure, prepared, and in control of...
Protecting Your Wealth Through Every Stage of Life
When people think about financial planning, they often focus only on retirement accounts or investment strategies. While these are important pieces of the puzzle, true...
The Hidden Risk of “Waiting Too Long” to Get Your Financial House in Order
Most people do not ignore their finances because they do not care.They ignore them because life gets busy. Work takes over. Family needs attention. Retirement feels far...
What Inflation Is Quietly Doing to Your Retirement Plan
When most people think about retirement planning, they focus on the big numbers. How much they have saved. How much income they will need. When they want to retire. But...
Last-Minute Tax Moves Before April 15: IRA, HSA, and Retirement Planning Tips
As April 15 approaches, many people assume the window for tax planning has already closed. The truth is, there may still be time to make a few smart financial moves...
Building a Stronger Financial Future with the Right Guidance
When it comes to your financial future, confidence does not come from guessing. It comes from having a clear strategy, trusted guidance, and a plan built around your...
Weekly Market Commentary
US equity markets finished the week mixed in volatile trade. Hotter-than-expected inflation data, coupled with increased tensions in the Middle East, sent US Treasury...
Weekly Market Commentary
Global markets hit record highs as Q1 earnings continued to exceed expectations. Despite continued tensions in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz effectively...
Weekly Market Commentary
Global markets had mixed results last week as headlines about the US-Iran conflict continued to affect trade. Conflicting reports of the US and Iran meeting to...
Weekly Market Commentary
Global markets continued to rally in hopes of an extended ceasefire and Friday’s reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, the rally will be tested on Monday after...
Weekly Market Commentary
Global markets rose for a second week as the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. The two sides met in Pakistan on Saturday to negotiate an end to the war, but...
Weekly Market Commentary
The holiday-shortened week saw US equities advance even as oil prices surged amid uncertainty about the duration of the Iranian conflict. Early in the week, investors...
Weekly Market Commentary
US markets fell for the fourth consecutive week as the US-Israel-Iran conflict entered its 5th week. President Trump’s announcement that he would extend the deadline...
Weekly Market Commentary
US markets fell for a third consecutive week as investors continued to assess the implications of the Iran conflict. Headlines related to Iran continued to dominate...
Weekly Market Commentary
Markets remained volatile, driven by headlines related to the Iran war. Whipsaw action was prominent across multiple asset classes, while several historically...
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401(k) Rollovers and Spousal Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I have a 401(k) plan with a previous employer that is a mix of pre-tax and Roth money. I’m considering a direct rollover...
The “Required Beginning Date” vs. “First RMD Year” Confusion
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Most of you are probably familiar with the concept of the “required beginning date” (RBD). The RBD is the deadline for taking the first...
New “Trump IRA” Is Fake News
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education On April 30, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order to promote retirement savings for American...
Reporting a Recharacterization
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst We know that Roth conversions are permanent. Recharacterization of a conversion is no longer allowed. Once the conversion is done,...
A Cheat Sheet for Retirement Account Beneficiary RMDs
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The SECURE Act completely changed the rules for beneficiary IRA (and workplace retirement plan) required minimum distributions (RMDs)....
Required Minimum Distributions and Inherited IRAs Prior to 2020: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: My spouse and I have a combined six-figure required minimum distribution (RMD) from my two IRAs and her...
The Once-Per-Year Rollover Rule: Multiple Deposits vs. Multiple Distributions
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The once-per-year IRA rollover rule sounds easy. However, there are many ways to go wrong. One common...
The Simultaneous QCD/RMD Transaction
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) and required minimum distributions (RMDs) are two separate and distinct...
Backdoor Roth IRAs and Inherited IRAs: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: When someone under age 59½ uses the “backdoor” method of making Roth IRA contributions, does the 10% penalty apply...