Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
The Retirement Expense Many Families Forget to Plan For
Why Long-Term Care Deserves a Place in Your Financial Strategy Most people spend years preparing for retirement. They estimate how much income they may need, decide...
Your Retirement Plan May Look Complete—But Is It Truly Connected?
Most people do not build their retirement strategy all at once. They accumulate different financial products and accounts throughout their lives. A 401(k) may come from...
The Human Advantage: Why Financial Advice Matters More in the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence is changing nearly every industry, and financial services are no exception. Today, consumers have access to sophisticated calculators,...
Fixed Indexed Annuities: A Retirement Strategy Designed for Growth Potential Without Direct Market Risk
As retirement approaches, one question becomes increasingly important: How do you continue growing your retirement savings while protecting what you've worked so hard...
Life Insurance in 2026: It’s More Than a Death Benefit
When many people hear the words "life insurance," they immediately think about protecting loved ones after they're gone. While that remains one of its most important...
How a Fixed Indexed Annuity Can Work for You in 2026
As Americans continue preparing for retirement in an uncertain economic environment, many are looking for ways to protect their savings while still having the...
The Biggest Retirement Risk Isn’t the Market—It’s Having No Plan
When people think about retirement, they often focus on one thing: the stock market. They worry about the next downturn, the next recession, or the next headline...
Why Financial Confidence Starts With a Plan, Not a Product
Retirement isn't built on luck—it’s built on preparation. While investment performance, insurance coverage, and market conditions all play important roles, one factor...
Why a Retirement Income Plan Matters More Than Your Investment Returns
Many people spend decades focused on growing their retirement savings. They watch the markets, contribute to retirement accounts, and celebrate when their balances...
Weekly Market Commentary
Markets ended the week mixed as investors assessed the implications of the US economic isolation of Iran, the fallout of increased tariffs on Canada, Nvidia Q2 earnings...
Weekly Market Commentary
US equity markets took a step back last week in what turned out to be a very busy week. Increased yields on the long end of the curve prompted Treasury Secretary Scott...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 forged a new all-time high as investors recalibrated interest-rate-hike expectations after an in-line print of the Consumer Price Index and a...
Weekly Market Commentary
Giddy up! US equity markets ripped higher in the first week of August as 2nd quarter earnings continued to impress. According to FactSet, 88% of the S&P 500 have...
Weekly Market Commentary
It was an extremely busy week on Wall Street, with investors having to assess increased geopolitical tensions in the Middle East alongside a deluge of corporate...
Weekly Market Commentary
US equity indices declined for a second consecutive week despite a strong start to second-quarter earnings. With just over 25% of the S&P 500 reporting, top- and...
Weekly Market Commentary
Markets took a step back last week despite a better-than-expected start to second-quarter earnings and benign inflation data. Semiconductor names continued to come...
Weekly Market Commentary
US markets finished the week mixed in volatile trade. The rotation from technology into other parts of the market reversed this week, as leadership from mega-cap tech...
Weekly Market Commentary
The holiday-shortened week saw the end to the best 2nd quarter in six years as the S&P 500 added over $8 trillion in market value. The Semiconductor sector...
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Can I “Borrow” From My IRA?
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education With the cost of food, energy, healthcare and other basics on the rise, many Americans are facing a cash crunch....
72(t) On a Roth IRA?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The 72(t) rules (“series of substantially equal periodic payments”) allow a person to tap retirement dollars before age 59½ without...
Qualified Charitable Distributions and the 10-Year Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I did a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) in early January of 2026 to cover a portion of my required minimum...
How the Once-Per-Year Rollover Rule Works and How to Avoid It
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst One of the mantras we have here at Ed Slott & Company is: “Don’t do 60-day rollovers. Do direct transfers instead.” The reason? 60-day...
Three IRA Transactions You Must Do by October 15
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Fall is in full swing and October is almost upon us. That means that an important IRA deadline looms just ahead....
Do Inherited Roth IRA Beneficiaries Have RMDs?: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst QUESTION: I really enjoy reading the Slott Report articles, but I’m confused about the inherited Roth IRA required minimum distributions...
NUA: Average Cost Basis vs. Specific Identification
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst For those workplace retirement plan participants fortunate enough to own highly appreciated company stock in their plan – like a...
Do We Use the Life Expectancy of the IRA Owner, or the Beneficiary to Calculate RMDs?: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education QUESTION: I understand that the SECURE Act 10-year payout rule applies to certain beneficiaries. I also understand...
Time is Running Out for Penalty-Free Correction of 2025 IRA Contributions
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Believe it or not, you still have some time if you are having second thoughts about that IRA contribution you made...