Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
Retirement Isn’t Just About Saving Money—It’s About Creating Income You Can Count On
For many Americans, retirement planning begins with one simple question: "How much money do I need to retire?" While building savings is important, a more critical...
7 Financial Mistakes That Can Derail Your Retirement — And How to Avoid Them
Retirement should be a time filled with freedom, confidence, and peace of mind — not uncertainty and financial stress. Yet many people unknowingly make decisions during...
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...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 was unable to make it a 10th straight week of gains as the market pulled back sharply late in the week amid a sense that the AI trade may have gone too...
Weekly Market Commentary
Global equity markets rallied in May and received a final boost in the final week of the month on optimism that the US and Iran were close to extending the current...
Weekly Market Commentary
Happy Memorial Day weekend, and thank you to all the brave men and women who have served our country to ensure our freedom. Markets took a step forward last week in...
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...
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Inherited Roth IRAs and Contributions: today’s Slott Report Mailbag
Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I inherited a Roth IRA from a sister who was one year younger than me. If I choose to stretch distributions over my life...
Roth Distribution Rules: IRAs vs. Plans
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The foundational premise of a Roth IRA and a Roth 401(k) is the same – after-tax dollars go into the Roth account (either via...
IRS Issues Guidance on Trump Account Employer Contributions
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Recent IRS guidance confirms that any employer that wishes to make employer contributions to Trump accounts must comply with several...
The Five-Year Holding Period for Roth IRA Conversions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst QUESTION: Does each conversion from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA require a five-year holding period? I have made several conversions...
The Look-Through Rules for Trusts
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The SECURE Act, the SECURE 2.0 Act, and subsequent regulations have brought us a complex set of rules for IRA...
The Roth Conversion Transaction Custodians Dislike
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Anyone with a traditional IRA can do a Roth conversion. As long as the funds are eligible to be rolled over, they can be converted....
Does the Secure Act’s 10-Year Rule Apply to Inherited Roth IRAs?: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education QUESTION: Does the SECURE Act’s 10-year rule apply to inherited Roth IRAs? ANSWER: Yes, the SECURE Act’s 10-year...
Creditor Protection for Your Retirement Accounts
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst How well are your retirement plan account funds protected from creditors? The answer depends on which kind of creditors you are worried...
How Your Spouse Can Impact Your Traditional IRA Deduction
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education If you have compensation (or “earned income”), you can always contribute to a traditional IRA, but your...