Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
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...
Why Financial and Insurance Planning Should Work Together
When people think about financial planning, they often focus on investments, retirement accounts, and growing wealth. When they think about insurance, they usually...
Understanding Annuities: Turning Retirement Savings Into Reliable Income
Planning for retirement has changed dramatically over the past few decades. In the past, many retirees relied on pensions and Social Security to provide dependable...
The Retirement Wildcard: How Healthcare Costs Can Impact Your Financial Future
When most people think about retirement planning, they focus on the obvious questions: Will my savings last? How much income will I need? When should I take Social...
The Retirement Wildcard: How Healthcare Costs Can Impact Your Financial Future
When most people think about retirement planning, they focus on the obvious questions: Will my savings last? How much income will I need? When should I take Social...
The Retirement Income Plan Most People Think They Have — But Don’t
Retirement isn’t about how much you’ve saved. It’s about how you turn your savings into income you can rely on — for 20, 30, or even 40 years. Most people believe their...
Personalized Retirement Strategy: A Plan Built Around You
Retirement isn’t one-size-fits-all. Two people can retire the same year with the same savings and still need completely different strategies—because income needs,...
Annuities: Why They Can Be a Smart Addition to Your Portfolio
When you think about building a strong retirement plan, most people focus on a mix of stocks, bonds, and cash. But for many retirees and pre-retirees, there’s another...
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...
Weekly Market Commentary
Investors endured a difficult week as the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran continued. Iran’s efforts to target US military bases in the region broaden the...
Weekly Market Commentary
US equity markets regressed as several themes that have propelled the market higher over the last couple of years have had to be reassessed. Return on investment from...
Weekly Market Commentary
The holiday-shortened week produced gains across US indices and saw an emerging market ETF break out to all-time highs. The start of the Chinese Lunar New Year and...
Weekly Market Commentary
US financial markets regressed in choppy trade. The narrative around the disruptive nature of AI continued to impact markets. Rotation away from growth and mega-cap...
Weekly Market Commentary
Investors endured a volatile week on Wall Street as 4th quarter earnings continued to roll in. Concerns about massive capital expenditures resurfaced after Amazon and...
Weekly Market Commentary
Markets ended the week mixed. With just over a third of the S&P 500 having reported fourth-quarter earnings, this earnings season appears much better than...
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Is there a penalty because the RMD was not taken prior to Mom’s passing?: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: You recently posted an article about the “still-working exception.” Does this apply to solo 401(k) plans? Thanks, Birdie...
530A Trump Accounts: The Compounding Mathematical Facts
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst These days, anything with a hint of politics can be divisive. Trump accounts are no different. Public comments about this new...
Not Child’s Play: How the “Kiddie Tax” Works
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst With contributions to Trump accounts having gone live on July 4, 2026, there has been lots of discussion recently about the “kiddie tax.”...
Does the Five-Year Holding Period Pertain to Me?: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst QUESTION: My wife (Keiko) currently does not take a required minimum distribution (RMD) on her retirement account because the plan allows...
What You Need to Know About the Still-Working Exception
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Tax rules require most retirement account owners who are subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs) to begin...
QCD Code Y: Optional Again in 2026
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst During our recent Ed Slott and Company’s Instant IRA Success workshop in Brooklyn, NY, we were presenting information about...
Can You Recharacterize a Roth Conversion to Avoid IRMAA?: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag Thursday, July 16, 2026
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Hello, I’m married, filing jointly, and I have been converting my traditional IRA to Roth this year. If...
How Plan Loans Work
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The June 15, 2026 Slott Report outlined the barriers preventing 401(k) and other plan participants from accessing their plan funds while...
The Ghost-Life Rule Explained
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The SECURE Act of 2019 changed many rules for inherited IRAs. However, it left intact the rules for non-living...