Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
Why Fixed Indexed Annuities Are a Smart Choice for Retirement Planning
When planning for retirement, one of the greatest challenges is balancing growth potential with protection of principal. Many investors seek opportunities that allow...
How much can you spend without running out of money? The 4% rule is a popular rule of thumb, but you can do better. Here are guidelines for finding your personalized...
Fixed Index Annuity
What Is a Fixed Index Annuity? A fixed index annuity is a financial product whose terms are defined by a contract between you and an insurance company. It features...
Why Annuities May Be a Safer Bet in 2025
Many people decide to claim their Social Security benefit when they retire. You may be one of them. It could be that you need the money, or maybe you want to invest it...
Interest in Annuities Is Soaring: Understanding the 2025 Trend
Learn how the market, economy, and demographics are shaping the annuity industry. The annuity industry is having a moment. After years of mixed opinions and confusion...
Annuity Awareness Month 2025: Your Guide to Income Security
Each June, Annuity Awareness Month shines a spotlight on one of retirement’s most misunderstood—but potentially powerful—financial tools: the annuity. In 2025, as...
6 Ways to Secure Your Finances After Retirement
Although your CalPERS service retirement is a lifetime benefit, and you have other income sources available to you, money can still be tight. Making ends meet is a big...
Retirement planning with annuities in 2025: Key considerations and trends
Annuities have seen a resurgence in popularity as a retirement planning tool, especially in 2025, driven by market volatility, higher interest rates, and an aging...
7 steps to prepare for your upcoming retirement
Planning to retire within the next 10 years? Taking these actions now could help bolster your portfolio as you approach your planned retirement date. After decades of...
Weekly Market Commentary
Investors sent the S&P 500 to another all-time high in a holiday-shortened week of trading. President Trump started the week by asking the Supreme Court to...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 posted a gain for the fourth consecutive month as investors continued to embrace the prospects of a September rate cut, a robust economic outlook, and...
Weekly Market Commentary
US equity markets ended the week with a powerful move to the upside after Fed Chairman J. Powell indicated that the balance of risk had shifted to the labor market,...
Weekly Market Commentary
Global financial markets had another positive week as the Dow Jones Industrial Average finally joined the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ with a new all-time high. Benign...
Weekly Market Commentary
Global financial markets rallied last week as investors stepped in again to buy the prior week’s dip in prices. Japan, Germany, Spain, and Italy were international...
Weekly Market Commentary
Markets forged another set of all-time highs before taking a step back last week as a deluge of information had to be digested by investors. August 1st was the tariff...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 and NASDAQ reached another set of all-time highs, driven by constructive rhetoric on global trade and positive second-quarter earnings results from...
Weekly Market Commentary
U.S. equity markets were little changed for the week; that said, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ were able to forge another set of all-time highs. A busy Q2 earnings...
Weekly Market Commentary
A barrage of tariff letters sent to over 20 countries by President Trump yielded very little movement in the financial markets. Trump announced that there would not be...
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6 Required Questions to Determine an IRA Beneficiary Payout Structure
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst 1. When did the decedent die? The SECURE Act impacts beneficiaries of decedents who died in 2020 or later. Anyone who passed...
How Will States Tax Trump Account Contributions?
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Trump Account contributions can be made as early as this July 4. But before making a contribution on behalf of a child, you should...
The Five-Year Rule and Rollovers to Employer Plans: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education QUESTION: Hi, I was wondering if my Roth account that is a part of my Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) through federal...
How an Excess IRA Contribution Can Happen to You
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Not all funds in an IRA belong there. When a contribution is not permitted in an IRA, it is considered an excess...
April 15: The Deadline for Some IRA Transaction, but Not All
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst April 15 is fast approaching. Not only is this the standard tax filing deadline, but it is also the deadline to complete...
Non-Spouse Beneficiaries and Funding QCDS: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: If a non-spouse beneficiary inherits a 401(k), what are the options? Can you roll the money into an inherited IRA? Are...
The Strange RMD Rules for Ex-Spouses After a Divorce
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst “Qualified domestic relations orders” (QDROs) are court orders used to divide ERISA retirement plan assets after a divorce. Normally,...
Five Last-Minute Tips for 2025 IRA Contributions
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The tax-filing deadline is almost here. Are you thinking about making a 2025 IRA (traditional or Roth)...
Tax Withholding from a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) and from a Roth Conversion: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I had my IRA custodian send my required minimum distribution (RMD) from my IRA to our church, but had 20% federal taxes...