Monthly Market Review & Outlook

Final Regulations Allow Separate Accounting for Trusts

Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The recent final required minimum distribution (RMD) regulations include a new rule change that may be beneficial for IRA owners who name trusts as beneficiaries. In the new regulations, the IRS allows separate...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 closed higher for a fourth consecutive quarter, the first time it has done so since 2011. Investors continued to face a challenging macro environment. Escalating tensions in the Middle East, a Longshoremen’s strike, the aftermath...

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Results From the 2024 Retirement Confidence Survey Find Workers’ and Retirees’ Confidence Has Not Recovered From the Significant Drop Seen in 2023, but Majorities Remain Optimistic About Retirement Prospects

Summary - However, almost 8 in 10 workers and 7 in 10 retirees are concerned that the U. S. government could make significant changes to the American retirement system - A new report published today from the 34th annual Retirement Confidence Survey finds workers’ and...

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Recharacterization Still Exists

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   When a traditional IRA owner wants to convert all or a portion of his account to a Roth IRA, he needs to think long and hard about the transaction. For example, some questions to consider: 1. When will this money be needed?...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets posted a third week of gains as global central banks continued to cut monetary policy rates.  China, Switzerland, Mexico, Hungry, and the Czech Republic cut their policy rates.  Chinese markets gained on the news that several...

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Recharacterization Deadline Approaches

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education   It happens. You have made a 2023 contribution to the wrong type of IRA. All is not lost. That contribution can be recharacterized. While recharacterization of Roth IRA conversions was eliminated by the Tax...

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IRA Acronyms

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   When presenting a particular section of our training manual, I usually make the joke that, “if we were playing an acronym drinking game, we would all be on our way to a hangover.” The segment is titled: “Missed stretch IRA...

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Weekly Market Commentary

The S&P 500 notched its 39th record high in 2024 on the back of a fifty-basis-point rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Global central banks took center stage this week, with the Fed playing the headliner. Leading into the Fed’s decision, the street was divided over...

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Federal Reserve data shows sharp rise in amount Americans 65 and older owe Americans across generations are carrying more debt than they did three decades ago, according to Federal Reserve data, but the rise has been especially steep among the oldest age groups. The...

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What’s the First RMD Year for Those Born in 1959?

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you were born in 1959, what is the first year that you must start taking required minimum distributions (RMDs)? That would seem like an easy question to answer, but because of a snafu by Congress, it isn’t quite so clear. For many...

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What You Need to Know About Withholding and Your IRA

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education If you take a distribution from your traditional IRA, in most cases you will owe taxes. The government wants to be sure those taxes are paid, so IRA distributions are subject to federal income tax withholding. The...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets bounced back nicely in the second week of September.  It was an intriguing week of trade with several undercurrents to consider.  The first and likely only Presidential debate between Harris and Trump appeared to be won by Harris, although...

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REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I inherited a traditional IRA from my mother in 2024. She passed before her required beginning date (RBD.) I know that I fall under the 10-year rule. The question is, do I need to start required minimum distributions...

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401(k) to IRA Rollover – 3 Buckets

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Workplace retirement plans – like a 401(k) – can hold different types of dollars. Typically, a 401(k) will have a pre-tax bucket and a Roth bucket. Occasionally, a plan will have a third bucket to hold after-tax (non-Roth) money....

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global equity markets tumbled due to economic growth concerns as the US Treasuries extended their gains from August. The holiday-shortened week started with weaker-than-anticipated manufacturing data out of China, which highlighted just how weak...

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3 Changes Are Coming to 401(k) Plans in 2025

Three significant 401(k) plan changes coming in 2025 are worth paying attention to, regardless of when you plan to retire, whether you work full-time or part-time, or whether you even have a 401(k) yet. In late 2022, Congress passed a law to help savers build their...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA The final week of August was all about NVidia's second-quarter earnings results and the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the PCE. Expectations for NVidia's earnings were so high that some decided to throw pre/post-earnings parties to...

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6 Retirement Savings Changes To Expect in 2025

Big changes are coming to retirement savings in 2025. The shifts in retirement planning come after Congress passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) in 2019 and its 2022 follow-up, the SECURE 2.0, which further expanded and...

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New Rules: Aggregating Year-of-Death RMDs

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In my August 19 Slott Report (“Year of Death RMD – Deadline Extended!”), I wrote about the required beginning date, who takes the year-of-death required minimum distribution (RMD), and the deadline for taking that distribution....

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New IRA Aggregation Rule When Doing a Rollover in an RMD Year

Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst   If you have multiple traditional IRAs and want to do a 60-day rollover (or Roth conversion) in a year when a required minimum distribution (RMD) is due, the IRS has a surprise for you. RMDs from multiple traditional IRAs (and SEP or...

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Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary - 8/23/2024 US financial markets inked another week of gains as investors cheered what they heard from global central bankers at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. In fact, the bulk of the gains were made on Friday after Fed Chairman Jerome...

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7 Things to Know About Working While Getting Social Security

If you claim benefits early, income from work can reduce your monthly payments “Retirement” used to be synonymous with “not working.” Not anymore. More than a quarter of U.S. adults ages 65 to 74 are still in the workforce, according to the federal Bureau of Labor...

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The Roth IRA Advantage Under the Final RMD Rules

Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education In 2020, the SECURE Act completely changed the game for nonspouse IRA beneficiaries. Now, most are subject to the 10-year payout rule. Recently released final RMD rules keep the controversial proposed rule that...

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Year-of-Death RMD – Deadline Extended!

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When a person reaches the required beginning date (RBD) – generally April 1 of the year after the year the person turns age 73 – required minimum distributions (RMDs) must officially start on traditional IRAs. But what if an IRA...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets reversed course last week as investors reassessed the economic narrative of a recession. Better-than-expected inflation data, alongside a robust reading of Retail Sales and a pullback on Initial Jobless Claims, tempered fears of a severe...

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How Will the 2024 Election Impact Your Retirement?

Investors should expect volatility but also try not to overreact to news. To prepare, focus now on tax minimization, protecting your portfolio and more. In times of great change, it is only natural for people to wonder and worry. Without perspective, it morphs into...

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Roth 401(k) Dollars Are No Longer Subject to RMDs

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you have both pre-tax and Roth accounts in a 401(k) (or a 403(b) or governmental 457(b)) and are subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs), be aware of new rule changes made in the 2022 SECURE 2.0 law. The rules were clarified...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA Wow, what a week for global financial markets.  A rollercoaster ride for investors continued throughout the week as multiple narratives ricocheted off prior expectations.  Crowded trades coupled with weaker-than-expected economic data in the prior...

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‘What Does Retirement Even Look Like?’

For older parents of adult children with disabilities, focus stays on caring for kids Jeanne Piorkowski looks forward to having more time in retirement to navigate the dense bureaucracy of forms, benefits and programs she can already rattle off like an expert. But she...

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A PHILOSOPHICAL SLOTT REPORT ENTRY

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Trapped. For two nights in July, I slept on the floor at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport – a victim of the mass Delta computer outage. Booking a hotel after midnight (when the final cancellation hit) was not worth the...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA Last week, markets took a significant step back on weaker-than-expected labor data that challenged the idea of an economic soft landing. Mega Cap technology earnings continued to show massive cap-ex spend on AI; however, enthusiasm about AI's...

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Rethinking Your “Bucket List” In Retirement

As folks approach retirement, they often start mentioning their “bucket list” more frequently. The bucket list is generally an itemized agenda of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to accomplish during their lifetime before they “kick the bucket” or die....

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets traded mixed last week.  News on Sunday that President Biden had decided not to pursue reelection and endorse his Vice President Harris induced a reassessment of the political landscape.  However, the overall reaction in the...

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HOW ARE ANNUAL RMDS IN THE 10-YEAR PERIOD CALCULATED?

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst In the July 22, 2024 Slott Report, my colleague Sarah Brenner explained how the IRS, in its final SECURE Act required minimum distribution (RMD) regulations issued on July 18, did not budge on a controversial position it had taken in its...

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REQUIREMENT DURING 10-YEAR RULE STANDS

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education   On July 18, 2024, the IRS issued final required minimum distribution (RMD) regulations under the 2020 SECURE Act. The newly issued regulations fine-tune existing rules for trust beneficiaries and aggregation...

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6 Steps to Tune Up Your Retirement Finances

Navigating retirement can be overwhelming given uncertainties like market volatility, inflation, life expectancy and the state of Social Security. Like having a mechanic give your car a periodic once-over, regularly reviewing your spending and saving can help keep...

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Weekly Market Commentary

It was a very busy week on Wall Street as investors seemed inclined to rotate out of Mega-cap tech and into this year’s laggards.  A failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump last Saturday in Pennsylvania only bolstered his chances for reelection...

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12 QCD RULES YOU MUST KNOW

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education If you are charitably inclined and have an IRA, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) can be a great strategy. With a QCD, you can move IRA funds to the charity of your choice tax-free. Here are 12 QCD rules...

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EXCESS CONTRIBUTION FIX: SAME IRA, DIFFERENT DOLLARS

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst If I pour too much water into a glass, removing liquid from a different glass does not correct the problem. The excess water must be removed from the “offending” receptacle. Such is the case with excess IRA contributions. If too...

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7 Key Factors That Could Affect How Long You’re Retired

Planning for retirement is hard for many reasons, including the challenge of answering one key question: Just how long will I be retired? Knowing how much time you’ll have to enjoy your golden years is paramount to budgeting; after all, you can’t determine how much...

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7 Key Factors That Could Affect How Long You’re Retired

Planning for retirement is hard for many reasons, including the challenge of answering one key question: Just how long will I be retired? Knowing how much time you’ll have to enjoy your golden years is paramount to budgeting; after all, you can’t determine how much...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week saw the S&P 500 hit its 34th record high this year. The NASDAQ 100 also eclipsed the 20k mark for the first time.  Traders welcomed weaker-than-expected economic data that fostered the likelihood that the Federal...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets finished the 2nd quarter with a lack of conviction.  Mega-caps led the market over the quarter with a 9.65% gain, while the equally weighted S&P 500 index declined by -2.42%, and the market weight S&P index gained 4.13%....

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BEER PONG & IRA CUSTODIAL RULES

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst You know the game “beer pong?” Arrange 6 or 10 cups in a triangle, fill each one with a couple of ounces whatever beverage you are enjoying, and your opponent tries to toss a ping-pong ball into one of the cups. If a throw is...

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FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ROTH 401(K)S

By Ian Berger, JDIRA Analyst A recent survey found that over 80% of 401(k) plans now offer employees the option of making Roth 401(k) employee contributions. More and more employees are now taking advantage of that opportunity. (In this article, I use the term “Roth...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week saw the S&P 500 eclipse 5500 and hit its 31st all-time high of the year.  Volumes were relatively light until Friday, when $5.5 trillion in derivatives expired and rolled in the next contract month.  Several...

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3 Ways Retirement Planning is Changing in 2024

The calendar page has turned and 2024 is well on its way. Before we get too far down the road, be sure to check out these changes around retirement savings. Every so often the federal government approves changes to the contribution limits for tax-advantaged retirement...

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DON’T OVERLOOK YOUR BENEFICIARY FORM

By Sarah Brenner, JDDirector of Retirement Education You have been contributing to your IRA for years. The market is up, and you are watching those investments grow. Maybe you have rolled over funds to your IRA from your company plan. You may now have a significant...

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PARTICIPATION IN MULTIPLE WORK PLANS – IT CAN BE DONE!

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst   It is perfectly acceptable for a person to participate in multiple work plans in the same year (even at the same time). For example, a 401(k) and a SEP. Or maybe a 401(k) and another 401(k). However, care must be taken to...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA US Markets finished the second week of June with mixed results.  It was an extremely busy week for investors as key Central Bank policy decisions were announced outside of a full economic calendar centered on two key inflation data sets.  There...

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A WISH LIST FOR THE IRS BENEFICIARY RMD FINAL REGULATIONS

After more than two years, we might actually soon be getting answers from the IRS on several important unanswered questions concerning required minimum distributions (RMDs) for those who inherit IRAs or company plan accounts. The 2019 SECURE Act completely changed the...

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‘What Does Retirement Even Look Like?’

For older parents of adult children with disabilities, focus stays on caring for kids Jeanne Piorkowski looks forward to having more time in retirement to navigate the dense bureaucracy of forms, benefits and programs she can already rattle off like an expert. But she...

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THE SLOTT REPORT TAKES ON AI

We are surrounded with information – and misinformation. Finding accurate up-to-date facts is increasingly difficult. Do an internet search and you will likely run into obsolete websites that have not been updated in years, paywalls demanding you subscribe before...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 inked its twenty-fifth all-time high for the year, with outperformance coming from the mega-cap technology names.  The Vanguard Mega-Cap Growth ETF was up 3.3% for the week. NVidia and AMD started the week with new product...

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2024’s Big Savings and Retirement Rule Changes

At the end of 2022, the SECURE Act 2.0, short for Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement, became law. It expands earlier legislation, changing many aspects of the savings and retirement landscape for Americans. The rule changes make various accounts...

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ROTH 401(K) TO A ROTH IRA ROLLOVER: HOW DOES THIS WORK?

As retirement account questions go, this is the shortest inquiry with the longest answer. When asked what factors to consider and what 5-year clocks apply with a Roth 401(k) to Roth IRA rollover, I take a big breath and say, “Pull up a chair.” There are a number of...

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Weekly Market Commentary

-Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week on Wall Street was volatile. The last of first-quarter earnings continued to influence the markets. Earning results from the retailers were mixed as BestBuy, Footlocker, Nordstrom’s, and Costco's shares increased on...

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6 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Retired

A recent retiree shares lessons learned late about saving money and spending time Everyone nearing retirement has a vision of what their road will be like once they clock out of the 9-to-5. Maybe that prophecy includes regular travel, longer trips to see the...

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FIVE RMD FACTS EVERY IRA OWNER SHOULD KNOW

If you have an IRA and you are approaching retirement age, you have probably heard the term “required minimum distribution” (RMD). But do you know the details of how the rules work and what they mean for you? Here are five facts about RMDs that every IRA owner should...

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Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary - 5/24/2024 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets ended the week with mixed results. All eyes this week were on AI darling NVidia, which posted better-than-expected Q1 results and provided guidance above the consensus estimates. The company...

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5 Things You Need to Know Before Retiring at 62

A new study shows more Americans mulling early exit from workforce. Here’s what to look at before you leap The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a surge in early retirements that came to be called the Great Resignation. New research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New...

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SIMPLE PLAN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS: INCREASED FOR MANY

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   We have written about this subject in the past (December 2023), but as is our philosophy here, learning is all about repetition, repetition, repetition. Surprisingly (he says with tongue...

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7 Spring Cleaning Moves for Your Finances

Here’s how to get your financial house in order Forget cleaning out the closet, scrubbing the floors and washing the windows. The start of spring is an even better time to get your finances in order. “One thing on many people’s minds is cleaning. But what if you put...

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WHEN A REVERSE ROLLOVER MAKES SENSE

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport In a famous “Seinfeld” episode, George Costanza, unemployed, living with his parents and without a girlfriend, decides to do the opposite of what he would normally do. It pays off for him big time as he...

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Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary - 5/17/2024 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The major US equity indices inked a fourth consecutive week of gains as US Treasury yields fell on an in-line CPI print that showed a deceleration of inflation for the first time in three months. Still, Fed...

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COMMUNITY PROPERTY AND YOUR IRA

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Follow Us on X: @theslottreport What do you get when community property mixes with your IRA? Well, you will discover that the results can be confusing. Here are some facts every IRA owner should know. Community...

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ED SLOTT’S ELITE ADVISOR GROUP℠ MEETS IN INDIANA

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Follow Us on X: @theslottreport   Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group℠ gathered in Indianapolis last week for another successful conference. Over 350 member advisors from across the country spent two intense days of training,...

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Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary - 5/10/2024 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 notched a third consecutive week of gains as the index broke and held above its 50-day moving average.  Investors were treated to another dose of first-quarter corporate earnings. Disney, Uber,...

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7 Spring Cleaning Moves for Your Finances

Here's how to get your financial house in order Forget cleaning out the closet, scrubbing the floors and washing the windows. The start of spring is an even better time to get your finances in order. “One thing on many people’s minds is cleaning. But what if you put...

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