Blogs
The views reflected by the author in this article are subject to change at any time without notice. Foundations deems reliable any statistical data or information obtained from or prepared by third party sources included in this article, but in no way guarantees its accuracy or completeness.
What the Fed’s Rate Cut Means for You
The Federal Reserve just reduced interest rates for the first time in four years. Here’s how it will impact borrowers and saver What goes up must come down, and after four years, that’s finally true about interest rates. The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate on...
Social Security COLA 2025: How Much Will Payments Increase Next Year?
With inflation cooling, analysts estimate benefit boost could come in around 2.5% The second of three numbers the Social Security Administration (SSA) will use to determine the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is in, and it points to a more modest increase in...
Why Retirement Gets Better With Annuities
Everyone aspires to have a steady source of income after retirement that replaces as much as possible of their pre-retirement earning. But for many people, one big challenge in saving for that goal is to find the right financial product that accommodates their...
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...
2024 Pulse of the American Retiree Survey: Midlife Retirement ‘Crisis’ or a 10-Year Opportunity?
Critically underprepared for retirement, 55-year-old Americans enter a crucial 10-year countdown to plan and prepare With just a decade until retirement, 55-year-old Americans have less than $50K in median retirement savings First modern generation confronting...
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...
3 Changes Coming To Retirement Required Minimum Distributions in 2025
Saving and investing early, often, and continuously throughout your entire working career is absolutely critical to securing your financial future in retirement. Making contributions to your 401(k) or IRA provides tax benefits, allowing you to defer taxes owed on your...
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...
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...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a very busy week on Wall Street as investors analyzed a deluge of corporate earnings reports and a full economic data calendar. The S&P 500 traded lower for the second consecutive week and could not close out October with a gain,...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global markets pulled back last week as investors took the opportunity to reduce some risk before a very close US Presidential election. In the US, nearly 20% of the S&P 500 reported earnings. Generally, results came in better than expected;...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 advanced for the sixth consecutive week, closing at a new record high. This week, a broadening out of the market’s rally was evident, with small caps and the equally weighted S&P 500 index outperforming. Markets also appear to...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average forged another set of all-time highs despite facing several macro headwinds. Chinese markets reopened after celebrating Golden Week with significant losses. Investors were expecting an announcement...
-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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group (Ed Slott Group) is a membership organization owned by Ed Slott and Company, LLC. Logos and/or trademarks are property of their respective owners and no endorsement of (Paul Roberts) or (Roberts Wealth Management) is stated or implied. Ed Slott Group and Ed Slott and Company, LLC are not affiliated with Roberts Wealth Management.
For the detailed requirements of Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group, please visit: https://www.irahelp.com/
New 401(k) Provisions That Become Effective in 2025
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Get ready! Several new 401(k) provisions from the SECURE 2.0 Act kick in on January 1, 2025. One that we’ve already written about is the ability of employees to make extra catch-up contributions in a year they turn age 60, 61, 62...
What We Are Thankful for at The Slott Report
Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Each year it is a Thanksgiving tradition here at the Slott Report to take a moment to give thanks for the rules that are helpful to retirement savers. There are many times when rules governing retirement accounts can...
So Many IRA Beneficiary Variables!
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When an IRA owner dies, what is the payout schedule for the beneficiary? The key to distinguishing the correct program (i.e., 10-year rule, stretch RMDs, 5-year rule, etc.) is to identify all the important variables. But...
Qualified Charitable DIstributions and Inherited IRAs: TOday’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Hello Ed Slott Team, We have a client with an IRA who wants to do a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) to a charity. The charity also has an account with the same custodian of the IRA and has asked that the...
Nothing SIMPLE About It: 3 Different Catch-Up Limits for 2025
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Here’s something you can only find in the Internal Revenue Code: Starting in 2025, there will be not one, not two, but three different catch-up limits for older SIMPLE IRA participants. Like IRAs and workplace plans like 401(k)s, SIMPLE IRAs...
Tax-Free HSA Distributions
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) continue to become more popular. If you have a qualifying high deductible health plan, you may make deductible contributions to an HSA. Then, you can take tax-free...
Roth IRA Conversion Considerations
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Roth IRA conversions remain as popular as ever. However, based on some recent questions we’ve received, it is apparent that folks don’t fully understand all the nuances of this transaction. Here are some of the basic...
Annual RMDs For Certain Beneficiaries Kick in Soon
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The get-out-of-jail card that has allowed many IRA and plan beneficiaries to forego annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) is about to expire. Here’s some background: In its 2022 proposed regulations, the IRS took the...
Annual RMDs For Certain Beneficiaries Kick in Soon
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The get-out-of-jail card that has allowed many IRA and plan beneficiaries to forego annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) is about to expire. Here’s some background: In its 2022 proposed regulations, the IRS took the...
The views reflected by the author in this article are subject to change at any time without notice. Foundations deems reliable any statistical data or information obtained from or prepared by third party sources included in this article, but in no way guarantees its accuracy or completeness.
Correcting the Record: The Facts on Medicare Advantage Payment and Accountability
The Wall Street Journal recently published a story regarding diagnoses and plan payments in Medicare Advantage. The story was fundamentally flawed and overlooked the value of Medicare Advantage for millions of American seniors. Here are the facts: More than 33 million...
New bipartisan survey reveals a supermajority of seniors oppose reducing funding to Medicare Advantage — and will factor that into their vote in November
Today, more Americans than ever are choosing Medicare Advantage for affordable, quality health care — with over 33 million seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in the program. BMA wanted to learn more about seniors’ views on Medicare Advantage and how...
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier Today, Medicare Advantage delivers affordable, high-quality care to more than 33 million seniors and people with disabilities, with better health outcomes than Fee-for-Service Medicare (FFS). One...
Will My Specialist’s Services be Covered under My Medicare Plan?
Whether you’re switching from one type of Medicare coverage to another, or you’re new to Medicare, you might be concerned about being able to continue seeing your health-care specialist. Will your specialist’s services be covered by Medicare? That may depend upon:...
7 Medicare Changes You’ll See in 2025
Expensive medications? You’ll save thousands. Dementia or mental health care? More options Key takeaways Changes from Inflation Reduction Act will take effect next year. Lower out-of-pocket limit in Part D drug plans erases old “donut hole.” You may find weight loss...
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier
Today, Medicare Advantage delivers affordable, high-quality care to more than 33 million seniors and people with disabilities, with better health outcomes than Fee-for-Service Medicare (FFS). One of the most effective ways to ensure seniors receive comprehensive care...
Does your Medicare plan cover gym memberships and other fitness benefits?
There’s no age limit on exercise – physical activity is for everyone! In fact, as you get older, physical activity becomes an even more important part of your overall health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular exercise can help...