Funding a Health Savings Account, or HSA, is a great way to save and pay for qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses. But are you familiar the withdrawal rules that come with these accounts? The penalty for failing to follow HSA distribution rules can result in you not only having to pay income tax on the entire […]
The words ‘bear market’ have been bandied about a lot lately. When you read or hear them, remember to respond the same way you would if you saw an actual bear in the woods – by staying calm and keeping your wits about you. A changing bond market environment creates challenges for investors and financial […]
Leaving a legacy to your loved ones may be important to you, but when the time comes for your beneficiaries to receive your IRA assets, are you confident they will use their inheritance in a way that you’d want them to? There are options available for you to have varying levels of control over how […]
“There’s no place like home.”1 Conjuring an image of ‘home’ was a lot easier for Dorothy than it is for people who are on the cusp of retirement. After all, isn’t retirement supposed to be a new start? Aren’t retirees supposed to wave goodbye to friends and family as they head for new adventures in […]
Splash! How do employers lure staff in a tightening labor market? The curly tail grubs and spinnies of the business world are higher wages and better benefits. During the past decade, the employment picture in the United States has shifted dramatically. In mid-2009, 15.4 million unemployed Americans were chasing 2.2 million available jobs. At the […]
Are you wondering whether you should convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA? You may have heard of the tax benefits of a Roth, but how do you know if it’s the right move for you? Converting to a Roth IRA can come with several benefits, but there are a few factors you should […]
Something as simple as a pound of bacon can demonstrate the power of compound interest as it relates to your retirement savings. Say you buy a pound of bacon every week, year after year. If you contribute just a bit more money than the amount you spend on bacon to your retirement each year, you […]
Running out of money in retirement is a common fear among pre-retirees and retirees. With longer life expectancies and rising healthcare costs, funding a retirement that could last many years can be an overwhelming prospect. A qualifying longevity annuity contract, or QLAC, can help alleviate this concern by providing a guaranteed stream of income in […]
Have you recently lost your spouse and inherited an IRA? In the midst of grieving, determining how you want to handle your new assets may be the last thing on your mind, but there are important decisions to be made. You have a choice to either remain the beneficiary of the account or execute a […]