Newsletters

January

• HOT TOPIC: SECURE 2.0 Provides New Retirement Savings Options in 2024

  The SECURE 2.0 Act made wide-ranging changes to U.S. tax laws related to retirement savings. This article provides an overview of some important provisions that take effect in 2024.

• Understanding Life Insurance

  Life insurance can help replace much-needed income after the death of a provider. With the wide variety of policies available, it’s important to understand the basic types of coverage.

• Will You Work Beyond Traditional Retirement Age?

  Does your income strategy beyond traditional retirement age include receiving a paycheck? This article looks at the advantages and disadvantages of working later in life.

• Setting a Retirement Savings Goal

  Only 51% of workers or their spouses have tried to estimate the savings they would need to live comfortably in retirement. This article offers a simple worksheet to help calculate a savings target.

• SECURE 2.0 Makes It Easier to Give and Receive

  The SECURE 2.0 Act modified the rules for qualified charitable distributions to allow funding a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust from an IRA.

• How to Kill Your Zombie Subscriptions

  With inflation cutting into consumers’ purchasing power, getting rid of a few unnecessary recurring charges could be a painless way to help balance the household budget.

December

• HOT TOPIC: A Cautiously Optimistic Economic Outlook for 2024

  The U.S. economy grew in the third quarter of 2023, despite high interest rates and unsettling geopolitical conflict. This article discusses market conditions and economic forecasts for 2024.

November

• HOT TOPIC: Can Consumers Keep Carrying the Economy?

  Consumer spending has bolstered the economy amid inflation, higher interest rates, and a cooling job market. This article looks at what may be driving spending and what might derail its momentum.

• You’ve Received an Inheritance, Now What?

  Receiving an inheritance might promote spending without planning, but it’s not wise to make hasty decisions. This article provides suggestions that could help manage an inheritance.

• Bond Yields Are Up, but What Are the Risks?

  After years of low yields, bonds are offering higher yields that may be appealing to investors regardless of their risk tolerance. This article provides an overview of bond risks.

October

• Time to Bulk Up Your Emergency Fund

  A financial crisis can strike when least expected, so it’s important to have a sufficient emergency fund. This article offers some suggestions to help increase a fund before it’s needed.

• Four Key Objectives of a Sound Retirement Plan

  A sound retirement plan should be based on personal circumstances, and no one strategy is suitable for everyone. This article looks at four goals that a retirement strategy should address.

• Enriching a Teen with a Roth IRA

  A teen with a part-time job can contribute to a Roth IRA, which is a flexible way to accumulate funds for college, retirement, and other long-term needs.

August

• Mutual Funds: What’s in Your Portfolio?

  Mutual funds offer a convenient way to invest across a wide range of market activity. This article provides an overview of different types of mutual funds in order of typical risk.

• On the Move Again: International Travel Tips

  Are you planning a foreign vacation? This article offers some suggestions that might help keep it on track.

• SECURE 2.0: Big Impact for Small Businesses

  This article discusses provisions in the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 that may be of particular interest to small business owners.

• It’s Your Money: Why Not Get Your Withholding Right?

  Did you owe money at tax time or receive a large refund? This article discusses the types of situations in which taxpayers should consider adjusting their withholding.

July

• Why Buy Life Insurance During Unsettled Economic Times?

  This article looks at four good reasons why life insurance can be especially helpful in a challenging economy.

• SECURE 2.0 Act Expands Early Withdrawal Exceptions

  Discover exceptions to the federal income penalty for early withdrawals from tax-advantaged retirement accounts, including new exceptions added by the SECURE 2.0 Act.

• Tracking the Fed’s Progress on Disinflation

  This article compares the key inflation measures that economists and investors are watching for signs of easing price pressures.

June

• HOT TOPIC: Will Artificial Intelligence Upend the American Workforce?

  This article discusses the race between tech companies to monetize AI and how widespread adoption might affect workers, the economy, and society in general.

• How Taxes Impact Your Retirement-Income Strategy

  Retirees face unique challenges when managing their income, particularly when it comes to taxes. This article provides an overview of tax-related issues, from taxing Social Security to the new RMD rules and determining when to tap taxable and tax-advantaged accounts.

• A Mortgage Recast Is an Alternative to Refinancing

  This article explains how a mortgage recast works to enable a homeowner to reduce a monthly mortgage payment without having to refinance and why it may be an appealing solution in certain situations.

• Does the Social Security COLA Help If You’re Not Receiving Benefits?

  This article explains how the COLA not only helps current beneficiaries, but also may increase future benefits for those who are not yet receiving Social Security payments.

• Most Grocery Shoppers Aren’t Fooled by Shrinkflation

  You may have noticed products shrinking in size while prices stay the same or increase. This article includes tips for spotting and reducing the impact of this tricky strategy.

• Cheaper Hearing Aids Are Coming to a Store Near You

  Thanks to a recent regulatory shift, it’s now possible to buy an effective hearing aid without a medical exam or a prescription, potentially for a lot less money.

May

• HOT TOPIC: Rescuing America’s Safety Net

  This article looks at the current fiscal outlook for the Social Security and Medicare programs and presents some potential changes that might help to strengthen them.

• Diversifying with Market Caps

  The S&P 500 Index ended 2022 down 19.4%. Midsize and smaller companies also lost ground but generally held their value better than large companies. This article explains why holding stocks in companies of different sizes can help diversify a portfolio.

• Social Security Offers Benefits from Birth Through Old Age

  The bulk of Social Security benefits go to retirees, but Social Security is much more than a retirement program. This article outlines other types of Social Security benefits.

• Bear Market Emotions: Strategy vs. Reaction

  Staying disciplined in building a well-constructed portfolio over time can help carry investors through the market’s rough spots.