Posted by Richard on February 10, 2016
The Federal Reserve has set the wheels in motion and for the first time in nearly a decade, interest rates are on an upward trajectory. The initial hike was a modest one quarter of one percentage point — not a game changer for most investors or consumers. And from what Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen telegraphed […]
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Once a retirement savings plan has been approved and is in place, it’s tempting for a plan sponsor to sit back and adopt an “I’m done,” hands-off attitude. However, to ensure that a plan continues to operate effectively, employers should periodically review plan provisions and features. Here is a brief checklist of key points to […]
Read More →Posted by Richard on January 13, 2016
It’s a message worth repeating. Investing is a matter of focus. Despite recent disappointments in stock market performance, investors who are willing to assess the whole universe of investment choices may find that the market continues to offer new possibilities. And those who keep their sights set on long-term investment goals may find that a […]
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On Monday, November 2, President Obama signed into law H.R. 1314, the “Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.” One significant byproduct of the legislation is the elimination and/or curbing of two Social Security filing strategies that two-income married couples may have been using — or counting on — to increase their lifetime Social Security payouts. The […]
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Effective portfolio management is about more than buying securities, it’s also about selling them when the time is right. Unfortunately, there’s no crystal ball that tells investors when to sell their investments. Many investors hold securities for too long and reproach themselves for not having sold sooner. Others sell too soon and second-guess their chances […]
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For those fortunate few individuals whose personal wealth exceeds the current estate-tax exemption threshold — $5.43 million for 2015 rising to $5.45 million for 2016 — today’s historically low interest rate environment offers potentially powerful wealth transfer opportunities. Recent low rates of interest have affected two important factors used to value wealth transfers involving trusts […]
Read More →Posted by Richard on December 16, 2015
The IRS has released the cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) affecting dollar limitations for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), defined contribution and other retirement-related items for tax year 2016. In general, most limits will remain unchanged for 2016 because the increase in the cost-of-living index did not meet the threshold that would trigger their adjustment. The table below […]
Read More →Posted by Richard on December 15, 2015
Even though April 15 now seems a distant deadline for filing your 2015 tax returns, in order to take advantage of some of the biggest tax reduction strategies, you have to act before the end of this year. Without further ado, here are three “go-to” maneuvers that you may want to execute by December 31. […]
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The Federal Reserve’s actions can have a marked influence on the economy and financial markets. For instance, some market analysts believe that the Fed’s massive, multi-year bond-buying program coupled with a record-setting period of near-zero interest rates fueled the six-year bull market for stocks. Now investors are awaiting news of when — and by how […]
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While worker confidence about having enough money to live comfortably in retirement has been on the rise in recent years, that confidence is based largely on access to and participation in a workplace retirement plan. According to the latest annual Retirement Confidence Survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), among workers who participate […]
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