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The following link/content may include information and statistical data obtained from and/or prepared by thirdparty sources that Wealth Personal, deems reliable but in no way does Wealth Personal guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Wealth Personal had no involvement in the creation of the content and did not make any revisions to such content. All such third-party information and statistical data contained herein is subject to change without notice and may not reflect the view or opinions of Wealth Personal. Nothing herein constitutes investment, legal or tax advice or any recommendation that any security, portfolio of securities, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. Personal investment advice can only be rendered after the engagement of Wealth Personal, execution of required documentation, and receipt of required disclosures. All investments involve risk and past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Fixed Index Annuity
What Is a Fixed Index Annuity? A fixed index annuity is a financial product whose terms are defined by a contract between you and an insurance company. It features characteristics of both fixed annuities and variable annuities. Fixed index annuities are also referred...
Why Annuities May Be a Safer Bet in 2025
Many people decide to claim their Social Security benefit when they retire. You may be one of them. It could be that you need the money, or maybe you want to invest it in the hope that it grows. While these can be good options depending on your needs and preferences,...
Interest in Annuities Is Soaring: Understanding the 2025 Trend
Learn how the market, economy, and demographics are shaping the annuity industry. The annuity industry is having a moment. After years of mixed opinions and confusion around how they work, annuities surged in popularity in recent years, with total U.S. sales reaching...
Annuity Awareness Month 2025: Your Guide to Income Security
Each June, Annuity Awareness Month shines a spotlight on one of retirement’s most misunderstood—but potentially powerful—financial tools: the annuity. In 2025, as market uncertainty, inflation concerns, and rising interest rates continue to weigh on retirement...
6 Ways to Secure Your Finances After Retirement
Although your CalPERS service retirement is a lifetime benefit, and you have other income sources available to you, money can still be tight. Making ends meet is a big concern for many retirees. Here are six tips for saving money during retirement, as part of our...
Retirement planning with annuities in 2025: Key considerations and trends
Annuities have seen a resurgence in popularity as a retirement planning tool, especially in 2025, driven by market volatility, higher interest rates, and an aging population seeking stable income streams. Here's what you need to know about retirement planning with...
7 steps to prepare for your upcoming retirement
Planning to retire within the next 10 years? Taking these actions now could help bolster your portfolio as you approach your planned retirement date. After decades of working and saving, you can finally see retirement on the horizon. But now isn't the time to coast....
Getting Ready for Retirement Checklist
If the word “retire” is becoming your new mantra, we suggest you make a retirement checklist before you receive your last paycheck. It’s never too early (or too late) to start planning your retirement. So why not start now, using the handy checklist below. 10 Steps...
The Most Important Ages of Retirement
Retirement is a series of milestones that arrive as you age. Here are the ones you should know about. The retirement clock doesn't start the day you stop working. It's better to think of this period of your life as a range of important dates and milestones spread...
Weekly Market Commentary
US equity markets ended the week with a powerful move to the upside after Fed Chairman J. Powell indicated that the balance of risk had shifted to the labor market, leaving the door open for a September rate cut. The final day of trading wiped out losses incurred in...
Weekly Market Commentary
Global financial markets had another positive week as the Dow Jones Industrial Average finally joined the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ with a new all-time high. Benign consumer inflation increased the probability of a September rate cut to 99% and fostered the idea of...
Weekly Market Commentary
Global financial markets rallied last week as investors stepped in again to buy the prior week’s dip in prices. Japan, Germany, Spain, and Italy were international market standouts. In the US, the S&P 500 fell just shy of a new all-time high, while the...
Weekly Market Commentary
Markets forged another set of all-time highs before taking a step back last week as a deluge of information had to be digested by investors. August 1st was the tariff deadline, and while some deals were made ahead of the deadline, several other countries had their...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 and NASDAQ reached another set of all-time highs, driven by constructive rhetoric on global trade and positive second-quarter earnings results from influential companies such as Alphabet. The S&P is up 8.6% year to date, while the NASDAQ is up...
Weekly Market Commentary
U.S. equity markets were little changed for the week; that said, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ were able to forge another set of all-time highs. A busy Q2 earnings calendar saw 12% of the S&P 500 report earnings. Earnings from several large banks came in better than...
Weekly Market Commentary
A barrage of tariff letters sent to over 20 countries by President Trump yielded very little movement in the financial markets. Trump announced that there would not be additional extensions to negotiations and that tariff levels sent in these letters would go into...
Weekly Market Commentary
The holiday-shortened week produced another week of gains for US equity indices. The S&P 500 was up 10.6 % in the 2nd quarter, while the NASDAQ composite rose 17.8%. Trump’s reconciliation bill was passed by the Senate and subsequently approved by the House,...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ joined the NASDAQ 100 in forging new all-time highs in an extremely busy week for Wall Street. A de-escalation of the Iran-Israel-US conflict happened on the twelfth day after Israel's initial strikes. The US bombed three key nuclear...
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New Trump Account Developments
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst With contributions to Trump Accounts expected to begin in just a few months, there are some new developments to report. As a reminder, Trump Accounts are tax-deferred savings accounts for children. They were established by Congress...
5 Tips for Making Your 2025 Roth IRA Contribution
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The tax season is upon us. This is the time when many people consider contributing to a retirement account. You may be interested in the Roth IRA, which offers the promise of tax-free withdrawals in...
Conversions of Property and Conversions of Inherited IRA Funds: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst A member of Ed Slott’s Elite Advisor Group℠ emailed us recently with a question about a minor child as beneficiary of her father’s IRA. The question was brief, and I think the expectation was that our reply would be of...
Real Life Scenario: Minor as EDB Beneficiary
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst A member of Ed Slott’s Elite Advisor Group℠ emailed us recently with a question about a minor child as beneficiary of her father’s IRA. The question was brief, and I think the expectation was that our reply would be of...
How In-Plan Roth Conversions Work
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst In the January 5 edition of the Slott Report, we mentioned that the federal Thrift Savings Plan (for government workers and the military) started offering in-plan Roth conversions on January 28. This article will provide more...
Health Savings Accounts and the “Still-Working” Exception: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Please explain the rules and qualifications for rolling over a portion of an IRA to a Health Savings Account (HSA). Thank you, Bill Answer: Hi Bill, A Qualified HSA Funding Distribution (QHFD) is...
Don’t Miss This Rule That Allows Smaller RMDs
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education If you are age 73 or older in 2026, you will need to take a required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA. Usually, an RMD is calculated using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. However, if you are married...
Three Basic IRA Rules that Must Be Understood
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Each year, in different cities, the Ed Slott team hosts several advisor training events for financial professionals serious about learning. These 2-day programs start with our cannonballing into the retirement account pool,...
Required Minimum Distributions and Inherited Roth IRAs: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I am age 75 and have just one IRA. I normally do multiple qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) during the year. I also make one or more partial Roth conversions during the year. Please confirm or correct my...
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