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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
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...
Weekly Market Commentary
Despite there being plenty for investors to consider, the holiday-shortened week ended pretty much where it started. Israel and Iran continued to exchange missile attacks, while global leaders tried to find a resolution to the conflict. President Trump opened the door...
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Non-Spouse Beneficiaries and Funding QCDS: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: If a non-spouse beneficiary inherits a 401(k), what are the options? Can you roll the money into an inherited IRA? Are there any other options, and over what time period does each option require the account to be drained?...
The Strange RMD Rules for Ex-Spouses After a Divorce
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst “Qualified domestic relations orders” (QDROs) are court orders used to divide ERISA retirement plan assets after a divorce. Normally, after a QDRO is approved by a defined contribution plan like a 401(k), the plan will establish a...
Five Last-Minute Tips for 2025 IRA Contributions
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The tax-filing deadline is almost here. Are you thinking about making a 2025 IRA (traditional or Roth) contribution? Time is quickly running out. Here are some last-minute tips to keep in mind as you make your IRA...
Tax Withholding from a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) and from a Roth Conversion: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I had my IRA custodian send my required minimum distribution (RMD) from my IRA to our church, but had 20% federal taxes withheld. Subsequently, I received two Form 1099-Rs from the custodian. One showed the withheld...
No Joke – Today is a Required Beginning Date!
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Today is April 1, and that’s a big day! No, not because it’s April Fool’s Day, but because today is the required beginning date (RBD) for any traditional IRA owner who turned age 73 in 2025. Based on census data, that could...
8 Rules to Help Navigate the Multiple Plan Contribution Limits
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst More and more Americans are taking on “side gigs” or switching jobs. When that happens, they often wind up participating in two different employer retirement plans at the same time or in the same year. Here are 8 rules to help you understand...
Eligible Designated Beneficiaries and Roth Conversions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Hi Ed and team, If a parent, age 86, inherited their son’s 401(k) after the son passed at age 58, does the parent still have 10 years to withdraw the funds? A lot is discussed about beneficiaries...
5 Things You Need to Know about the Roth IRA Five-Year Rules
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Here at the Slott Report, we get a lot of questions on all sorts of different IRA topics. However, one area where we consistently get the most inquiries is the five-year rules for Roth IRA distributions....
Young Spouse, Spousal Rollover, Year-of-Death RMD…and a Penalty?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When an IRA owner reaches the required beginning date (RBD), required minimum distributions (RMDs) are officially “turned on.” For IRAs, the RBD is April 1 of the year after the year the IRA owner turns age 73. If an IRA owner died...
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