Building a Stronger Financial Future with the Right Guidance

Building a Stronger Financial Future with the Right Guidance

When it comes to your financial future, confidence does not come from guessing. It comes from having a clear strategy, trusted guidance, and a plan built around your goals. Whether you are preparing for retirement, protecting your family, growing your wealth, or...

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...
Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary

US markets fell for a third consecutive week as investors continued to assess the implications of the Iran conflict.  Headlines related to Iran continued to dominate market attention.  Energy markets traded higher as the military’s focus shifted to energy...
Why Financial and Insurance Planning Should Work Together

Why Financial and Insurance Planning Should Work Together

When people think about financial planning, they often focus on investments, retirement accounts, and growing wealth. When they think about insurance, they usually think about protecting their home, health, or family. The truth is, these two areas should never be...

Moving the Clocks Ahead and Reviewing the Roth IRA 5-Year Clocks

  By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst A few Saturdays ago, many of us moved our clocks one hour ahead to usher in Daylight Saving Time. Adjusting our clocks is a reminder to review the confusing rules surrounding the Roth IRA distribution clocks. It’s no surprise that...
Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary

Markets remained volatile, driven by headlines related to the Iran war.  Whipsaw action was prominent across multiple asset classes, while several historically safe-haven assets offered no cover for investors.  Questions about the duration of the war and the closure...

Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 2

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In our Slott Report entry from March 2 (“Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 1,”) we discussed three irreversible mistakes and the negative consequences of each. Despite any repercussions, certain IRA and...

Act Quickly to Avoid Double Taxation on Excess 401(k) Deferrals

By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you made excess deferrals to your 401(k) or 403(b) plan(s) in 2025, you need to correct the error while there’s still time. The deadline is April 15, 2026. If you don’t act before then, you’ll be double-taxed on the excess deferrals....
Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary

Investors endured a difficult week as the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran continued.  Iran’s efforts to target US military bases in the region broaden the conflict across the Middle East.  Energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have come to a...

Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 1

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When a transactional mistake is made with retirement plan or IRA assets, there is oftentimes a mechanism to correct the error. For example, if too much money is contributed to an IRA, a person can leverage the excess contribution...
Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary

US equity markets regressed as several themes that have propelled the market higher over the last couple of years have had to be reassessed. Return on investment from AI capex, a Federal Reserve on hold, tariff uncertainty, and increased geopolitical tensions have...