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The views reflected by the author in this article are subject to change at any time without notice. L Holt Financial and Insurance deems reliable any statistical data or information obtained from or prepared by third party sources included in this article, but in no way guarantees its accuracy or completeness.
6 End-of-Year Retirement Deadlines You Shouldn’t Miss for 2024
Navigate these tax and retirement milestones to optimize savings and avoid penalties. Staying on top of year-end tasks helps you avoid penalties and take full advantage of tax benefits. Key Takeaways Contributions to retirement accounts like 401(k)s must be made by...
Three Changes Coming for Social Security in 2025
The Social Security Administration has announced the 2025 final COLA, wage cap, and amount needed to earn SS credits. Anticipating changes coming to Social Security in 2025 can help you start planning for the new year and identify any adjustments you can make to...
7 Things You’ll Be Happy You Downgraded in Retirement
Downsizing for retirement is a good way to simplify your life and cut down on expenses. Making some key changes, like moving into a smaller home, could reduce financial strain and improve your quality of life. It could also give you room to grow in new, unexpected...
Why Your Current Retirement Plan May Not Be Enough in 2025
Retirement: the wonderful time of life when you no longer have to work for your money. Instead, your money is finally working for you. If you’re well on your way to retirement, kudos to you. Today, more Americans are retiring than ever before. According to...
Key change coming for 401(k) ‘max savers’ in 2025, expert says — here’s what you need to know
Key Points Many Americans face a retirement savings shortfall, but setting aside more could get easier for some older workers in 2025. Enacted in 2022, the Secure Act 2.0 ushered in several retirement system improvements, including higher 401(k) plan catch-up...
What the Fed’s Rate Cut Means for You
The Federal Reserve just reduced interest rates for the first time in four years. Here’s how it will impact borrowers and saver What goes up must come down, and after four years, that’s finally true about interest rates. The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate on...
Social Security COLA 2025: How Much Will Payments Increase Next Year?
With inflation cooling, analysts estimate benefit boost could come in around 2.5% The second of three numbers the Social Security Administration (SSA) will use to determine the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is in, and it points to a more modest increase in...
Social Security COLA 2025: How Much Will Payments Increase Next Year?
With inflation cooling, analysts estimate benefit boost could come in around 2.5% The second of three numbers the Social Security Administration (SSA) will use to determine the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is in, and it points to a more modest increase in...
Why Retirement Gets Better With Annuities
Everyone aspires to have a steady source of income after retirement that replaces as much as possible of their pre-retirement earning. But for many people, one big challenge in saving for that goal is to find the right financial product that accommodates their...
The views reflected by the author in this article are subject to change at any time without notice. L Holt Financial and Insurance deems reliable any statistical data or information obtained from or prepared by third party sources included in this article, but in no way guarantees its accuracy or completeness.
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets bounced back as investors reengaged the pro-growth Trump 2.0 trade. President-elect Trump continued to fill out his cabinet and, late Friday announced Scott Bessent as his nominee for Treasury Secretary. Wall Street has endorsed Bessent,...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets pulled back last week as investors took profits from the outsized move higher seen following the US election. Sticky inflation prints, coupled with solid retail sales and hawkish comments from Federal Reserve Chairman J. Powell,...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 notched its 50th all-time high of 2024 as investors piled into equities after a decisive US election. Wall Street embraced the idea that President-Elect Trump would enact several pro-growth policies to bolster corporate profits. ...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a very busy week on Wall Street as investors analyzed a deluge of corporate earnings reports and a full economic data calendar. The S&P 500 traded lower for the second consecutive week and could not close out October with a gain,...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global markets pulled back last week as investors took the opportunity to reduce some risk before a very close US Presidential election. In the US, nearly 20% of the S&P 500 reported earnings. Generally, results came in better than expected;...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 advanced for the sixth consecutive week, closing at a new record high. This week, a broadening out of the market’s rally was evident, with small caps and the equally weighted S&P 500 index outperforming. Markets also appear to...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average forged another set of all-time highs despite facing several macro headwinds. Chinese markets reopened after celebrating Golden Week with significant losses. Investors were expecting an announcement...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 closed higher for a fourth consecutive quarter, the first time it has done so since 2011. Investors continued to face a challenging macro environment. Escalating tensions in the Middle East, a Longshoremen’s strike, the aftermath...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets posted a third week of gains as global central banks continued to cut monetary policy rates. China, Switzerland, Mexico, Hungry, and the Czech Republic cut their policy rates. Chinese markets gained on the news that several...
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The Roth 5-Year Clock and the Pro-Rata Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I am over age 59½ and have had a Roth IRA account for more than 5 years. Starting in 2025, I designated all of my contributions into my employer’s 401(k) plan as Roth contributions. If I decide to retire before I have met the...
Double Your Pleasure – The 457(b) 2x Catch-Up
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you’re in a 457(b) plan and are nearing retirement, you may want to consider an often-overlooked rule that could allow you to defer twice the usual annual elective deferral limit (for 2025, $23,000 x 2 = $47,000) in the three...
Moving Your Roth Account
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The year 2025 has been a turbulent time for the economy. Whether due to job loss or persons seeking better investment opportunities in volatile markets, retirement account funds are on the move more than...
RMD Calculations and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I am age 85, and my wife is age 75. If I die first and my wife inherits my IRA, are the required minimum distributions (RMDs) that my wife must take after my death calculated using her age or my age?...
Bad Advice Turns Me Into the Hulk
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Before he transformed into the Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner once said to his antagonist, “Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” That’s a little how I feel when I hear stories about lazy financial professionals...
Are My SEP and SIMPLE IRAs Safe from Creditors?
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst You are not alone if you have concerns that your IRA or workplace plan savings could be lost if you are forced to declare bankruptcy or wind up on the losing end of a civil lawsuit. After all, we all count on those savings for a...
IRA Transfers and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Hello, I have two IRA annuities with different insurance companies. One of my annuities is maturing and I would like to transfer it upon maturity to a different insurance company. Do I need to take my 2025 required...
When You SHOULD Name a Trust as IRA Beneficiary
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Here at the Slott Report we hear many stories about trusts being named as IRA beneficiaries and the problems that follow. Often, there seems to be no purpose for naming the trust and it brings unnecessary...
Fixing a Converted RMD…and the Tax Reporting
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst We know that required minimum distributions (RMDs) cannot be rolled over or converted. Before a person does any Roth IRA conversions, all of their IRA RMDs must be satisfied. (See this prior Slott Report post: “New Rule: All IRA...
The views reflected by the author in this article are subject to change at any time without notice. L Holt Financial and Insurance deems reliable any statistical data or information obtained from or prepared by third party sources included in this article, but in no way guarantees its accuracy or completeness.
Watchdog Estimates $7.5 Billion Medicare Advantage Overpayment from “Questionable” Health Risk Assessments
When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pays Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations, they increase the payments when plans enroll sicker people. This is called risk adjustment, and it is an important guardrail to ensure that all people with Medicare...
read more
Unpacking the changes to Medicare in 2025
Medicare coverage is personal — and changes to those plans and benefits may feel unnerving as it affects one’s overall health and well-being. Originally passed in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act brought about many changes to Medicare that are now being implemented...
read more
What If My Medicare Doctor “Opts Out”?
Finding a doctor you like and trust can be a long process, so I understand that it can be frustrating when your doctor no longer accepts Medicare. If your doctor has “opted out” of Medicare, this means that he or she no longer accepts Medicare assignment...
read more
Home health care through Medicare
It’s important to plan for your health care needs, but sometimes life throws unexpected curve balls. And when that happens, you’ll need to know what’s covered. Fortunately, there are ways you and your loved ones can get the necessary care at home. Here’s what you need...
read more
Correcting the Record: The Facts on Medicare Advantage Payment and Accountability
The Wall Street Journal recently published a story regarding diagnoses and plan payments in Medicare Advantage. The story was fundamentally flawed and overlooked the value of Medicare Advantage for millions of American seniors. Here are the facts: More than 33 million...
read more
New bipartisan survey reveals a supermajority of seniors oppose reducing funding to Medicare Advantage — and will factor that into their vote in November
Today, more Americans than ever are choosing Medicare Advantage for affordable, quality health care — with over 33 million seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in the program. BMA wanted to learn more about seniors’ views on Medicare Advantage and how...
read more
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier Today, Medicare Advantage delivers affordable, high-quality care to more than 33 million seniors and people with disabilities, with better health outcomes than Fee-for-Service Medicare (FFS). One...
read more
Will My Specialist’s Services be Covered under My Medicare Plan?
Whether you’re switching from one type of Medicare coverage to another, or you’re new to Medicare, you might be concerned about being able to continue seeing your health-care specialist. Will your specialist’s services be covered by Medicare? That may depend upon:...
read more
7 Medicare Changes You’ll See in 2025
Expensive medications? You’ll save thousands. Dementia or mental health care? More options Key takeaways Changes from Inflation Reduction Act will take effect next year. Lower out-of-pocket limit in Part D drug plans erases old “donut hole.” You may find weight loss...
read more
Watchdog Estimates $7.5 Billion Medicare Advantage Overpayment from “Questionable” Health Risk Assessments
When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pays Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations, they increase the payments when plans enroll sicker people. This is called risk adjustment, and it is an important guardrail to ensure that all people with Medicare...
Unpacking the changes to Medicare in 2025
Medicare coverage is personal — and changes to those plans and benefits may feel unnerving as it affects one’s overall health and well-being. Originally passed in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act brought about many changes to Medicare that are now being implemented...
What If My Medicare Doctor “Opts Out”?
Finding a doctor you like and trust can be a long process, so I understand that it can be frustrating when your doctor no longer accepts Medicare. If your doctor has “opted out” of Medicare, this means that he or she no longer accepts Medicare assignment...
Home health care through Medicare
It’s important to plan for your health care needs, but sometimes life throws unexpected curve balls. And when that happens, you’ll need to know what’s covered. Fortunately, there are ways you and your loved ones can get the necessary care at home. Here’s what you need...
Correcting the Record: The Facts on Medicare Advantage Payment and Accountability
The Wall Street Journal recently published a story regarding diagnoses and plan payments in Medicare Advantage. The story was fundamentally flawed and overlooked the value of Medicare Advantage for millions of American seniors. Here are the facts: More than 33 million...
New bipartisan survey reveals a supermajority of seniors oppose reducing funding to Medicare Advantage — and will factor that into their vote in November
Today, more Americans than ever are choosing Medicare Advantage for affordable, quality health care — with over 33 million seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in the program. BMA wanted to learn more about seniors’ views on Medicare Advantage and how...
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier Today, Medicare Advantage delivers affordable, high-quality care to more than 33 million seniors and people with disabilities, with better health outcomes than Fee-for-Service Medicare (FFS). One...
Will My Specialist’s Services be Covered under My Medicare Plan?
Whether you’re switching from one type of Medicare coverage to another, or you’re new to Medicare, you might be concerned about being able to continue seeing your health-care specialist. Will your specialist’s services be covered by Medicare? That may depend upon:...
7 Medicare Changes You’ll See in 2025
Expensive medications? You’ll save thousands. Dementia or mental health care? More options Key takeaways Changes from Inflation Reduction Act will take effect next year. Lower out-of-pocket limit in Part D drug plans erases old “donut hole.” You may find weight loss...
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