🖨 Print⏱ 3 min readOne of the positive aspects of sustained high-interest rates is higher yields on bonds, particularly high-quality municipal bonds. It is possible that 2024 will present a different scenario as the Federal Reserve begins a schedule of monetary easing by reducing interest rates over time. The potential for this strategy, combined with … Continue reading “Municipal Bond Outlook for 2024”
🖨 Print⏱ 5 min readFor many, buying a home is the biggest asset they will ever own. However, you aren’t able to fully benefit from that asset until you pay off the mortgage; until then, it is technically a liability. The most common length of a mortgage loan is 30 years, but most people either … Continue reading “Considerations For Paying Off a Mortgage Early”
🖨 Print⏱ 6 min readThe biggest difference between managing taxes throughout your career versus during retirement is that when you are retired, you are responsible for calculating how much you owe and paying it on a timely basis. Retirees normally have several different income sources, and not all automatically withhold taxes from distributions. Retirement Income … Continue reading “How to Manage Taxes in Retirement”
🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readIn one year’s time, the U.S. inflation rate dropped by more than half, from 8.2 percent in September 2022 to 3.7 percent in September of 2023. If there is a downside to lower inflation, it’s a lower cost of living adjustment (COLA). This year, the inflation rate plummeted from 6.4 percent … Continue reading “2024 Cost of Living Adjustments”
🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readYou can work and still receive Social Security benefits, but how much you receive depends on a number of factors. First, if you do plan to continue working after becoming eligible to receive benefits, you might consider delaying filing for benefits for as long as possible. That’s because the earlier you … Continue reading “Work and Social Security Benefits”
🖨 Print⏱ 5 min readA widow or widower is eligible for a survivor’s benefit from Social Security even if they never worked – as long as the deceased spouse qualified for benefits based on his or her own income record. Also, note that surviving spouses must have been married to their most current spouse for … Continue reading “Widow/er Social Security Benefits”
🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readWhen a company decides to conduct a reverse stock split, also referred to as a stock consolidation, the number of shares available to investors is reduced. In a normal (forward) stock split, a company increases its number of outstanding shares without changing their market value. For example, one share of stock … Continue reading “The Ins and Outs of a Reverse Stock Split”
🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readThe Continuing Appropriations Act, enacted at the end of 2022, included several provisions that impact retirement plans going forward. Specifically, the legislation enacts SECURE 2.0, an updated version of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019. The following provisions are financial planning considerations that affect individuals. Increases … Continue reading “New Personal Finance Provisions in the 2.0 Secure Act”
🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readSome economists and market analysts have been predicting a U.S. recession ever since last fall. They’ve been wrong before – but they’ve also been right. Rather than try to predict how the stock market will react during the next recession, investors are better off planning for a range of potential outcomes. … Continue reading “How To Recession-Proof Your Portfolio (Just in Case)”
🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readEstate and inheritance (“death”) taxes are levied on the transfer of property at death. The difference between an estate tax and an inheritance tax is based on who pays the bill. An estate tax is levied on the estate of the deceased, while an inheritance tax is levied on the heirs … Continue reading “Estate Taxes vs. Inheritance Taxes: Understanding the Differences”
