Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
Retirement Planning Heading Into 2026: 7 Smart Moves For Clients Right Now
As 2025 winds down, retirement planning is shifting under three big spotlights: taxes in 2026, retirement plan rule updates, and Medicare drug-cost changes. Here’s a...
Why Life Insurance Belongs in Your Retirement Plan
Quick Take Life insurance isn’t just for parents with mortgages. The right policy can: protect a spouse’s income plan if one Social Security check disappears create...
Annuities 101: Why They’re (Sometimes) a Great Idea for Retirement
Quick Take Annuities are insurance contracts that can turn a portion of your savings into guaranteed income you can’t outlive. For the right person, they lower stress,...
Retirement Income Planning: A Practical Guide for Turning Savings Into a Sustainable Paycheck
Key Takeaways (TL;DR) Retirement success is less about “the number” and more about cash-flow durability, tax efficiency, and risk control. A resilient plan blends...
Integrating Life Insurance & Fixed Indexed Annuities: A Smarter Way to Protect, Grow, and Distribute Retirement Wealth
Big idea: Life insurance and fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) aren’t either/or. Used together, they can help protect income, manage taxes, and transfer wealth more...
Why Fixed Indexed Annuities Are a Smart Choice for Retirement Planning
When planning for retirement, one of the greatest challenges is balancing growth potential with protection of principal. Many investors seek opportunities that allow...
The 4% Rule: How Much Can You Spend in Retirement?
How much can you spend without running out of money? The 4% rule is a popular rule of thumb, but you can do better. Here are guidelines for finding your personalized...
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...
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...
Weekly Market Commentary
Well, the market finally had a significant pullback, but not before the S&P 500 and NASDAQ were able to set another all-time high. The week began with a deal...
Weekly Market Commentary
Investors sent US markets to another set of all-time highs despite concerns about an extended government shutdown. The U.S. government shutdown was largely dismissed...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 hit a 28th record high for the year before settling lower for the week. Investors endured a choppy week of trading as better-than-expected economic data...
Weekly Market Commentary
The major US equity market indices forged another set of all-time highs as investors went all in on risk assets after the Federal Reserve announced a twenty-five basis...
Weekly Market Commentary
US equity indices posted another set of all-time highs as investors increased expectations for three, twenty-five basis point rate cuts by year's end. Inflation data...
Weekly Market Commentary
Investors sent the S&P 500 to another all-time high in a holiday-shortened week of trading. President Trump started the week by asking the Supreme Court to...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 posted a gain for the fourth consecutive month as investors continued to embrace the prospects of a September rate cut, a robust economic outlook, and...
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,...
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...
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Eligible Designated Beneficiaries and Roth IRA Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Hello! I have been a big fan for a long time. I have a question regarding a Roth IRA I inherited...
Spousal IRA Contributions
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education IRA and Roth IRA contributions are only permitted when you have taxable “compensation” or earned income....
Inherited Roth IRAs and Successor Beneficiaries
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In our December 8, 2025 Slott Report entry (“Yes, RMDs Apply to Inherited Roth IRAs, But…”), we wrote about the application...
SIMPLE Plan Contributions and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Hello, I am searching for confirmation that Roth SIMPLE IRA contributions are not limited by modified adjusted gross...
Making Sense of the Roth 401(k)-to-Roth IRA Rollover Rules
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst One of the most common retirement account transactions – rolling over Roth 401(k) funds to Roth IRAs – is also one of the most complicated...
How Your RMD Statement Can Help You
Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The rules for required minimum distributions (RMDs) can be complicated and, under the law, the responsibility...
Taxes on Required Minimum Distributions and Qualified Charitable Distributions from Trusts: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Does a non-spouse eligible designated beneficiary (EDB) have to pay taxes on required minimum distributions (RMDs) either at...
2026: Here We Go Again!
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst It’s a new year, and the slate is wiped clean. Here we go again! While we are only one week into 2026, there are some important IRA...
Coming Soon: The Thrift Savings Plan Will Start Offering In-Plan Roth Conversions
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Since 2010, participants in certain private sector 401(k) plans have been able to boost their Roth retirement savings by doing an “in-plan...