A few weeks ago, I was invited to teach an introduction to personal finance class to a group of local 8th graders. Two of the concepts we covered were compounding and why you need to have a real return (return above inflation). During the class, we reviewed charts of investment returns since 1926 and the […]
Just When You Thought You Were Out of Debt
American households are drowning in consumer debt, with the Federal Reserve Bank reporting a new record of over $1.13 Trillion in Credit Card debt in 2024.[1] Total consumer debt, including the largest category, mortgage debt, is also standing at an all-time high of $17.5 Trillion.[2] In our new high interest rate environment, the interest payments […]
The SECURE Act: Summary and Implications for Retirement Savers
The final weeks of 2019 brought a relatively large piece of retirement legislation into law known as the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement” or SECURE Act. The act, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, includes multiple provisions that are sure to effect retirement savers. Here, we have outlined those that could […]
6 Winning Strategies For Your Roth
You’ve read my last piece on the new tax codes and why a Roth might be a good option, decided a Roth is right for you, and now you want to know how to contribute to your Roth. Here are 6 ways to maximize your Roth retirement accounts[1]: 1. Open and contribute to a Roth […]
The Tax Code is Changing. Should your Retirement Plan?
Keep your retirement plan on track by determining if a Roth is right for you. If you have been following tax reform, you know the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) lowered the marginal tax rate of five brackets. You also know if nothing is done to make these tax brackets permanent, there […]