Dear Trust Officer: Which is better, the traditional IRA or the Roth IRA? — Generous, but Prudent DEAR FUTURE RETIREE: There is no simple answer to your question, unfortunately. The traditional IRA offers an immediate income adjustment and savings in federal and state income taxes. If you are short on cash, you may need the […]
Read MoreMonth: January 2019
Accumulation Phase vs. Distribution Phase
For most people, a retirement plan has two stages. During one’s working years, techniques like dollar cost averaging augment the power of compounding (the reinvestment of investment income) to grow the value of financial portfolios. The retirement years, when additions to portfolios typically come to an end and distributions begin, require different planning decisions. For […]
Read MoreChoice of Retirement Start Date
Timing is more important than many realize. Investor rule of thumb: Time in the market is more important than timing the market. Here’s evidence for that statement. Start with the following set of hypothetical returns: Hypothetical returns Year Return 1 -28% 2 -4% 3 -2% 4 8% 5 3% 6 10% 7 12% 8 8% […]
Read MoreSummary and Outlook
While volatility and the possibility of a test of the recent lows are likely during the first quarter, the 2019 outlook is better than the markets seemed to be signaling in December. There is no sense in me trying to restate what Philip Orlando, CFA and Senior Vice President, Chief Equity Market Strategist and Head […]
Read MoreIRS Forgives Rollover Mistake
A man’s family noticed that he was mentally declining in 2016. It may have been the onset of dementia. In 2017, this man withdrew funds from his IRA, apparently intending to roll the money into a new IRA. However, due to his medical condition, the man never completed the rollover. This man’s grandson son was […]
Read MoreWealth Preservation and Wealth Creation
Volatility is the price investors pay for long-term wealth creation. Markets fluctuate, sometimes wildly, and this is the reason a person should never invest funds which will be needed in the immediate future in investments which trade in volatile public markets. The definition of immediate future is a personal one, which is why it is […]
Read MorePositive Start to the New Year
Last week, Fed Chairman Powell confirmed the Fed’s future interest rate and balance sheet reduction decisions are not predetermined. Previous Fed boards and chairs have a spotty history of setting Fed policy, so some concern is understandable but current criticism seems excessive. We believe current FOMC members are at least as smart as the majority […]
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