Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
What Inflation Is Quietly Doing to Your Retirement Plan
When most people think about retirement planning, they focus on the big numbers. How much they have saved. How much income they will need. When they want to retire. But...
Last-Minute Tax Moves Before April 15: IRA, HSA, and Retirement Planning Tips
As April 15 approaches, many people assume the window for tax planning has already closed. The truth is, there may still be time to make a few smart financial moves...
Building a Stronger Financial Future with the Right Guidance
When it comes to your financial future, confidence does not come from guessing. It comes from having a clear strategy, trusted guidance, and a plan built around your...
Why Financial and Insurance Planning Should Work Together
When people think about financial planning, they often focus on investments, retirement accounts, and growing wealth. When they think about insurance, they usually...
Understanding Annuities: Turning Retirement Savings Into Reliable Income
Planning for retirement has changed dramatically over the past few decades. In the past, many retirees relied on pensions and Social Security to provide dependable...
The Retirement Wildcard: How Healthcare Costs Can Impact Your Financial Future
When most people think about retirement planning, they focus on the obvious questions: Will my savings last? How much income will I need? When should I take Social...
The Retirement Income Plan Most People Think They Have — But Don’t
Retirement isn’t about how much you’ve saved. It’s about how you turn your savings into income you can rely on — for 20, 30, or even 40 years. Most people believe their...
Personalized Retirement Strategy: A Plan Built Around You
Retirement isn’t one-size-fits-all. Two people can retire the same year with the same savings and still need completely different strategies—because income needs,...
Annuities: Why They Can Be a Smart Addition to Your Portfolio
When you think about building a strong retirement plan, most people focus on a mix of stocks, bonds, and cash. But for many retirees and pre-retirees, there’s another...
Weekly Market Commentary
The holiday-shortened week saw US equities advance even as oil prices surged amid uncertainty about the duration of the Iranian conflict. Early in the week, investors...
Weekly Market Commentary
US markets fell for the fourth consecutive week as the US-Israel-Iran conflict entered its 5th week. President Trump’s announcement that he would extend the deadline...
Weekly Market Commentary
US markets fell for a third consecutive week as investors continued to assess the implications of the Iran conflict. Headlines related to Iran continued to dominate...
Weekly Market Commentary
Markets remained volatile, driven by headlines related to the Iran war. Whipsaw action was prominent across multiple asset classes, while several historically...
Weekly Market Commentary
Investors endured a difficult week as the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran continued. Iran’s efforts to target US military bases in the region broaden the...
Weekly Market Commentary
US equity markets regressed as several themes that have propelled the market higher over the last couple of years have had to be reassessed. Return on investment from...
Weekly Market Commentary
The holiday-shortened week produced gains across US indices and saw an emerging market ETF break out to all-time highs. The start of the Chinese Lunar New Year and...
Weekly Market Commentary
US financial markets regressed in choppy trade. The narrative around the disruptive nature of AI continued to impact markets. Rotation away from growth and mega-cap...
Weekly Market Commentary
Investors endured a volatile week on Wall Street as 4th quarter earnings continued to roll in. Concerns about massive capital expenditures resurfaced after Amazon and...
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The “Required Beginning Date” vs. “First RMD Year” Confusion
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Most of you are probably familiar with the concept of the “required beginning date” (RBD). The RBD is the deadline for taking the first...
New “Trump IRA” Is Fake News
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education On April 30, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order to promote retirement savings for American...
The Net Unrealized Appreciation Strategy and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I have a client who is still working, over age 75, and wants to roll her 401(k) into her IRA. She has stopped contributing and...
The Net Unrealized Appreciation Strategy and Qualified Charitable Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I have a client who is still working, over age 75, and wants to roll her 401(k) into her IRA. She has stopped contributing and...
Reporting a Recharacterization
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst We know that Roth conversions are permanent. Recharacterization of a conversion is no longer allowed. Once the conversion is done,...
A Cheat Sheet for Retirement Account Beneficiary RMD
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The SECURE Act completely changed the rules for beneficiary IRA (and workplace retirement plan) required minimum distributions (RMDs)....
Required Minimum Distributions and Inherited IRAs Prior to 2020: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: My spouse and I have a combined six-figure required minimum distribution (RMD) from my two IRAs and her...
The Once-Per-Year Rollover Rule: Multiple Deposits vs. Multiple Distributions
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The once-per-year IRA rollover rule sounds easy. However, there are many ways to go wrong. One common...
The Simultaneous QCD/RMD Transaction
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) and required minimum distributions (RMDs) are two separate and distinct...
Why Waiting Too Long to Enroll in Medicare Can Cost You
For many people approaching age 65, Medicare feels like something they can figure out later. After all, if you are still working, covered by a spouse’s plan, or simply feeling healthy, it may seem easy to put off enrollment and deal with it when the time feels right....
What Medicare’s Annual Wellness Visit Covers — And What It Does Not
Many people on Medicare have heard of the Annual Wellness Visit, but there is still a lot of confusion about what it actually includes. One of the biggest misunderstandings is thinking it is the same as a full yearly physical. It is not. For Medicare beneficiaries,...
Understanding Medicare: What Every Retiree Should Know Before Enrolling
Turning 65 is a milestone — and for many Americans, it’s the moment when Medicare enters the conversation. While Medicare provides valuable health coverage for retirees, the system can feel confusing. With multiple parts, enrollment windows, and coverage options, many...
Medicare and Retirement: What You Need to Know Before You Leave Your Employer Plan
For many Americans, retirement brings freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to enjoy the next chapter of life. But before leaving an employer health plan behind, it’s important to understand how Medicare works alongside retirement planning. Healthcare is one of...
Medicare Made Clear: What Every New Beneficiary Needs to Know in 2026
Turning 65 is a milestone.But when it comes to Medicare, it can also feel overwhelming. Between Parts A, B, C, D… Medigap… enrollment periods… penalties… provider networks… it’s no surprise that many people feel confused before they even get started. The good news?...
Medicare Annual Checklist: 7 Smart Things to Review Every Year
Even if you feel confident in your Medicare coverage, it’s smart to review your plan at least once a year. Costs change. Networks change. Prescription formularies change. And sometimes your own health needs change — which can make a plan that worked last year less...
Medicare Advantage (Part C): What It Is, Who It’s For, and What to Watch For
Medicare can feel straightforward at first—Part A helps cover hospital care, Part B helps cover doctor and outpatient services—but then you hear about Medicare Advantage and everything gets a little more confusing. Medicare Advantage (also called Part C) is an...
Medicare vs. Medicaid: What’s the Difference (and Can You Have Both)?
If you’re new to Medicare or helping a loved one, it’s easy to mix up Medicare and Medicaid—they sound similar, but they’re very different programs. The good news: once you understand the basics, it becomes much easier to choose coverage confidently and avoid costly...
Medicare Supplements in 2026: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t, and How to Choose Confidently
Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans can help control out-of-pocket costs in 2026. Here’s what’s new this year, how plans compare, and how to pick the right fit. If you’re on Original Medicare in 2026, predictability matters more than ever Original Medicare (Parts A...