For decades, we’ve been encouraged to contribute as much as possible to these plans, with the idea being that you will be in a lower tax bracket when you retire – and therefore you’ll pay fewer taxes on these funds than if you’d forgone the tax break upfront. Of course, our economic landscape has changed since the traditional IRA and 401(k) first gained widespread use, with IRA’s first becoming popular in the 1970’s and the 401(k) following in the early 1980’s. The highest tax bracket in the 1970’s was 70% and it dropped to 50% in the early 1980s, so we can see how workers believed they’d pay less once they retired and were taking less income.

In a world filled with distractions, procrastination, and competing priorities, it can be all too easy to put off important tasks or decisions, believing that there will always be a more opportune moment in the future. However, the wisdom of this adage challenges this assumption, asserting that the most opportune moment to act is often the present.

Making positive changes doesn’t have to be hard. Resolutions don’t need to be grand or life changing. One-time steps and small adjustments can add up to real change and give us a sense of accomplishment too. So, I’d like to spend our time this week reviewing some areas you might focus on to position yourself for greater success, both financially and health-wise, without requiring a serious time commitment. 

Most of us spend decades dreaming about and preparing for that magical day when we will retire. When we walk out the door from our job for the last time and enter a new phase of our lives. One filled with freedom, fun and adventure. We dream of things like sleeping in, socializing with friends, focusing on a hobby, and perhaps traveling or spending more time with the grandkids. We have sacrificed, saved and invested for that day, and are excited to finally enjoy the fruits of our labor. 

With the 2024 Holiday season in full swing, I find myself looking forward to the joyful weeks ahead. From spending time with my family (especially those we see only a few times each year) to good food, beautiful snowfalls, thankful for the birth of our Savior, and lots of laughs; this is truly a wondrous time of year. 

Being a finance guy, I see firsthand the effects of today’s longer life expectancies. In the 1950’s, the average American could expect to live to about 69 years old, but thanks to significant developments in medicine, today the average retiree can expect to live to almost 80 years old – and that’s just the average₁. These days it’s not uncommon for any retirees to live well into their 80’s and 90’s, or even beyond. And while living longer is a good thing, it also means you need more money to get you through a longer retirement. If your retirement system was designed to support you for twenty years in retirement but you end up living for thirty years, you’ll find yourself in a real pickle for those last ten years.

With the presidential election now behind us, many folks are feeling a little anxious and uncertain about the future. Of course, there was plenty of uncertainty leading up the election as well. Both sides of the political aisle were worried about what might happen if the other side wins, and there was even the possibility that the results could be delayed or challenged. Luckily that didn’t happen, and we are entering the end of the year with a clear winner, President-elect Donald Trump. 

It’s been said that the only constant in life is change. Some changes are fixed, like the change of seasons, while other changes are evolutionary and progressive, tossing new circumstances our way as time goes on. It was ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed that the natural world was in a constant state of movement. People age, develop habits and move environments. 

Folks, one of the most common excuses I hear younger people make to justify not saving for retirement is that they are still young. Anyone who is nearing retirement will tell you that the years suddenly go by and building a retirement nest egg is much harder the longer you delay saving.

The federal funds rate has a number of possible implications on the markets, and how or if they will affect you personally will depend on your unique financial circumstances. And if you’re like many retirees, there could be both positive and negative effects on your finances. 

Unlike a traditional IRA or regular 401(k) plan, you pay the taxes up front when you put money in a Roth account. If you follow the rules of the plan, all the interest you subsequently earn on the investment is tax-free in retirement. By design, the Roth works best for those who contribute early and withdraw late.

For many folks saving for retirement these days, they have a dizzying array of choices to fund their plan. Heck, just Google “retirement planning” and you’ll get over 4 million hits alone on the subject. You can choose from investments such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, bank CDs and money market funds, insurance products, and the list goes on. You also need to consider the account type that will house your investments, from a tax perspective. For example, funds can be invested in a taxable account – think of a brokerage account or other account in which you pay taxes on your gains each year.

Ah, graduation season is upon us! College grads from all over the country are seeing their hard work rewarded with the coveted degree. Whether is an associate, bachelor’s or an advanced degree, all signal a significant accomplishment. But as soon as the celebration wears off, and perhaps they’ve taken some time off to decompress over the summer, these graduates will be getting their first taste of the professional job market. For most, they will be faced with a new level of financial independence and responsibility to adjust to.

The survey also found that 65% of respondents said that high prices have made their financial situations worse, while just 34% said their family’s monthly income has risen in the past year. Rental costs in particular are proving to be particularly challenging for households, with almost one in five saying that they fell behind on rent at some point in 2023 – up from 17% the previous year.

So, just when will this period of high inflation end, we all want to know? Well, this week let’s dig into what’s going on with inflation and when we might expect some relief.

Planning for retirement is often considered a marathon, not a sprint. It starts when we’re young and get our first “real” job and we’re encouraged to start contributing to the company’s 401k plan. Over the years, we may seek retirement planning advice from friends or family, but we still have years before we retire so we don’t usually have a real plan at this point. We have a smattering of various financial products that were purchased for specific, isolated needs.

But as we approach our 40’s and 50’s, we start to realize that it’s time to get serious about it.

Saving for retirement in your 20’s, or even your 30’s can be relatively painless as opposed to starting in your 40’s or later. While retirement may seem a long way off, putting a plan in place now is a smart move.

While it may not seem like an important task to do now, I told her that saving for retirement is probably the biggest financial goal of her life and starting earlier gives her a number of significant advantages. 

The decision to continue working in retirement is both personal and multifaceted. Various studies highlight the range of reasons behind such choices. Get this, a 2023 survey from Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies₁ found that 55% of people said they plan to continue working after retiring, citing both financial reasons and a desire for healthy aging, including staying active.

With major economic indicators such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite indices jumping all over the place in recent years, many investors are still on edge and anxiously hoping that a recession is not lurking just around the corner. I am regularly asked if I believe we are in for a recession in 2024, so I want to take our time this week to look at some of the factors that often predate a recession and what tomorrow may hold for the markets.

If you’re like most retirement savers, you regularly hear a lot of industry acronyms and jargon thrown around by the media, by friends and family, by your employer, and perhaps your financial professional too. Things like the 401k, the 403b, the IRA, The SEP-IRA, the Roth IRA, the Roth 401k . . . I know it’s a lot.