by Kenny | Dec 19, 2025
As we move into 2026, many retirees and pre-retirees are asking the same question: “How do I keep my retirement plan growing without exposing everything to the next market swing?” After several years of elevated volatility and changing interest-rate conditions, more... by Kenny | Dec 18, 2025
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: If a grandchild, age 30, inherits IRA assets from her grandparent, age 92, and has to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from the inherited IRA, can she send those RMDs directly to charity... by Kenny | Dec 17, 2025
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In a scene from “The Simpsons,” daughter Lisa announces she has become a vegetarian. Homer asks some probing questions. “Are you saying you’re never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon? Ham? Pork chops?” When... by Kenny | Dec 15, 2025
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst As is often the case with new legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) left unanswered a number of questions about Trump Accounts, the new savings vehicle for children. Some of those questions were discussed in a Slott...
by Kenny | Dec 14, 2025
The Federal Reserve, as expected, cut its monetary policy rate by twenty-five basis points to 3.50%-3.75% and tempered expectations for further cuts in 2026. The decision was not unanimous, as a divided Fed considered elevated inflation against a weakening labor...
by Kenny | Dec 12, 2025
Retirement planning in 2026 looks different than it did even a few years ago. Many retirees and pre-retirees are facing a familiar challenge in a new way: they want growth, but they also want stability. They want income they can count on, but they don’t want to feel... by Kenny | Dec 11, 2025
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: My client turns age 73 in November 2026. If he takes his first required minimum distribution (RMD) in December 2026 rather than waiting until April 1, 2027, what balance is used to do the RMD calculation? Thanks... by Kenny | Dec 10, 2025
Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The IRS has issued guidance on Trump Accounts, which are new tax advantaged accounts for children established as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Trump Accounts are scheduled to become available... by Kenny | Dec 8, 2025
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst We have written about this topic in The Slott Report before (“Inherited Roth IRA: RMDs or No?” – May 15, 2023), yet the questions continue to roll in. Yes, required minimum distributions (RMDs). DO APPLY to inherited Roth...
by Kenny | Dec 6, 2025
Apprehensive investors pushed markets higher this week, with the small-cap Russell 2000 hitting a new all-time high, while the S&P 500 closed just 50 points below its October all-time high. Economic data, some of which is quite dated, offered a mixed picture of...
by Kenny | Dec 5, 2025
A Financial Advisor’s Guide to Protecting What You’ve Worked So Hard to Build When markets are choppy and headlines are loud, many people start asking the same question: “Where can I put my money so it feels safer, but still has a chance to grow?” As we move into... by Kenny | Dec 4, 2025
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Hello Ed, I have been a fan of yours for a long time (and the owner of a copy of The Retirement Savings Time Bomb) and have always appreciated your insights. We have a client who is age 58 years and is the sole beneficiary of a... by Kenny | Dec 3, 2025
Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Since 2002, SIMPLE IRA plans have allowed employees who reach age 50 or older by the end of the year to make “catch-up contributions” beyond the usual elective deferral limit. Beginning in 2024, Congress automatically increased the regular... by Kenny | Dec 1, 2025
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education As the calendar runs out on 2025, retirement account owners and beneficiaries may face a looming deadline. December 31 is the deadline for many to take 2025 required minimum distributions (RMDs). Test your...
by Kenny | Nov 28, 2025
The holiday-shortened week saw global financial markets trade higher. Increased optimism for a December rate cut, along with some constructive news on the AI front, catalyzed buying across risk assets. Several Fed officials indicated they were inclined to support a... by Kenny | Nov 27, 2025
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Thanksgiving Season is upon us! Here at The Slott Report, we are thankful for many things: We are thankful to have a platform to share all the important IRA and retirement account information about which we write. We are thankful...
by Kenny | Nov 27, 2025
For most people, retirement isn’t about a specific age or account balance—it’s about confidence.Confidence that the bills will be paid, that you can handle surprises, and that you won’t run out of money before you run out of life. As we approach 2026, retirement... by Kenny | Nov 24, 2025
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The IRS has released the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirement accounts for 2026, and many of the dollar limits will increase next year. Retirement Plans The elective deferral limit for employees who participate in 401(k),...
by Kenny | Nov 21, 2025
Financial markets continued to decline as investors sold AI-related stocks amid valuation concerns, while rotating into more defensive sectors such as healthcare and consumer staples. A stellar third-quarter earnings report from NVidia prompted investors to step in...
by Kenny | Nov 20, 2025
state planning sounds like something for billionaires in marble mansions… not for regular people with a mortgage, a 401(k), a dog, and a favorite taco spot. But here’s the truth:If you love someone or own something, you need some kind of estate plan. As we head toward... 
