2026: Here We Go Again!

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst It’s a new year, and the slate is wiped clean. Here we go again! While we are only one week into 2026, there are some important IRA and work plan transactions to be aware of: First RMDs. For anyone turning age 73 in 2026, this year...

2026: Here We Go Again!

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst It’s a new year, and the slate is wiped clean. Here we go again! While we are only one week into 2026, there are some important IRA and work plan transactions to be aware of: First RMDs. For anyone turning age 73 in 2026, this year...
Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary

US markets ended the New Year holiday-shortened week with losses.  Mega-cap Technology issues sold off on low volume, as did Financial and Consumer Discretionary sectors.  That said, the S&P 500 posted its third straight year of double-digit gains as investors...
Why Annuities Can Be a Great Fit Heading Into 2026

Why Annuities Can Be a Great Fit Heading Into 2026

As we move into 2026, many investors are asking the same question: How do I protect what I’ve built—without giving up the ability to grow? That’s exactly where annuities can play a meaningful role. Annuities aren’t for everyone, and they’re not “one-size-fits-all,”...

Best of the 2025 Slott Report

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education ‘Tis the season for lists! Best TV shows, best of music and best podcasts. The lists go on and on. In the spirit of year-end lists, we present the “Best of the 2025 Slott Report.” Here are the retirement account...

Grinch Gifts: Penalties and Missed Opportunities

  By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The Grinch likes it when things go horribly wrong. He likes it when rambunctious pets tip over Christmas trees. He likes it when festive lights get terribly tangled, and he likes it when holiday cards are lost in the mail....
Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary

The Christmas-shortened week produced gains across all major US indices, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones hitting record highs.  Mega-cap Tech assumed its leadership role with the semiconductor sector having relative strength.   Nvidia announced a $20 billion deal...

Holiday Cheers and Jeers

  By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst In the spirit of the holiday season, here’s a list of cheers and jeers for the IRS and Congress: Cheers to the IRS: To its credit, the IRS did issue timely guidance on two retirement-related provisions set to kick in next year. The...

5 Exceptions to the Year End 2025 RMD Deadline

By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The holidays are here and the countdown to year’s end has started. For many retirement account owners, this means that an important deadline is fast approaching. Most of those who are age 73 or older will need to...
Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary

US markets finished the week mixed, with a late-week rally in technology mitigating early-week losses.  Micron Technology’s third-quarter results were excellent and helped propel technology stocks after the announcement.  Western Digital, Seagate, and Sandisk, other...

The Wonderful, Magical Form 5498

  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...

IRS Addresses Unanswered Questions About Trump Accounts

  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...
Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary

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...