Retirement Watch Weekly
Bob’s Journal
Another Recession Indicator Stumbles The yield curve is about to turn positive, and that could mean a widely followed recession indicator gave a false signal for most of the last two years. The yield curve is a plot of the yields on treasury debt of different durations. A normal yield curve is positively sloped. The […]
Bob’s Journal 8/29
A Potential Opportunity in Gold Mining Stocks Investors who follow the headlines know that gold has paced the markets in 2024, recently reaching record highs. But few investors realize that, unlike most periods in the past, stocks of gold mining companies haven’t kept pace with the price of the metal. Historically, stocks of gold miners […]
Big Surprises Make Investors Reposition Their Portfolios
Recent economic data and policy changes caused investors to doubt the durability of economic growth and reposition their portfolios. Stock indexes tumbled while bonds rose in late July and early August. One trigger was the Employment Situation reports for July. The unemployment rate rose. The number of new jobs created was well below both expectations […]
Working After 62 Changes Social Security Benefits
One of the most misunderstood Social Security issues is how working past age 62 affects retirement benefits, whether you delay benefits or claim them while still working. Misunderstandings often cause people to make the wrong decisions about claiming benefits or mislead them about the likely level of benefits. You can begin claiming Social Security retirement […]
Medicare Open Enrollment: Be Prepared, This Year Could Be Different
Medicare’s annual Open Enrollment season is approaching. There are steps many beneficiaries should take before it arrives. During Open Enrollment (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7 each year) current Medicare beneficiaries can review the plans available and make changes. A beneficiary can switch from Medicare Advantage to original Medicare or the opposite. Or a beneficiary can […]
What You Need to Know About Taxes and Gold Profits
Many investors will be surprised by taxes on their profits from gold’s bull market because of misunderstandings about how profits in gold are taxed. Gold is a collectible in the tax code, giving it less favorable treatment than most other investments. The first unfavorable treatment is that IRAs and other individually directed retirement accounts (both […]
At Last, IRS Issues Final Regulations on SECURE Act, Inherited IRAs
The IRS issued long-awaited final regulations on the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, enacted in late 2019. The final regs generally follow the proposed regulations issued in 2022, discussed in the May and June 2022 issues of Retirement Watch. The IRS kept the most controversial rule in the proposed regulations, its […]
7 Trusts That Could Enhance Your Estate Plan
To optimize your estate plan, you should be able to talk the basics of trusts with an estate planner. Last month, I reviewed key trust terms and concepts and described some basic types of trusts. This month, I describe some specialized trusts that solve particular problems or achieve certain goals. Estate plans of married couples […]
