Retirement Watch Weekly
Bob’s Journal for 12/14
It is Time for 2024 Investment Predictions We’re near the end of the year, so most investment firms are rolling out their market predictions for 2024. Most of the predictions are predictable. The bulk of the analysts estimate the stock indexes will rise by an amount near the long-term average. The long-term average total return […]
The Economy Keeps Fighting the Fed, and Winning
The economy is growing at a solid rate despite the fastest tightening of monetary policy in 40 years. Don’t expect the growth rate to continue. At almost any other time, the rapid tightening of monetary policy the Federal Reserve engineered in 2022 and 2023 would have triggered a serious recession or, at a minimum, stalled […]
Boost Retirement Savings with a Solo 401(k)
The solo 401(k) is a valuable retirement savings tool that is underused by many who are eligible for it. The solo 401(k) is available to the self-employed. Those looking to reduce current income taxes while increasing retirement savings can use a traditional solo 401(k). Those who aren’t too worried about current taxes and want to […]
How to Avoid the Stealthiest of the Stealth Taxes
The estimated tax payment requirement and the penalty for failing to meet it are among the Stealth Taxes imposed on retirees, and they’re becoming more onerous. A few years back, Congress tightened the requirements for estimated taxes, and the IRS put more resources into identifying and penalizing taxpayers who didn’t meet the requirements. The result, […]
3 Backdoor Roth IRA Strategies to Consider Before 2024
It is time to decide how much you want to put in Roth IRA accounts in 2024 and choose from one or more of the three “backdoor Roth IRA” strategies. The IRS recently announced that in 2024 the new contribution limit for one of the three backdoor Roth IRA strategies is $46,500. After the 2020 […]
Can Password Managers Aid with Digital Asset Management?
Several tools might make it easier for you to manage the access to your digital accounts and pass that information to your executor and heirs. The standard tool for a few years has been the password manager. This is a software service that can manage and protect passwords or other access information for all your […]
What Your Smartphone, Email and Other Digital Assets Mean for Your Estate Plan
A few small oversights in an estate plan can cause your surviving spouse or adult children to say harsh things about you, think worse things, and diminish your legacy. I’ve witnessed this multiple times. In recent years, digital assets usually are the cause. Fortunately, it’s preventable with a relatively modest amount of time and effort. […]
Bob’s Journal for 12/7
Treasury Bonds and Federal Debt: A 20-Year Warning The financial markets can’t sustain more than 20 years of the currently projected deficits and interest rates, according to the Penn-Wharton Budget Model from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. The model is used to estimate what the effects might be on the federal fiscal picture of […]
