People shop for Black Friday deals in Glendale, California on Nov. 27, 2020 Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Weâve all heard stories of people who made a killing in the stock market based on their savvy observations: the mail carrier who bought Netflix stock early because he noticed the proliferation of red envelopes in… More
IRS announced the retirement contribution limits for 2021. getty The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced some adjustments to the income limitations on retirement account contributions for 2021. These changes were in the works regardless of who won the 2020 presidential election. President-elect Joe Biden has laid out ambitious plans to improve retirement savings rates,… More
Before the fact, the various crediting methods available should be approximately equal in terms of long-term performance. Performance after the fact will be different as the actual index return will be translated into different interest credited as based on the crediting method. But before market performance is realized, the different methods are all using the… More
Which is better, a Roth or traditional 401(k)? The main difference between a Roth 401(k) and … [+] traditional 401(k) is the tax treatment of your contributions. getty Which is better, a Roth or traditional 401(k)? The central difference between a Roth 401(k) and traditional 401(k) is the tax treatment of your contributions. Investors make… More
getty If youâve been paying the least bit attention, you know thereâs a concern that some 401(k) plans have excessive fees. Recent headlines attest to this, as plans are regularly involved in âexcessiveâ fee lawsuits. Is your 401(k) plan burdened by high fees? Do you even know how to judge when a fee is too… More
Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about how the earnings test is applied when a spouse has filed early, whether payments based on an ex’s non-covered pension will invoke the WEP, child benefits for children not in the record holder’s custody and exchange rates and foreign pensions. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of… More
The previous discussion makes clear that the parameters offered by an FIA (floors, participation rates, caps, spreads, and buffers) will depend in large part on the level of interest rates and the cost of financial derivatives for the associated index. Higher interest rates mean that principal can be protected with less assets, which then leaves… More
getty If youâre like most employees, one of the most important decisions that will impact your financial future has already been made for you. In 2006, Congress passed the Pension Protection Act. Despite the lawâs name, it represented a watershed event for retirement savers using a 401(k) plan. It allowed employers to change how employees… More
Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about how spousal benefits are calculated when filing after FRA, how the Parisi case can affect benefit amounts when the family maximum that can be claimed on a single record is involved and filing with two exes. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University… More
Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about potential effects of Social Security’s earnings test on spousal benefits, whether benefits lost to the earnings test are repaid and getting retirement benefits after survivor benefits. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic Security Planning, Inc,… More
getty The Department of Labor (âDOLâ) recently proposed an update to its proxy voting rule for retirement plan fiduciaries. On the face of it, itâs not too different than the existing rules. It emphasizes that fiduciaries must always (and only) do whatâs in the best interest of plan participants. There is one part of the… More
Saving for retirement is hard enough without having to manage multiple investment accounts. With the proliferation of tax-advantaged accounts, however, many individuals juggle several if not more than a dozen retirement accounts. An investment tracking tool can help manage all of these accounts in one place, and below are the three best investment tracking apps… More
getty Does the recent fall in the market worry you? Depending on your age, it shouldnât. If youâre a millennial, thereâs something else that should worry you more. The good news, though, is that itâs something you have total control over. If youâre like most investors, you read the results of the market every day.… More
Looking for love over 50? You are not alone. Online dating sites such as SilverSingles.com are seeing increases in users and activity. But beware: Your âperfect matchâ may just be a fraudster who would love to target you with a romance scam. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), âreports of romance scams are growing,… More
If you have a defined contribution plan, such as a 401(k), you will want to know approximately how much income this plan will provide you when you retire. The government wants you to know this as well, and so as part of the SECURE Act passed last December, the legislation requires employers to provide employees… More
AAPL 
GOOG 
MSFT AMZN 
TSLA 
FB TWTR 
DELL 
INTC AMD 
NVDA 
WMT