Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
Three Changes Coming for Social Security in 2025
The Social Security Administration has announced the 2025 final COLA, wage cap, and amount needed to earn SS credits. Anticipating changes coming to Social Security in...
7 Things You’ll Be Happy You Downgraded in Retirement
Downsizing for retirement is a good way to simplify your life and cut down on expenses. Making some key changes, like moving into a smaller home, could reduce financial...
Why Your Current Retirement Plan May Not Be Enough in 2025
Retirement: the wonderful time of life when you no longer have to work for your money. Instead, your money is finally working for you. If you’re well on your way to...
Key change coming for 401(k) ‘max savers’ in 2025, expert says — here’s what you need to know
Key Points Many Americans face a retirement savings shortfall, but setting aside more could get easier for some older workers in 2025. Enacted in 2022, the Secure Act...
What the Fed’s Rate Cut Means for You
The Federal Reserve just reduced interest rates for the first time in four years. Here’s how it will impact borrowers and saver What goes up must come down, and after...
Social Security COLA 2025: How Much Will Payments Increase Next Year?
With inflation cooling, analysts estimate benefit boost could come in around 2.5% The second of three numbers the Social Security Administration (SSA) will use to...
Why Retirement Gets Better With Annuities
Everyone aspires to have a steady source of income after retirement that replaces as much as possible of their pre-retirement earning. But for many people, one big...
Results From the 2024 Retirement Confidence Survey Find Workers’ and Retirees’ Confidence Has Not Recovered From the Significant Drop Seen in 2023, but Majorities Remain Optimistic About Retirement Prospects
Summary - However, almost 8 in 10 workers and 7 in 10 retirees are concerned that the U. S. government could make significant changes to the American retirement system...
2024 Pulse of the American Retiree Survey: Midlife Retirement ‘Crisis’ or a 10-Year Opportunity?
Critically underprepared for retirement, 55-year-old Americans enter a crucial 10-year countdown to plan and prepare With just a decade until retirement, 55-year-old...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week saw the S&P 500 and Dow rise to new all-time highs. Investors cheered the nomination of Scott Bessent as Treasury...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets bounced back as investors reengaged the pro-growth Trump 2.0 trade. President-elect Trump continued to fill out his cabinet and, late...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets pulled back last week as investors took profits from the outsized move higher seen following the US election. Sticky inflation...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 notched its 50th all-time high of 2024 as investors piled into equities after a decisive US election. Wall Street embraced the...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a very busy week on Wall Street as investors analyzed a deluge of corporate earnings reports and a full economic data calendar. The S&P...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global markets pulled back last week as investors took the opportunity to reduce some risk before a very close US Presidential election. In the US,...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 advanced for the sixth consecutive week, closing at a new record high. This week, a broadening out of the market’s rally was...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average forged another set of all-time highs despite facing several macro headwinds. Chinese markets...
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 closed higher for a fourth consecutive quarter, the first time it has done so since 2011. Investors continued to face a challenging...
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Spousal Beneficiaries and the 10-Year Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Hello, Our daughter (age 50) is the sole beneficiary of her husband’s (age 52) IRA due to...
Jelly-of-the-Month Club
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst I counted them. This year the Slott Report published 101 blog articles. While other sites add “pay-for-content” firewalls,...
Holiday Cheers and Wishes
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst This is the time of year for good cheer and holiday wishes. In keeping with those traditions, here are some cheers and wishes for...
Required Minimum Distributions and IRAs: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: If a client opens an IRA at age 75 and makes a contribution this year, this account would not have a...
4 Things to Know About Rollovers Between Calendar Years
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The IRA rollover rules are always tricky. However, if you are rolling over an IRA distribution when the...
The QCD Dance
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Tis the season for giving, and qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) are a popular way to donate to a favorite charity....
IRA Rollovers and Roth Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Can a person do a rollover from both his traditional AND Roth IRAs in the same twelve months?...
Who Must Take a 2024 RMD?
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education The holidays are upon us. There is shopping to do, gifts to wrap, and parties to attend. Amidst the hustle...
The Still-Working Exception and Roth Conversions in an RMD Year: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: If you continue to work past age 73, are you exempt from required minimum distributions (RMDs)? My 73 year-old wife is...
Unpacking the changes to Medicare in 2025
Medicare coverage is personal — and changes to those plans and benefits may feel unnerving as it affects one’s overall health and well-being. Originally passed in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act brought about many changes to Medicare that are now being implemented...
read more
What If My Medicare Doctor “Opts Out”?
Finding a doctor you like and trust can be a long process, so I understand that it can be frustrating when your doctor no longer accepts Medicare. If your doctor has “opted out” of Medicare, this means that he or she no longer accepts Medicare assignment...
read more
Home health care through Medicare
It’s important to plan for your health care needs, but sometimes life throws unexpected curve balls. And when that happens, you’ll need to know what’s covered. Fortunately, there are ways you and your loved ones can get the necessary care at home. Here’s what you need...
read more
Correcting the Record: The Facts on Medicare Advantage Payment and Accountability
The Wall Street Journal recently published a story regarding diagnoses and plan payments in Medicare Advantage. The story was fundamentally flawed and overlooked the value of Medicare Advantage for millions of American seniors. Here are the facts: More than 33 million...
read more
New bipartisan survey reveals a supermajority of seniors oppose reducing funding to Medicare Advantage — and will factor that into their vote in November
Today, more Americans than ever are choosing Medicare Advantage for affordable, quality health care — with over 33 million seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in the program. BMA wanted to learn more about seniors’ views on Medicare Advantage and how...
read more
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier Today, Medicare Advantage delivers affordable, high-quality care to more than 33 million seniors and people with disabilities, with better health outcomes than Fee-for-Service Medicare (FFS). One...
read more
Will My Specialist’s Services be Covered under My Medicare Plan?
Whether you’re switching from one type of Medicare coverage to another, or you’re new to Medicare, you might be concerned about being able to continue seeing your health-care specialist. Will your specialist’s services be covered by Medicare? That may depend upon:...
read more
Will My Specialist’s Services be Covered under My Medicare Plan?
Whether you’re switching from one type of Medicare coverage to another, or you’re new to Medicare, you might be concerned about being able to continue seeing your health-care specialist. Will your specialist’s services be covered by Medicare? That may depend upon:...
read more
7 Medicare Changes You’ll See in 2025
Expensive medications? You’ll save thousands. Dementia or mental health care? More options Key takeaways Changes from Inflation Reduction Act will take effect next year. Lower out-of-pocket limit in Part D drug plans erases old “donut hole.” You may find weight loss...
read more
Unpacking the changes to Medicare in 2025
Medicare coverage is personal — and changes to those plans and benefits may feel unnerving as it affects one’s overall health and well-being. Originally passed in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act brought about many changes to Medicare that are now being implemented...
What If My Medicare Doctor “Opts Out”?
Finding a doctor you like and trust can be a long process, so I understand that it can be frustrating when your doctor no longer accepts Medicare. If your doctor has “opted out” of Medicare, this means that he or she no longer accepts Medicare assignment...
Home health care through Medicare
It’s important to plan for your health care needs, but sometimes life throws unexpected curve balls. And when that happens, you’ll need to know what’s covered. Fortunately, there are ways you and your loved ones can get the necessary care at home. Here’s what you need...
Correcting the Record: The Facts on Medicare Advantage Payment and Accountability
The Wall Street Journal recently published a story regarding diagnoses and plan payments in Medicare Advantage. The story was fundamentally flawed and overlooked the value of Medicare Advantage for millions of American seniors. Here are the facts: More than 33 million...
New bipartisan survey reveals a supermajority of seniors oppose reducing funding to Medicare Advantage — and will factor that into their vote in November
Today, more Americans than ever are choosing Medicare Advantage for affordable, quality health care — with over 33 million seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in the program. BMA wanted to learn more about seniors’ views on Medicare Advantage and how...
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier Today, Medicare Advantage delivers affordable, high-quality care to more than 33 million seniors and people with disabilities, with better health outcomes than Fee-for-Service Medicare (FFS). One...
Will My Specialist’s Services be Covered under My Medicare Plan?
Whether you’re switching from one type of Medicare coverage to another, or you’re new to Medicare, you might be concerned about being able to continue seeing your health-care specialist. Will your specialist’s services be covered by Medicare? That may depend upon:...
Will My Specialist’s Services be Covered under My Medicare Plan?
Whether you’re switching from one type of Medicare coverage to another, or you’re new to Medicare, you might be concerned about being able to continue seeing your health-care specialist. Will your specialist’s services be covered by Medicare? That may depend upon:...
7 Medicare Changes You’ll See in 2025
Expensive medications? You’ll save thousands. Dementia or mental health care? More options Key takeaways Changes from Inflation Reduction Act will take effect next year. Lower out-of-pocket limit in Part D drug plans erases old “donut hole.” You may find weight loss...