Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
2026 Retirement Planning Goals: A Simple Roadmap to Start the Year Right
Kick off 2026 with clear retirement planning goals. Learn the 6 most important steps to protect your income, reduce taxes, and stay on track. 2026 Retirement Planning...
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...
Heading into 2026: A Smart Retirement Checkup (Without the Overwhelm)
As we turn the page into 2026, it’s the perfect time to run a simple “retirement checkup.” Not a stressful deep dive. Just a clear look at a few areas that tend to make...
Fixed Indexed Annuities in 2026: A Smarter Way to Balance Growth and Protection in Your Retirement Portfolio
As we move into 2026, many retirees and pre-retirees are asking the same question: “How do I keep my retirement plan growing without exposing everything to the next...
Retirement Planning in 2026: Why Annuities Deserve a Serious Look
Retirement planning in 2026 looks different than it did even a few years ago. Many retirees and pre-retirees are facing a familiar challenge in a new way: they want...
Safe Money Options Heading Into 2026
A Financial Advisor’s Guide to Protecting What You’ve Worked So Hard to Build When markets are choppy and headlines are loud, many people start asking the same...
Retirement Income Planning Going Into 2026: Turning Your Savings Into a Lifetime Paycheck
For most people, retirement isn’t about a specific age or account balance—it’s about confidence.Confidence that the bills will be paid, that you can handle surprises,...
Estate Planning & You: Getting Ready for 2026 (Without Freaking Out)
state planning sounds like something for billionaires in marble mansions… not for regular people with a mortgage, a 401(k), a dog, and a favorite taco spot. But here’s...
Retirement Planning in 2026: How to Prepare for a New Era of Retirement
If you feel like retirement has gotten more complicated, you’re not imagining things. Between market volatility, rising costs, new tax rules, and longer life...
Coming Soon: The Thrift Savings Plan Will Start Offering In-Plan Roth Conversions
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Since 2010, participants in certain private sector 401(k) plans have been able to boost their Roth retirement savings by doing an “in-plan...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Weekly Market Commentary
Apprehensive investors pushed markets higher this week, with the small-cap Russell 2000 hitting a new all-time high, while the S&P 500 closed just 50 points below...
Weekly Market Commentary
The holiday-shortened week saw global financial markets trade higher. Increased optimism for a December rate cut, along with some constructive news on the AI front,...
Weekly Market Commentary
Financial markets continued to decline as investors sold AI-related stocks amid valuation concerns, while rotating into more defensive sectors such as healthcare and...
Weekly Market Commentary
Markets were choppy and ended the week with mixed results. Investors poured into risk assets on the idea that the longest US government shutdown was over, but a more...
Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group (Ed Slott Group) is a membership organization owned by Ed Slott and Company, LLC. Logos and/or trademarks are property of their respective owners and no endorsement of (Joseph Sassano) or (Sassano Financial Strategies) is stated or implied. Ed Slott Group and Ed Slott and Company, LLC are not affiliated with Sassano Financial Strategies.
For the detailed requirements of Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group, please visit: https://www.irahelp.com/
Eligible Designated Beneficiaries and Roth Conversions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Hi Ed and team, If a parent, age 86, inherited their son’s 401(k) after the son passed at age 58,...
5 Things You Need to Know about the Roth IRA Five-Year Rules
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Here at the Slott Report, we get a lot of questions on all sorts of different IRA topics. However, one area...
Young Spouse, Spousal Rollover, Year-of-Death RMD…and a Penalty?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When an IRA owner reaches the required beginning date (RBD), required minimum distributions (RMDs) are officially “turned on.” For...
Roth 5-Year Clocks and Spousal IRA Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I’m age 72 and my wife is age 63. I want to open a spousal Roth IRA. I already have a Roth for myself that I’ve...
Moving the Clocks Ahead and Reviewing the Roth IRA 5-Year Clocks
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst A few Saturdays ago, many of us moved our clocks one hour ahead to usher in Daylight Saving Time. Adjusting our clocks is a...
5 Reasons to Roll Over Your Retirement Funds to an IRA
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education In these turbulent economic times, the headlines are full of news about layoffs. With job loss can come...
5 Reasons to Roll Over Your Retirement Funds to an IRA
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education In these turbulent economic times, the headlines are full of news about layoffs. With job loss can come...
Qualified Charitable Distributions and Roth IRA 5-Year Rules: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Hello Mailbag Folks, I may have missed something in one of the Ed Slott newsletters, but I thought that if one contributed to a...
Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 2
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst In our Slott Report entry from March 2 (“Fatal Error: Mistakes That Cannot Be Fixed – Part 1,”) we discussed three...
Medicare in 2026: What’s New, What’s Changing, and What Your Clients Should Do Now
2026 is shaping up to be one of the most “noticeably different” Medicare years in a while—not because the rules are unrecognizable, but because the cost and prescription-drug pieces are moving in ways that many beneficiaries will actually feel in their monthly budget....
read more
Medicare in 2026: What to Know, What to Review, and What to Do Next
If you’re on Medicare (or turning 65 soon), 2026 is a great year to get organized. Medicare isn’t “one-and-done.” Plans, costs, provider networks, and prescription coverage can change from year to year — and even small changes can affect your monthly budget and your...
read more
Medicare Advantage Heading Into 2026: What You Need to Know Before You Enroll
If you’re approaching 65, already on Medicare, or helping a loved one evaluate coverage, you’ve probably noticed something: Medicare Advantage plans are everywhere. And there’s a reason for that. More than half of all people on Medicare now choose a Medicare Advantage...
read more
Medicare Supplement Plans (Medigap) for 2025–2026
What to Know About Filling the Gaps in Original Medicare If you’re approaching Medicare or already enrolled, you’ve probably noticed something surprising:Original Medicare (Parts A & B) doesn’t cover everything. That’s where Medicare Supplement Insurance (also...
read more
Medicare Supplement Plans in 2026: What’s Changing, What’s Not, and What It Means for You
If you’re on Medicare — or getting close — you’ve probably heard people talk about “Medicare Supplement” or “Medigap” plans. You’ve also probably heard…👉 “Plan letters”👉 “Original Medicare only covers 80%”👉 “Rates keep going up every year.” It’s a lot. So let’s walk...
read more
Working Past 65? The New Rules of Medicare for Today’s “Unretired” Americans
If you’re turning 65, there’s a good chance you’re not retiring the way your parents did. Many of today’s 60-somethings are still working, consulting, starting businesses, helping with grandkids, or caring for aging parents. Life doesn’t magically slow down at 65—and...
read more
Your Annual Medicare Checklist: What to Review Before You Change Plans
Choosing or changing your Medicare coverage isn’t something to rush. Each year, your health needs, prescriptions, and budget can shift—and plans change too. Use this simple checklist so you can feel confident in your decision. 1) Confirm your doctors and hospitals are...
read more
7 Costly Medicare Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
1) Waiting too long to enroll If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period (the 7-month window around your 65th birthday) and don’t have qualifying employer coverage, you may face lifelong Part B and Part D penalties.Fix: Mark your IEP dates, or talk with an advisor 2–3...
read more
“Snowbird Medicare: A Two-State Plan That Actually Works”
Snowbird Medicare: A Two-State Plan That Actually Works If you split the year between two homes, you already know about duplicate utility bills and the art of packing one jacket that somehow works in two climates. But there’s one thing snowbirds often overlook: how to...
read more
Medicare in 2026: What’s New, What’s Changing, and What Your Clients Should Do Now
2026 is shaping up to be one of the most “noticeably different” Medicare years in a while—not because the rules are unrecognizable, but because the cost and prescription-drug pieces are moving in ways that many beneficiaries will actually feel in their monthly budget....
Medicare in 2026: What to Know, What to Review, and What to Do Next
If you’re on Medicare (or turning 65 soon), 2026 is a great year to get organized. Medicare isn’t “one-and-done.” Plans, costs, provider networks, and prescription coverage can change from year to year — and even small changes can affect your monthly budget and your...
Medicare Advantage Heading Into 2026: What You Need to Know Before You Enroll
If you’re approaching 65, already on Medicare, or helping a loved one evaluate coverage, you’ve probably noticed something: Medicare Advantage plans are everywhere. And there’s a reason for that. More than half of all people on Medicare now choose a Medicare Advantage...
Medicare Supplement Plans (Medigap) for 2025–2026
What to Know About Filling the Gaps in Original Medicare If you’re approaching Medicare or already enrolled, you’ve probably noticed something surprising:Original Medicare (Parts A & B) doesn’t cover everything. That’s where Medicare Supplement Insurance (also...
Medicare Supplement Plans in 2026: What’s Changing, What’s Not, and What It Means for You
If you’re on Medicare — or getting close — you’ve probably heard people talk about “Medicare Supplement” or “Medigap” plans. You’ve also probably heard…👉 “Plan letters”👉 “Original Medicare only covers 80%”👉 “Rates keep going up every year.” It’s a lot. So let’s walk...
Working Past 65? The New Rules of Medicare for Today’s “Unretired” Americans
If you’re turning 65, there’s a good chance you’re not retiring the way your parents did. Many of today’s 60-somethings are still working, consulting, starting businesses, helping with grandkids, or caring for aging parents. Life doesn’t magically slow down at 65—and...
Your Annual Medicare Checklist: What to Review Before You Change Plans
Choosing or changing your Medicare coverage isn’t something to rush. Each year, your health needs, prescriptions, and budget can shift—and plans change too. Use this simple checklist so you can feel confident in your decision. 1) Confirm your doctors and hospitals are...
7 Costly Medicare Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
1) Waiting too long to enroll If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period (the 7-month window around your 65th birthday) and don’t have qualifying employer coverage, you may face lifelong Part B and Part D penalties.Fix: Mark your IEP dates, or talk with an advisor 2–3...
“Snowbird Medicare: A Two-State Plan That Actually Works”
Snowbird Medicare: A Two-State Plan That Actually Works If you split the year between two homes, you already know about duplicate utility bills and the art of packing one jacket that somehow works in two climates. But there’s one thing snowbirds often overlook: how to...