What’s the ROI from fitness trackers?

From: REAP, LLC. | Retirement & Estate Advisors & Professionals

Are you one of the millions who wears a fitness tracker? This technology has become so mainstream, even high-fashion and well-known designers are joining the craze and creating custom devices and stylish accessories to personalize them. Is this just another fad or do wearables actually deliver?

Not a Silver Bullet
A fitness tracker may help…

Stop Fooling Yourself About 8% Easy Returns

From: www.bloomberg.com

There's an amazing amount of denial going on right now.

Investors are simply ignoring current market dynamics and are still expecting average annual returns of 8.6 percent, according to a Legg Mason Inc. survey of income investors released this week. Those who were employed expected more than 9 percent gains, with retirees expecting less. Actual returns have come…

Take Your Financial Temperature Now

From: REAP, LLC. | Retirement & Estate Advisors & Professionals

No matter how much fun your summer is shaping up to be, it’s no time to put your finances on pause. Take a look at the past six months to gauge how you can adjust your strategic or tactical actions to ensure you’re making steady progress toward your financial goals.

Check In With Your Cash Flow
Is…

Five Reasons to Consider High-Yield Bonds

From: lordabbett.com

High-yield corporate bonds still present a compelling opportunity, despite tighter credit spreads.

High-yield bonds have performed very well over the past year, with the Bank of America Merrill Lynch High Yield Master II Constrained Index returning 12.65% for the 12-month period ended June 9, 2017. Although positive performance has come with tighter credit spreads, here are five reasons why we believe investors should continue to…

One of the greatest challenges to retirement income is retiring at a market top. The following illustrations show the differences in three portfolios starting at the market top of 1999. It can be difficult to create an income stream in today’s interest rate environment with traditional income sources. These illustrations compare two portfolio’s vs. our Balanced Risk Program that can provide clients with income.

Key Takeaways

• Morningstar was tracking 881 strategies from 162 firms with total assets of $86.7 billion through December 2016.
• Total assets in these strategies as reported to Morningstar increased 2.2% in the fourth quarter of 2016.
• This marks the fourth consecutive quarter of growth in this space. Approximately $95 million of the $1.9 billion in quarter-over-quarter growth was driven by the addition of new strategies to…
  
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You Asked, We Answered: Investing with Self-Directed IRAs

From: www.theentrustgroup.com

Q: Can I transfer real estate property held in a Solo 401(k) into my self-directed IRA?

A: If you have reached one of the distributable events in a 401(k) plan, you can directly rollover the proceeds into an IRA. Below are typical distributable events found under the IRS website:

Employee elective deferrals (and earnings, except in a hardship distribution) — the plan may permit…

Leaving a Legacy: Stretching Your IRA

From: www.GAFRI.com

Stretching Your IRA: A simple way to make your money mean more to future generations

You’ve planned carefully for your retirement. And, the rewards for that wise planning can surface as IRA or annuity assets that you may not need. Taking only the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from your IRA, or owning a non-qualified annuity contract, may protect you from a sizeable tax liability and…

Internet of Things: What It Means to You

From: REAP, LLC. | Retirement & Estate Advisors & Professionals

Are you always looking for the latest gadget, or do you prefer to wait and see what stands the test of time? Either way, you’re likely connected to the internet of things whether you know it or not. What exactly does this trendy terminology mean? Here’s an overview to bring you up to…