Blog & Helpful Articles

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Mastering Inflation: A Visual Guide to Risk and Return for Investors

4th Dec, 2023

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Mastering Inflation: A Visual Guide to Risk and Return for Investors

From: AXS Investments

Persistent, long-term inflation can cut the purchasing power of investor savings in half.

The question is: how fast?

Investors must achieve real returns above inflation to meet long-term objectives, such as retirement or providing children with an education. A low risk, low return portfolio may prove to be high risk over time once inflation erodes the purchasing power of investor savings.

30th Nov, 2023

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3 Retirement Trends to Watch in 2024

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

Many of us have a picture of what the average retiree looks like, but the way people view retirement and how they want to spend their golden years is changing in some ways. These three trends might shed some light on what to expect in retirement and how to plan ahead:

1. Life keeps getting better. Retirement…

Designing a Risk-Managed Portfolio

22nd Nov, 2023

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Dustin Murdoff from Mundorf Wealth Management takes a deep dive with Mark DiOrio, Chief Investment Officer at Brookstone Capital Management, on what a Risk-Managed Investment Approach looks like. Here they discuss how Advanced Strategy Diversification is central to that approach.

16th Nov, 2023

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How to Calculate Your Net Worth

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

Your net worth is a measure of your total assets minus your liabilities. While that sounds easy enough to determine, you have to consider more than what is in your bank account. How can you calculate your net worth?

Add Up Your Assets

First, add up all of your assets, anything that you own that has value. Assets might…

How Much Loss Can Retirees Really Handle During Distribution Years?

16th Nov, 2023

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How Much Loss Can Retirees Really Handle During Distribution Years?

From: www.morningstar.com

Sequence of returns risk

Paul retired in 1990 with $1M in his account that was invested in the S&P 500.

Bill started out the same, but his ending values looked much different since he retired in 2000 and had much different luck than Paul.

While planning for retirement, many focus on the accumulation phase and fail to acknowledge how a negative…

The Good News on Safe Withdrawal Rates

16th Nov, 2023

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The Good News on Safe Withdrawal Rates

From: www.morningstar.com

Our annual study suggests that new retirees can spend more from their portfolios.

Recent retirees haven’t had an easy time of it lately. When stock and bond prices both plummeted in 2022, many retirees saw big dents in their portfolio values; a typical portfolio made up of 50% stocks and 50% bonds would have lost about 16% for the year. While market conditions…

The Average Retirement Age in 2023 in the US vs Canada

16th Nov, 2023

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The Average Retirement Age in 2023 in the US vs Canada

From: www.gobankingrates.com

Retirement marks a significant milestone in many people’s lives. This is the point when you take a step back from active employment and enjoy the fruits of your labor. But when this happens can vary widely, influenced by factors like health, financial readiness, and personal choice. In 2023, the retirement landscape in the United States and Canada shows…

17 States With Estate or Inheritance Taxes

9th Nov, 2023

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17 States With Estate or Inheritance Taxes

From: www.aarp.org

Even if you escape the federal estate tax, these states (plus D.C.) may hit you

Note: Some states levy estate taxes on a person’s assets when they die. A few states tax inheritances. Maryland does both.

Most people don’t have to worry about the federal estate tax, which excludes up to $12.92 million for individuals and $25.84 million for married couples in 2023 (up…

ALI Cannex Protected Retirement Income and Planning (PRIP) Report

8th Nov, 2023

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ALI Cannex Protected Retirement Income and Planning (PRIP) Report

From: CANNEX

This is a study among consumers ages 45-75. It is a corollary to a study of financial professionals focused on retirement planning approaches and the role of annuities. The primary focus of these two studies is to identify how a range of protected retirement solutions fit with approaches to retirement planning, and how often consumers and financial professionals consider or use annuities in…

Understanding your required minimum distribution (RMD)

8th Nov, 2023

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Understanding your required minimum distribution (RMD)

From: Jackson National Life Insurance Company

An RMD is an amount you must begin withdrawing from a pre-tax, tax-deferred retirement savings account, such as your qualified variable annuity, by April 1 of the calendar year after you turn age 73 or the calendar year you stop working for the employer sponsoring an employer-sponsored plan if over 73.* † Subsequent RMDs are due annually by December 31. You can…