12 Top Tax Questions About Capital Gains, Losses and Worthless Securities

From: www.thinkadvisor.com

This year has been one long roller-coaster ride for investors. Despite November’s stock market rally, the S&P 500 is still down about 17% year to date. Clients who leaned into the summer’s bear market may be seeing big gains, while others may be cutting their losses. And those who invested in…

Is the 60/40 Portfolio Dead? Long Live the 60/40 Portfolio

From: smartasset.com

60/40 portfolio allocation is a popular investing approach. Put simply, it’s an allocation strategy that consists of 60% equities and 40% bonds. This approach, which may allow for robust growth while remaining relatively risk-averse, has shown long-term positive returns over the course of decades and has been a mainstay for many investors. But amid a volatile year in the…

Why Buffer Funds Haven’t Escaped the Bear Market

From: www.morningstar.com

This year’s brutal market has tested their downside protection.

Buffer funds—which promise to limit downside losses from equity market exposure while capping upside returns—have grown increasingly popular. By my count, there are now roughly 120 exchange-traded funds plus a handful of open-end mutual funds following this approach. Since the first buffer products appeared on the scene in 2016, assets have…

The 4% Rule Just Became a Whole Lot Easier

From: www.advisorperspectives.com

I built a 4.36% real (inflation-adjusted) systematic withdrawal portfolio using a 30-Year TIPS ladder.

In June, I wrote about safe spend rates and concluded that a balanced portfolio could only support a 3.3% real withdrawal rate for a 30 year period with a 90% chance of success. There are differing opinions on what a safe spend rate should…

This Investor Awareness Guide, with a forward by David H. Morgan, contains fundamental, valuable economics. Click to view the full article.

TIPS Versus I Bonds

From: www.morningstar.com

I Bonds boast tax advantages, but purchase limits reduce appeal.

When investors think about adding explicit inflation protection to their portfolios, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS, are usually top of mind, as it’s easy to obtain exposure to these securities by scooping up a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund. But investors looking to add explicit…

Are Series I Bonds Right for Retirees?

From: retirement.tips

There have been lots of headlines lately about how investing in Series I savings bonds, which offer an initial interest rate of 9.62% through October 2022, can help investors keep up with the current red-hot inflation rate. 

If you’re approaching (or in) retirement, however, are these bonds as good an investment as they are for younger investors? Let’s break…

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Ultimate Tools to Longevity Risk Planning

From: Joeseph Clark, CFEd®, RFC®

Managing risk is as important today as it has always been. For example, when it comes to our biggest asset, our home, we’re protected with homeowners insurance. When it comes to our cars and the risk of liability in the event of an accident, our autos are insured. And of course, when it comes to our health and the enormous…