In the SECURE Act Era, You’ll Need a New Retirement Strategy. Roth Conversions Could Be It.
By Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research Get ready for a new normal. With the SECURE Act comes the demise of the stretch strategy – and that could cost…
The SECURE Act’s Effect on Financial Planning: 8 Takeaways for Advisors
The first major retirement income overhaul in more than a decade is slated for Congressional approval this week, marking a dramatic change to tax law that could…
Yes, Social Security Income Is Taxable – But Yours Doesn’t Have To Be
By Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research As you move toward retirement, you can’t be content just to accumulate assets. You need to develop a retirement…
Four Ways To Boost Your Retirement Savings You Haven't Thought Of
Saving for the future and planning for retirement can be extremely daunting. You might feel frozen and unable to do everything you want to improve your situation.…
Americans Hold Increasingly Positive Outlook On Their Financial Futures
Americans are feeling more secure. It’s no surprise seeing as unemployment rates are near an all-time low, companies look strong, the country just experienced…
Who's Helped By Federal Interest Rates Cut? Start With Millennials
The Federal Reserve’s move to cut interest rates for the first time since the Great Recession of 2008 didn’t come as a surprise, but it has been met with skepticism. Despite…
The Basics Of Required Minimum Distributions With Your Retirement Account
Retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs allow individuals to save for their future in a tax advantaged manner. IRA and 401(k) contributions are often tax deductible…
3 Aspects of Retirement Affected by Divorce
Divorce rates for people age 50 and over have doubled since 1990, according to the Pew Research Center. Divorce can have both positive and negative impacts on happiness…
The Progression of Financial Planning Through Every Decade of Your Life
By Jamie Hopkins Your career and lifestyle look completely different when you’re in your 20s compared to when you’re in your 60s – your financial focus and…
Key Takeaways from the SEC’s Reg BI Rules Package
After an almost decade-long wait from the SEC, the commission moved forward rule changes that would expand regulatory responsibilities for brokers to act in the…
What ‘Avatar’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Can Teach Advisers About What Clients Want
“Avatar” and “Avengers: Endgame” sit as No. 1 and No. 2 on the list of the highest-grossing movies in history (not adjusted for inflation). Both have taken…
How to Combat Growing Advisor Burnout
Fluctuating markets, discussions of Social Security shortfalls, and health care constantly under pressure is leading to people feeling a great deal of uncertainty.…
5 Reasons to Think About Long-Term Care Planning Today
By Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research at Carson Group I once received an email from a family friend about long-term care insurance. He was frustrated…
One Retirement Risk Few People Talk About
Retirement is full of risks and hurdles, as it can span 30 or 40 years for many Americans. Certain risks are well known: running out of money, long-term care, health…
Three Retirement Planning Needs Everyone Has
Every retirement is unique. An individual’s situation – where they live, their health, their family, their finances, their goals – drives retirement. But,…
Future Funding of Social Security Is A Pivotal Piece To Retirement Security
By Jamie Hopkins You’ve probably heard of the three-legged retirement savings “stool.” The idea is that a quality savings plan for retirement starts with having…
Should You Use The Systematic Withdrawal Approach To Retirement Income Planning?
For many Americans, their financial planning goals can be broken down into two periods: saving for retirement and spending in retirement (if you’re up on your…
Comparing The 3 Most Popular Retirement Income Strategies
Is there a retirement crisis? The debate centers on how much people have saved or set aside for retirement. But the focus on savings amounts misses the point. Retirement…
2019: The Year of Retirement Reform
President Trump and Congress made their mark on the United States in 2017 with the most significant tax reform in 30 years. With four significant pieces of retirement…
How to Handle a Client with Low Risk Tolerance
Risk tolerance questionnaires, scores and levels are a big focus right now in retirement income planning. While many of the tools are still rudimentary (e.g., your…
Jamie Hopkins on Stay Wealthy
Think you don’t have anything of value online? Think again. The reality is, almost everyone who uses the internet in any capacity has digital assets to protect. Digital…
Meet our new Retirement Columnist
Most nights I go to bed thinking about retirement planning. Sometimes I dream about retirement planning. And typically, I wake up thinking about retirement planning. To…
Financial Advisors: It’s Time To Step Up Your Game
It’s hard truth time: I would only personally hire roughly five to ten percent of the advisors I have ever met. That is not a good thing. In fact, when I say that…
Financial Services Is The Least Trusted Industry, And Here’s Why
Financial services is again the least trusted industry, according to a 2018 survey by the Edelman Trust Barometer Research Team– only about half (54 percent)…