Many would agree that Roth IRAs are special retirement accounts. They are funded with after tax dollars, grow tax deferred, and all distributions including accumulated gains are tax free. …Or are they? There are two five-year rules that govern whether your Roth IRA distributions are both tax and penalty free. The rules can be quite […]
Unless you have been diagnosed with a life threatening medical condition that could potentially shorten your life expectancy, or you have a family history of short life expectancy due to hereditary health complications, waiting at least until full retirement age often makes sense. There are a few reasons you might delay claiming Social Security benefits. […]
Year over year inflation was 10.32%. The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to over 19%. A 3-month CD was yielding 18.3%, and mortgage rates topped 16%. The year was 1981. Fast forward 42 years. Year over year inflation in the US has topped 8% as of March 2022. Will it reach 1981 levels? Who knows […]
Are your Medicare premiums higher than you expected? Did you or someone you know receive notice of 2022 premium increases? Did the increase surprise you, and was it far greater than in previous years? 2022 Base Medicare Premiums Increase 14.5% Medicare premiums for Part B jumped from 14.5% from $148.50 per month in 2021 to […]
If you’ve ever worked for an employer who offered a workplace retirement plan, like a 401(k), you have probably completed a risk tolerance questionnaire at some point in your life. While most working adults are maybe at least somewhat familiar with a risk tolerance questionnaire very few folks have every been introduced to the concept […]
Financial Planning | March 11, 2021 The $1.9 trillion COVID relief package signed by President Biden on Thursday isn’t aimed only at lower-income and middle-class individuals. Advisors say that many upper-middle-class earners and even the mass affluent can potentially qualify for a portion of the tax breaks or direct cash payments. Here’s a cheat sheet […]
We believe that every dollar has a purpose and a timeline. When and how your retirement assets will be used should be understood before making important financial decisions. We shared our unique financial planning approach with the Business Innovators Network. The Triplett-Westendorf Purpose and Timeline 5 Step Planning Process (PT5) begins with Discovery. Understanding where […]
Every workday I spend 30 minutes reading. This habit developed about 5 years ago after I was introduced to the world of personal development by my good friend Kevin. He’s been a big influence on my life, usually leading me to be a better person by example. I try to read books about topics that […]
When is a good time to convert from an IRA to a Roth? An attendee at one of our recent workshops asked us a question about Roth Conversions. Specifically, she asked “when is a good time to convert to a Roth IRA?” In short, the final two months of the year are typically when we […]
Our firm holds regular educational classes at the community college campus near our Ankeny, IA office. We invite folks in surrounding communities to these classes through direct-mail postcard invitations and digital invitations through Facebook. The invitations highlight several specific topics that we commonly cover during our classes. For example, strategies to optimize entitlement programs such […]