I’ve been getting a few questions recently about Roth conversions, so I thought it would be a good idea to post this primer on the subject from Fidelity. They did a great job hitting some of the key questions and breaking down the pros and cons. Our view is that an ideal retirement strategy has multiple income sources that come from taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts. So if a Roth conversion is something that makes sense given your current tax situation, it’s not a bad idea to take advantage...

The National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators, Inc. (NAGDCA), recently released a new report that included a bevy of statistics that should strike a healthy dose of fear in those that have put retirement planning on the back burner. In the group’s estimation, “The unfortunate state of Americans’ financial preparedness for retirement is well-documented, and may be summed in two words: NOT READY.” (Quoted directly from their report’s opening sentence)...

An FYI regarding 2016 Medicare premiums for our retirees out there. The article below explains why some 30% of Medicare participants will most likely be in for a big increase in monthly premiums next year (a whopping 52% at the highest potential). Those affected will include: 1) people new to Medicare, 2) high income participants and 3) those that do not have their Medicare premium automatically deducted from their Social Security benefits...

Last Friday, Social Security celebrated its 80th birthday. The Social Security Act of 1935 was signed into law by president Franklin D. Roosevelt during the country’s Great Depression, when many of its citizens had suffered great financial losses and had very little left for retirement...