Planning Matters (March 2019) – Time Is Running Out for Certain Social Security Claiming Strategies

  |  March 31, 2019

compass on top of money

he universe of potential Social Security retirement benefit claimants is divided into two groups that are separated by one date: January 2, 1954. All individuals who were born on or after that date are limited to one Social Security benefit claim when it comes time to file for benefits. Married (or formerly married) workers born prior to that date have the potential ability to claim one Social Security benefit while allowing the second, the larger benefit, to grow by up to 32% before claiming it. The first benefit in question is called the spousal benefit and it has a special application for households with claimants born prior to January 2, 1954. Read more. Read More

Tribal Retirement Plans: A Free Webinar Series

  |  June 19, 2018

Congratulations! You are now in charge of your tribal organization’s retirement plan. Of course, you want to do the right things to run your plan, but you may need guidance to determine what the right things are.

Please join us for three upcoming webinars that we’ve designed to cover the day-to-day operation of tribal retirement plans. You’ll learn about the many issues that plan providers encounter – and more importantly, how to tackle them. Read more. Read More

An Entrepreneurial Conundrum – Building Retirement Wealth While Building a Business

  |  May 17, 2018

Entrepreneurship is alive and well in America. Nearly 15 million people in the U.S. are self-employed, approximately 10% of the working population according to the Pew Research Center.  These entrepreneurs have an additional 29.4 million people working for them and together they account for approximately 44 million jobs, which is 30% of the national workforce.

For many of these self-employed business owners, much, if not all, of their net worth is tied up in their businesses. Adequate cash flow to cover operating expenses and managing through times when business lags or client payments are slow is a key concern, as is putting aside money for reinvestment in the business. Read more. Read More

Contribute to an IRA by April 17, Claim It on Your 2017 Tax Return

  |  March 26, 2018

The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that it’s not too late to contribute to an Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA) and still claim it on a 2017 tax return. Anyone with an IRA may be eligible for a tax credit or deduction on their 2017 tax return if they make contributions by April 17, 2018.

An IRA is designed to enable employees and the self-employed to save for retirement. Most taxpayers who work are eligible to start a traditional or Roth IRA, or add money to an existing account.Read more. Read More

Companies Boosting 401(k) Contributions to Retain Employees

  |  August 14, 2017

Some companies in certain industries are using a new strategy to keep the best employees and motivate staff to save for retirement. According to an article in the July 17 edition of The Wall Street Journal, companies ranging from Microsoft Corp. to Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. are boosting contributions to their workers’ 401(k) plans, a move many firms have long resisted because of the greater costs. Read more. Read More