This is no April Fool's Day joke! Hopefully April showers will bring May flowers.
I focus this mid-month blog post on a market update given the recent volatility. At the end, I briefly mention some things to consider with these lemons.
That was fast.
In this post I take a deeper dive into three of the SECURE Act changes impacting people at different phases of life. And with a nod to the classic films once upon a time, the changes I discuss are good, great and downright ugly.
A rough end for the first month of the year – unless you were in long maturity treasury bonds.
A new law was passed late last year which has significant impacts on retirement savings. The SECURE Act has a positive name, but not all changes are positive.
2019 returns were very strong across most asset classes, something not many expected at the beginning of the year. View six charts which capture the current market. As viewers of Hill Street Blues may remember - "Let's be careful out there."
This time of year can be busy. Try to find some peaceful moments... and be like a kid again.
A relatively quiet month on the surface as the market seems content with a Fed on hold (reinforced at Powell Congressional testimony mid-month), inflation and GDP solid but not hot, and trade negotiations moving along.
There are limits on the amount one can save in tax qualified accounts like 401(k)’s and IRA’s. For those age 50 and over (55 for HSAs) additional catch-up contributions are allowed. The IRS recently published the contribution limits for 2020. Check out the summary table compared to 2019 levels.
The economy is steady, the Fed is likely done for a while and trade negotiations are moving along. Stocks like it!
The 2020 inflation adjustments for Social Security are finalized. Benefits will increase 1.6% and the wage limit for FICA taxes will increase 3.6%. Medicare premiums for 2020 have not been officially announced but the spring Trustee report showed an expected increase of $8.80 per month.