With the recent declaration of former President Trump as the U.S. election winner and Republicans poised to control both the Senate and House, markets have surged. U.S. equities rallied, while Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar saw significant increases. Yet, despite this positive initial response, investors face considerable uncertainty over …

Starting in 2024, a new provision under Section 110 of the SECURE 2.0 Act allows employers to offer matching contributions to 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b) plans, and SIMPLE IRAs based on employees’ qualified student loan payments (QSLPs) instead of their traditional elective contributions. This change aims to help employees who …

New IRS Regulations on the “10-Year Rule” for Inherited IRAs The IRS has published new regulations impacting taxpayers subject to the “10-year rule” for required minimum distributions (RMDs) from inherited IRAs or other defined contribution plans. These regulations, which take effect in 2025, mandate that many beneficiaries must take annual …

Decades ago, Milton Friedman explained that monetary policy impacts the economy with long and unpredictable delays. Recent reports indicate that the effects of the monetary tightening in 2022-23 are starting to wane. Both inflation and economic growth are slowing down. In June, consumer prices dropped by 0.1%, the biggest monthly …

What is a Safe Harbor 401(k) Plan? A Safe Harbor 401(k) plan is a type of retirement plan that helps employers meet IRS nondiscrimination requirements. These plans require the employer to contribute to employees’ 401(k) accounts, which can help employees save more for retirement and ensure the plan benefits all …

Election years are known for increased market volatility and generally lower stock returns due to the uncertainty elections bring. Historically, the S&P 500’s average return during election years has been 6.2%, compared to 9.6% in non-election years. Volatility is also higher, averaging 16.5% in election years versus 15.3% in non-election …