The end of 2019 brought a big change to retirement accounts. Late December, Congress passed the SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act, which aims to assist in helping people save more money for retirement and have a longer time to do so. The act went into effect this past January, so it […]
5 Important Retirement Planning Age Milestones
Investment Management, Retirement PlanningRemember the excitement of turning 16 so you can get your driver’s license? And 21 to be a legal adult? Important birth dates don’t end there. As you head toward retirement, consider the following dates as they may be critical in ensuring your financial plan’s success: Age 55: Possible Penalty Free Withdrawals from Your 401(k) If […]
Women and Finances: Empowering Women to Take Control of Their Finances
Investment ManagementTaking control of your financial future requires the same tenacity and determination that women give to other areas of their lives. For 28 years, I have been advising clients about financial planning decisions. I was trained and worked on a team with our founder, Bill Few, a pioneer in the Pittsburgh financial planning community. During […]
Important Dates for Investors
In the NewsReShelle Barrett, CFP® Important Dates for Investors Remember the excitement of turning 16 so you can get your driver’s license? And 21 to be a legal adult? Important birthdates don’t end there. As you head toward retirement, consider the following dates as they may be critical in ensuring your financial plan’s success: Age 55 Possible […]
2018 Contribution Limits for Retirement Plans
In the NewsReShelle Barrett, CFP® Nobody wants to think of filing tax returns at this time of year but the following limits should help in planning for your 2018 retirement account contributions. There is plenty of time to make IRA/Roth contributions (April 15, 2019 is deadline for 2018 contributions) but if you are trying to maximize your […]
Time to Rebalance Your Portfolio – Market Update
In the NewsReShelle Barrett, CFP® It seems as though the markets continue to reach new highs almost daily. And the good news is the economy is relatively healthy which to some degree supports higher market levels. For example, unemployment is very low at 4.4%, household net worth continues to climb, interest rates and inflation remain low, personal […]
Saving for College – 529 Plan Account
In the NewsReShelle Barrett, CFP® Despite rising costs of college and higher education, a degree or certification is more important than ever, but one way to combat those costs are by contributing to a tax-efficient 529 plan account. These plans are for anyone that wants to save for higher education including parents with children of any age […]
Leaving a Legacy of Income
Estate Planning, Retirement PlanningReShelle Barrett, CFP® Are you over age 70 ½ and being forced to take income from your IRA? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could spread that income over future generations? Fortunately, you can. Let’s start with determining when you need to start taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). The IRS allows retirement accounts to grow […]
How Hard is Your 401(k) Working?
Retirement PlanningReShelle Barrett, CFP® Are you one of those employees who enrolled in your company’s retirement plan and haven’t looked at the investments since? Or worse yet, haven’t even enrolled in the plan? At least once a year, many will be asked to make decisions regarding your 401(k) plan i.e. would you like to enroll in […]
Bonds in a Rising Interest Rate Environment
Investment ManagementReShelle Barrett, CFP® Most investors believe that owning bonds means an investment with low or no risk. However, bond investments are inherently exposed to certain risks including interest rate risk. And according to most recent comments by the Federal Reserve Board, there is likely at least one interest rate increase on the agenda for this […]
