Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
Retirement Planning in 2026: Why Annuities Deserve a Serious Look
Retirement planning in 2026 looks different than it did even a few years ago. Many retirees and pre-retirees are facing a familiar challenge in a new way: they want...
Safe Money Options Heading Into 2026
A Financial Advisor’s Guide to Protecting What You’ve Worked So Hard to Build When markets are choppy and headlines are loud, many people start asking the same...
Retirement Income Planning Going Into 2026: Turning Your Savings Into a Lifetime Paycheck
For most people, retirement isn’t about a specific age or account balance—it’s about confidence.Confidence that the bills will be paid, that you can handle surprises,...
Estate Planning & You: Getting Ready for 2026 (Without Freaking Out)
state planning sounds like something for billionaires in marble mansions… not for regular people with a mortgage, a 401(k), a dog, and a favorite taco spot. But here’s...
Retirement Planning in 2026: How to Prepare for a New Era of Retirement
If you feel like retirement has gotten more complicated, you’re not imagining things. Between market volatility, rising costs, new tax rules, and longer life...
Retirement Planning in 2026: A Practical Playbook (and How Annuities Can Help)
TL;DR: Going into 2026, retirees face two big realities: markets that still swing and a shifting tax landscape. Focus on dependable income, flexible tax buckets, and a...
Retirement Planning Heading Into 2026: 7 Smart Moves For Clients Right Now
As 2025 winds down, retirement planning is shifting under three big spotlights: taxes in 2026, retirement plan rule updates, and Medicare drug-cost changes. Here’s a...
Why Life Insurance Belongs in Your Retirement Plan
Quick Take Life insurance isn’t just for parents with mortgages. The right policy can: protect a spouse’s income plan if one Social Security check disappears create...
Annuities 101: Why They’re (Sometimes) a Great Idea for Retirement
Quick Take Annuities are insurance contracts that can turn a portion of your savings into guaranteed income you can’t outlive. For the right person, they lower stress,...
Weekly Market Commentary
The Federal Reserve, as expected, cut its monetary policy rate by twenty-five basis points to 3.50%-3.75% and tempered expectations for further cuts in 2026. The...
Weekly Market Commentary
Apprehensive investors pushed markets higher this week, with the small-cap Russell 2000 hitting a new all-time high, while the S&P 500 closed just 50 points below...
Weekly Market Commentary
The holiday-shortened week saw global financial markets trade higher. Increased optimism for a December rate cut, along with some constructive news on the AI front,...
Weekly Market Commentary
Financial markets continued to decline as investors sold AI-related stocks amid valuation concerns, while rotating into more defensive sectors such as healthcare and...
Weekly Market Commentary
Markets were choppy and ended the week with mixed results. Investors poured into risk assets on the idea that the longest US government shutdown was over, but a more...
Weekly Market Commentary
Well, the market finally had a significant pullback, but not before the S&P 500 and NASDAQ were able to set another all-time high. The week began with a deal...
Weekly Market Commentary
Investors sent US markets to another set of all-time highs despite concerns about an extended government shutdown. The U.S. government shutdown was largely dismissed...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 hit a 28th record high for the year before settling lower for the week. Investors endured a choppy week of trading as better-than-expected economic data...
Weekly Market Commentary
The major US equity market indices forged another set of all-time highs as investors went all in on risk assets after the Federal Reserve announced a twenty-five basis...
Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group (Ed Slott Group) is a membership organization owned by Ed Slott and Company, LLC. Logos and/or trademarks are property of their respective owners and no endorsement of (Curtis G. Marsh) or (Cox Strategic Wealth) is stated or implied. Ed Slott Group and Ed Slott and Company, LLC are not affiliated with Cox Strategic Wealth.
For the detailed requirements of Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group, please visit: https://www.irahelp.com/
IRS Provides Fix for Trump Account Gift Tax Issue
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education In just a few days, on July 4, Trump accounts will be available. As we come down to the wire, the IRS has stepped...
“The Law of the Plan is the Law of the Land”
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst When it comes to the rules governing specific workplace retirement plans like a 401(k), there are the foundational rules dictated...
Required Minimum Distributions and Excess Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Can required minimum distributions (RMDs) from 403(b) plans be aggregated and taken from one account?...
Breaking the Barriers to Access Your Retirement Plan Funds While Working
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The June 15, 2026 Slott Report described the strict barriers employees face when attempting to access their 401(k) and other plan funds...
Trump Accounts Are Almost Here: What Parents Need to Know
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education On July 4, contributions to Trump accounts, a new savings vehicle for children, will become available. In these...
529 Plan Rollovers and Investments in Trump Accounts: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Our client has funds left over in her 529 plan. She is not working. Can she roll over the 529 dollars to a Roth IRA? Does...
Form 8606 and the Pro-Rata Rule: Not the End of the World
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst If a person has after-tax (non-deductible) money in any traditional IRA, SEP or SIMPLE IRA, then the pro-rata rule is just...
Accessing 401(k) Funds While You’re Still Working
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst If you are faced with expenses that require you to tap into your savings, what are your options? You should always look to non-retirement...
Children vs. Grandchildren Beneficiaries and the First Required Minimum Distribution Year: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: Are the rules for a grandchild who inherits an IRA the same as the rules for a child who inherits? Thank you, Steven Answer: Hi...
Working Past 65? The New Rules of Medicare for Today’s “Unretired” Americans
If you’re turning 65, there’s a good chance you’re not retiring the way your parents did. Many of today’s 60-somethings are still working, consulting, starting...
Your Annual Medicare Checklist: What to Review Before You Change Plans
Choosing or changing your Medicare coverage isn’t something to rush. Each year, your health needs, prescriptions, and budget can shift—and plans change too. Use this...
7 Costly Medicare Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
1) Waiting too long to enroll If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period (the 7-month window around your 65th birthday) and don’t have qualifying employer coverage, you...
“Snowbird Medicare: A Two-State Plan That Actually Works”
Snowbird Medicare: A Two-State Plan That Actually Works If you split the year between two homes, you already know about duplicate utility bills and the art of packing...
Turning 65? The No-Stress Medicare Timeline (What to Do & When)
Medicare doesn’t have to be confusing. Use this simple month-by-month checklist to enroll on time, avoid penalties, and choose coverage that fits your doctors,...
7 Smart Moves to Cut Health Costs and Get Better Coverage with Medicare (and the Right Insurance Pairings)
If you’re approaching 65, already on Medicare, or helping a parent navigate coverage, you’ve probably noticed two things: The rules change often, and 2) small choices...
What Is Medicare? A Friendly Guide to Parts A, B, C & D
Meta: A simple walkthrough of Medicare Parts A, B, C & D—what each covers, who’s eligible, and how they work together.Takeaways: Four parts, different roles...
Medicare in 2025: What You Need to Know About Your Coverage
As we step into 2025, understanding your Medicare needs is more important than ever. With healthcare costs rising and plan options evolving, staying informed ensures...
How are Medicare costs and benefits changing for 2026?
Learn how premiums, out-of-pocket costs and income-related surcharges are changing for 2026 Medicare coverage What are the changes to Medicare benefits for 2026?...