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The views reflected by the author in this article are subject to change at any time without notice. Imagine Financial Solutions deems reliable any statistical data or information obtained from or prepared by third-party sources included in this article, but in no way guarantees its accuracy or completeness.
7 steps to prepare for your upcoming retirement
Planning to retire within the next 10 years? Taking these actions now could help bolster your portfolio as you approach your planned retirement date. After decades of...
Getting Ready for Retirement Checklist
If the word “retire” is becoming your new mantra, we suggest you make a retirement checklist before you receive your last paycheck. It’s never too early (or too late)...
The Most Important Ages of Retirement
Retirement is a series of milestones that arrive as you age. Here are the ones you should know about. The retirement clock doesn't start the day you stop working. It's...
Social Security Benefits Changes in 2025: What You Need to Know for Smarter Retirement and Tax Planning
Social Security is one of the most essential yet misunderstood pieces of the American retirement puzzle. With all the recent headlines, ranging from benefit increases...
Planning to retire in 2025? Do these 7 things now
A wonderful retirement is the goal of many people, and you want it to come off without any major snags. But retirement plans always face challenges, whether it’s the...
3 Retirement Mistakes That Can Still Be Fixed in 2025
Retirement planning is rarely perfect. Life throws curveballs—health issues, market downturns, career changes—and even the most diligent savers can stumble along the...
8 Ways to Keep From Going Broke in Retirement
Budgeting, saving and investing tips to help make your money last as long as you do No matter how diligently you’ve been saving for retirement, it’s hard not to worry...
A Loved One Died and Left You an Inheritance. Now What?
Take these steps when you receive a windfall Perhaps you are among the growing number of Americans fortunate enough to receive an inheritance. As older generations pass...
Retirement age change 2025: What it means for your Social Security benefits
A quiet but important shift is happening in 2025: the full retirement age for Social Security is increasing again. If you were born in 1959, the change affects you...
Weekly Market Commentary
Markets forged another set of all-time highs before taking a step back last week as a deluge of information had to be digested by investors. August 1st was the tariff...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 and NASDAQ reached another set of all-time highs, driven by constructive rhetoric on global trade and positive second-quarter earnings results from...
Weekly Market Commentary
A barrage of tariff letters sent to over 20 countries by President Trump yielded very little movement in the financial markets. Trump announced that there would not be...
Weekly Market Commentary
The holiday-shortened week produced another week of gains for US equity indices. The S&P 500 was up 10.6 % in the 2nd quarter, while the NASDAQ composite rose...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ joined the NASDAQ 100 in forging new all-time highs in an extremely busy week for Wall Street. A de-escalation of the Iran-Israel-US...
Weekly Market Commentary
Despite there being plenty for investors to consider, the holiday-shortened week ended pretty much where it started. Israel and Iran continued to exchange missile...
Weekly Market Commentary
US markets advanced in an erratic week of trading. The S&P 500 ended the week above the 6000 level and is up nearly 24% from the April 7th lows. Investors continue...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week was busy. Trade uncertainties continued to be on investors' minds, with several trade stories hitting the tape...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a busy week on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Index and the S&P 500 went positive for the year, catalyzed by the announcement...
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Mr. T: “I Pity the Fool Who Misses Their RMD”
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Laurence Tureaud, born May 21, 1952, is better known as Mr. T. He is an actor and a retired professional wrestler....
Required Minimum Distributions and IRA Transfers: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: Can I satisfy my required minimum distribution (RMD) from my 401(k) by taking it from my IRA instead?...
Reporting a Recharacterization
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst While the ability to recharacterize Roth conversions was eliminated years ago, Roth contributions can still be reversed. A Roth IRA...
Roth IRA vs. Roth 401(k): Which Is Better?
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Many of you are familiar with the tax advantages that Roth retirement accounts can bring. Although Roth contributions are made with...
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and SEP IRAs: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: Does the new $6,000 additional deduction for seniors under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) also apply if the...
Trump Accounts – A Hot New Bombshell Enters the Tax-Advantaged Account Villa
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Summer of 2025 brought us the new season of the hit TV show, Love Island. When a new contestant arrives on this...
Last Week in Chicago
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst Last week in Chicago, the Ed Slott and Company team hosted another successful 2-day advisor training program. A sellout crowd of...
Year-of-Death RMD and RMD on Backdoor Roth: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: I have a client who died last month. She would have been age 83 this year. She had an IRA. Her husband, age 87, was the...
How Trump Accounts Work
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) signed into law on July 4, 2025, includes a new savings vehicle for children called “Trump...
The views reflected by the author in this article are subject to change at any time without notice. Imagine Financial Solutions deems reliable any statistical data or information obtained from or prepared by third-party sources included in this article, but in no way guarantees its accuracy or completeness.
Key Points You do not need to be receiving Social Security benefits to apply for Medicare. You can receive Social Security benefits as early as 62 and Medicare benefits... Key Points While the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit is not mandatory, it is a 100% covered preventive service. The Annual Wellness Visit differs from the typical annual... Key Points Medicare Part D is a voluntary program, but if you do not enroll in a plan, you won’t have coverage for expensive medications. You will also have a late... Original Medicare Part B covers 80% of the cost of most services. But what about the other 20%? Or the other out-of-pocket costs like deductibles or inpatient copays?... Big changes are coming to Medicare and Social Security in 2025, and if you’re on Medicare—or soon will be—you need to know how these updates could impact your costs and... Medicare pays for a bulk of older Americans’ health care costs, but not all. And each year Medicare adjusts key costs that are paid by enrollees. I want to walk through... Finding a doctor you like and trust can be a long process, so I understand that it can be frustrating when your doctor no longer accepts Medicare. If your doctor has... Does Medicare Cover Dental and Vision Care? Understanding Your Options Maintaining our vision, hearing, and dental health is important to living a healthy and... They are separate programs, but the Social Security Administration handles enrollment and collects premiums for many on Medicare Social Security and Medicare are...
Can You Apply for Medicare Without Social Security?
Is the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit Mandatory?
Why You Need Part D
Medigaps
Medicare’s 2025 Surprise: Higher Costs, New Caps, and Vanishing Perks
Here’s How Much Medicare Will Cost in 2025
What If My Medicare Doctor “Opts Out”?
How Medicare Advantage Plans Cover Seniors’ Vision, Hearing, and Dental Needs
How do Social Security and Medicare work together?