Blogs
“Third-Party Posts”
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 Things You’ll Be Happy You Downgraded in Retirement
Downsizing for retirement is a good way to simplify your life and cut down on expenses. Making some key changes, like moving into a smaller home, could reduce financial...
Why Your Current Retirement Plan May Not Be Enough in 2025
Retirement: the wonderful time of life when you no longer have to work for your money. Instead, your money is finally working for you. If you’re well on your way to...
Key change coming for 401(k) ‘max savers’ in 2025, expert says — here’s what you need to know
Key Points Many Americans face a retirement savings shortfall, but setting aside more could get easier for some older workers in 2025. Enacted in 2022, the Secure Act...
What the Fed’s Rate Cut Means for You
The Federal Reserve just reduced interest rates for the first time in four years. Here’s how it will impact borrowers and saver What goes up must come down, and after...
Social Security COLA 2025: How Much Will Payments Increase Next Year?
With inflation cooling, analysts estimate benefit boost could come in around 2.5% The second of three numbers the Social Security Administration (SSA) will use to...
Why Retirement Gets Better With Annuities
Everyone aspires to have a steady source of income after retirement that replaces as much as possible of their pre-retirement earning. But for many people, one big...
Results From the 2024 Retirement Confidence Survey Find Workers’ and Retirees’ Confidence Has Not Recovered From the Significant Drop Seen in 2023, but Majorities Remain Optimistic About Retirement Prospects
Summary - However, almost 8 in 10 workers and 7 in 10 retirees are concerned that the U. S. government could make significant changes to the American retirement system...
2024 Pulse of the American Retiree Survey: Midlife Retirement ‘Crisis’ or a 10-Year Opportunity?
Critically underprepared for retirement, 55-year-old Americans enter a crucial 10-year countdown to plan and prepare With just a decade until retirement, 55-year-old...
Federal Reserve data shows sharp rise in amount Americans 65 and older owe Americans across generations are carrying more debt than they did three decades ago,...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global markets pulled back last week as investors took the opportunity to reduce some risk before a very close US Presidential election. In the US,...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 advanced for the sixth consecutive week, closing at a new record high. This week, a broadening out of the market’s rally was...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average forged another set of all-time highs despite facing several macro headwinds. Chinese markets...
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 closed higher for a fourth consecutive quarter, the first time it has done so since 2011. Investors continued to face a challenging...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets posted a third week of gains as global central banks continued to cut monetary policy rates. China, Switzerland, Mexico, Hungry,...
Weekly Market Commentary
The S&P 500 notched its 39th record high in 2024 on the back of a fifty-basis-point rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Global central banks took center stage this...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets bounced back nicely in the second week of September. It was an intriguing week of trade with several undercurrents to consider. The first...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA Global equity markets tumbled due to economic growth concerns as the US Treasuries extended their gains from August. The holiday-shortened week...
Weekly Market Commentary
-Darren Leavitt, CFA The final week of August was all about NVidia's second-quarter earnings results and the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the PCE. Expectations...
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 (Marlene Wanzong) or (Imagine Financial Solutions) is stated or implied. Ed Slott Group and Ed Slott and Company, LLC are not affiliated with Imagine Financial Solutions.
For the detailed requirements of Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group, please visit: https://www.irahelp.com/
Do QCDs Actually Reduce AGI?
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst It has come to our attention that confusion exists as to how qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) impact one’s taxes....
Trump Accounts and the Pro-Rata Rule: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Question: We have two grandchildren. One is 18 years old now, and the other will turn 18 next January (2026). Can you help me...
Avoiding the 10% Early Distribution Penalty for Certain Hardship Withdrawals
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst Most 401(k) plans (as well as 403(b) and 457(b) plans) offer hardship withdrawals while you are still employed. If the withdrawal comes...
Tapping an ESA for Back-to-School Expenses
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education It’s August and that means it is back-to-school time! The 2025-2026 school year is upon us. Kids are already back...
The Once-Per-Year Rollover Rule and SEP IRA Contributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education Question: I recently retired in January and rolled over a lump sum pension from my previous employer into my IRA....
The Craziest Stuff I’ve Heard
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The Ed Slott team has answered literally tens of thousands of IRA and retirement plan questions over the past few years. That is...
In ERISA Retirement Plans, Spouse Beneficiaries Rule
By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst At Ed Slott and Company, we continually stress how important the beneficiary designation form is. Because it’s that form – and not...
Required Minimum Distributions and IRA Beneficiaries: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst QUESTION: I turn age 73 on December 1, 2026. I would like to do a Roth IRA conversion on January 1, 2026, prior to turning 73 years...
OBBBA Impact on HSAs
By Sarah Brenner, JD Director of Retirement Education From a tax perspective, a Health Savings Account (HSA) can offer the best of all worlds. Like traditional...
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.
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... It’s important to plan for your health care needs, but sometimes life throws unexpected curve balls. And when that happens, you’ll need to know what’s covered.... The Wall Street Journal recently published a story regarding diagnoses and plan payments in Medicare Advantage. The story was fundamentally flawed and overlooked the... The Wall Street Journal recently published a story regarding diagnoses and plan payments in Medicare Advantage. The story was fundamentally flawed and overlooked the... Today, more Americans than ever are choosing Medicare Advantage for affordable, quality health care — with over 33 million seniors and people with disabilities enrolled... How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier Today, Medicare Advantage delivers affordable, high-quality care to more than 33 million... Whether you’re switching from one type of Medicare coverage to another, or you’re new to Medicare, you might be concerned about being able to continue seeing your... Whether you’re switching from one type of Medicare coverage to another, or you’re new to Medicare, you might be concerned about being able to continue seeing your... Expensive medications? You’ll save thousands. Dementia or mental health care? More options Key takeaways Changes from Inflation Reduction Act will take effect next...
What If My Medicare Doctor “Opts Out”?
Home health care through Medicare
Correcting the Record: The Facts on Medicare Advantage Payment and Accountability
Correcting the Record: The Facts on Medicare Advantage Payment and Accountability
New bipartisan survey reveals a supermajority of seniors oppose reducing funding to Medicare Advantage — and will factor that into their vote in November
How Medicare Advantage In-Home Health Assessments Keep Seniors Healthier
Will My Specialist’s Services be Covered under My Medicare Plan?
Will My Specialist’s Services be Covered under My Medicare Plan?
7 Medicare Changes You’ll See in 2025