Effective Jan. 1, 2025, employers must ensure their workplace retirement plans comply with the latest provisions of the SECURE Act 2.0, which aims to improve taxpayers’ retirement savings and the costs and complexities businesses incur administering those plans. Since the law’s enactment, employers of all sizes have gained expanded tax credits for establishing employee retirement […]
Employer-sponsored retirement-savings plans, including 401(k)s and 403(bs), are critical for helping businesses attract and retain skilled employees. However, due to government regulations and annual contribution limits, these qualified plans restrict highly compensated employees’ savings opportunities and their ability to build enough wealth to maintain their standard of living in retirement. To bridge this savings shortfall […]
The IRS released the retirement savings plan contribution limits for 2025, raising the cap on pre-tax contributions to employer-sponsored plans, including 401(k), 403(b) and certain 457 plans. For individual retirement plan contributions, the annual limits remain unchanged. Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans Employees may contribute up to $23,500 via salary deferral to their workplace 401(k), 403(b) and […]
One of the many things individuals learned from the pandemic is that the unexpected can happen, and the best way to be prepared is to have a plan in place that meets your evolving circumstances. It is wise to proactively take stock of your physical and financial health throughout various stages of life and consider […]
High interest rates and persistent inflation have raised red flags for many investors nearing or entering retirement. In this uncertain environment, soon-to-be retirees are increasingly turning to annuities to help diversify and protect their retirement savings while creating a steady and predictable income stream for all their remaining living years. Determining whether annuity products are […]
The SECURE Act’s elimination of stretch IRAs poses a challenge to many high-net-worth account owners who had hoped to pass their savings to the next generation and allow inheritances to continue growing tax-free over beneficiaries’ lifetimes. Under the law, non-spouse IRA beneficiaries must withdraw the entirety of inherited IRA accounts within 10 years of the […]
Converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA can be a smart option for individuals seeking tax-free growth and the flexibility to take tax-free withdrawals in retirement or pass their savings to future generations free of federal income tax. However, employing this strategy contains significant financial implications that individuals must address and carefully plan for […]
A harsh reality of getting older is the potential that physical and mental limitations can impact individuals’ quality of life and their ability to continue living independently. When individuals fail to plan for these possibilities, decision-making may fall to their adult children, who may not grasp their parents’ emotional ties to a family home or […]
In our busy lives, it is not uncommon to put off for tomorrow the things we do not have time for today. This is especially true for things that make us uncomfortable or require significant time and effort to squeeze into our already hectic schedules. However, by sweeping these issues under the rug, you are […]
Employers sponsoring non-safe harbor 401(k) plans must perform annual ERISA- and IRS-mandated testing to ensure they do not disproportionately favor highly compensated employees (HCEs) over rank-and-file non-HCEs. It is critical businesses understand the formulas for these nondiscriminatory tests and the steps they must take to fix a failure or risk losing their plans’ tax benefits. […]