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Retirement

Aug 08
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Update on your Yellow Retirement Benefits

By 401k, Retirement

Yellow Corp officially filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sunday (8/6/23). Pensions & Investments published an article on August 7th, 2023, discussing the status of your Yellow Corp. retirement benefits.

Key Takeaways:

  • Participants whose benefits transferred to the insurance company in 2021 are not affected and will continue to receive 100% of their benefits.
  • Union employees will continue to receive their pension benefits. (These benefits will remain reduced).
  • Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp (PBGC) has the option to terminate Yellow’s pension and take it over.

Participants in the non-union Yellow pension plans should keep a close eye on what the PBGC decides to do in the coming days to understand what will happen to your benefits.

See Full Article:

https://www.pionline.com/pension-funds/yellow-corp-non-union-pension-participants-waiting-mode-after-bankruptcy-filing?utm_source=p-i-breaking-news-alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20230807&utm_content=hero-readmore&CSAuthResp=1691500914609%3A0%3A479097%3A391%3A24%3Asuccess%3AC9887CB4319507AFAD702BEFD9C37858#cci_r=

Dec 30
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How Public Pensions are Handling Private Equity in the Current Environment

By Private Equity, Retirement

A recent Pitchbook article provides some insight into public pension manager’s private equity allocation in the current market.  The past twelve years have seen rising institutional asset allocations to private equity as declining public market return assumptions, combined with fixed return mandates affected increased allocations to alternative assets.  However, PE investors see current macroeconomic environment and inflation as heightening the risk for the asset class for the two to three years. Such risks, along with valuations are causing some, but not all institutional investors to consider reducing their PE allocations.  That may be the wrong approach, as the best years for PE have historically often been in the few years following recessionary periods, as valuations are typically more favorable. Will it be different this time? Some argue that valuations are higher and the overall allocation to the space is higher than previous periods. The trend has been that more companies are remaining private for longer periods of time and with the current IPO market so narrow, investors seeking higher returns may need to continue to lean into the space. To see the full article, see Will public pensions stick to their PE targets in 2023? Pitchbook.com 12/13/2022.

Dec 16
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State Mandated Retirement Plans for Small and Medium-sized Businesses

By Retirement

SECURE Act 2.0 Legislation Overview

  • The retirement industry experts widely expect it to pass by the end of the year (2022).
  • Take away the option for auto-enrollment (for 401k and 403b retirement plans).
  • Increases the tax credits for starting a company retirement plan from between 75-100%
    • Currently 50%
  • New credits for employer contributions
    • Historically been tax deductible. Moving forward will get a dollar-for-dollar tax credit.
  • Increases mandatory RMD age from 72 to 75.

Stats for Americans in retirement: These are the primary reasons for current legislation

  • 25% of U.S. adults have no retirement savings.
  • The median for individuals nearing retirement (ages 55-64) is less than $1,000/month in available income.
  • 40% of working Americans are confident their retirement planning is on track (overconfident?).

Legislation mandates have been introduced in most states and are currently active in 16 states.

Of those active:

  • Employee eligibility starts at age 18
  • All post-tax, Roth IRAs
  • Free administrative cost

Program details:

  • Contribution Limits
    • 401(k): $22,500 ($30,000 if older than 50)
    • IRA: $6,000 ($7,000 if older than 50)
  • Deadlines/Compliance
    • Many state-run programs require employer compliance by a given deadline.
    • Deadlines may be staggered or based on number of qualified employees.
  • Fees/Penalties
    • Employers may receive fines for failure to provide a retirement savings option to eligible employees.
  • Administrative Duties
    • Employers are often required to bear the burden of paperwork and processing to ensure program compliance.
Jun 18
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Time to Take Control: Informed, Diversified Investors Can Weather Market Storms

By Retirement

Robert L. Riedl, CPA, CFP, AWMA, CEO & Director of Wealth Management at Endowment Wealth Management was recently featured in the article titled Time to Take Control: Informed, Diversified Investors Can Weather Market Storms, which appeared in the most recent issue of Insight Magazine. You can view the entire article on Insight’s website but Rob’s quotes in the article are listed below:

On Q1 2020 financial market volatility:

“Everyone didn’t even want to see what happened on their statements.” “But you need to open it and know your options.  And the investment options are plentiful, whether it’s equity markets, bond markets and certificates of deposit or something more tangible like gold. The key, is to know your risk tolerance and review investments to see if they match how much risk you are willing to take.

Investing for long-term retirement:

“Most people are working longer and living longer. If they are working longer, they have more time to add to their investment fund.  Some people are living 20 or 30 years after they stopped working. If you are too conservative, you’ll run out of money. Today, I tell clients they need a portfolio with a 50/50 split between stocks and bonds at age 75, not age 65.”

How to build wealth:

“Dollar-cost averaging is the best way to build wealth.  In dollar-cost averaging, investors place a fixed amount of money into an investment program at regular intervals. The strategy is designed to help the investor buy more shares when prices are down and fewer when prices are up, creating an average price per share and theoretically reducing the overall investment cost. If that sounds a lot like a 401(k), you’re right.”

On investing in a 401(k):

“The 401(k) is the most common investment vehicle people use to save for retirement, but they often set the allocation levels — for example 70 percent in stocks, 30 percent percent in bonds — and forget about it. 401(k)s are a critical asset.  Investors should not be afraid to take charge of their 401(k) accounts. They are a complicated asset, and if you don’t understand it or what’s happening, then find yourself a fee-only financial adviser.  It’s better to do something rather than nothing.”

On monitoring and re-balancing your portfolio:

“You need to re-balance your portfolio annually.  Pay attention to your accounts. Check on them quarterly to see how they are doing and what you may need to do to adjust.”

On having a diversified portfolio:

“Diversification, whether it’s stocks, bonds or another investment option, is also an essential part of making sure your funds can handle market volatility.”

 

 

Apr 28
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Impact of CARES Act on IRA and Retirement Plans: FAQs

By Financial Legislation, General, Retirement, Tax Planning

2020 CARES Act: FAQs

Background
On March 27, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law, the third in a series of economic relief bills in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The more than $2 trillion package seeks to address financial pressures facing individuals, businesses, and state and local governments due to the pandemic. The below FAQ includes more details about what this means for you. Read More

Aug 15
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Do You Have an Exit Strategy for your Rental Properties?

By Estate Planning, Retirement, Tax Planning, Wealth Management

Owning rental properties is one of the most common investments that Americans make along with their 401k or other retirement accounts. The primary reason why real estate is so popular is because it is easy to understand from an investment standpoint. There are four primary wealth builders associated with real estate; the rental income, price appreciation, loan pay down (equity) and the tax benefits. Additionally, the ability to use leverage (borrow money to purchase a property) makes real estate investing accessible to many people and not just the rich. All of the reasons listed above are why many Americans end up nearing retirement with a few rental properties or in some cases, a substantial real estate portfolio, without a clear exit strategy.

Let’s go over an example to explain how an investor’s real estate investing career may unfold. The investor bought six rental properties over the past few decades for $75,000 each. The properties are fully depreciated and entirely paid off. Throughout the years, the properties have all appreciated and are currently worth $200,000 each. The investor is interested in selling and finding a more “passive” investment vehicle until he realizes the tax ramifications associated with selling the properties. One option for the investor is to hire a property manager. The investor could achieve his desire for a more passive involvement and would not have to pay the taxes that would be due with a sale, however, the headaches of owning real estate do not go away when one hires a property manager. The owner is still responsible for the repairs and expenses and all of their associated costs. Remember, these properties have been owned for decades, they are older and have seen their maintenance costs tick up as they continue to age. Major potential repairs such as fixing a roof or replacing major appliances can seriously threaten an investor’s “stress-free” retirement.

After much thought and debate with his wife, (who by the way I forgot to mention wants nothing to do with the rentals and prefers to be able to travel extensively throughout retirement; often being gone for weeks or months at a time), he decides to sell the rentals and face the significant tax liability. His decision to sell only lasts a few days until he realizes the second major problem of selling the rentals, which is the loss of the income stream during retirement. The income can be replaced with a new investment but the amount in the new investment will be considerably lower after the taxes are paid from the initial sale. Since the amount invested will be lower, the new income stream will likely be lower too.

Afraid of the drawbacks listed above, our investor and many owners of investment real estate simply deal with the headaches of being a landlord and continue to hold the rentals throughout retirement in conflicting views with their spouse. However, there is another option that will allow an investor to sell their rental properties, defer the capital gains (potentially forever) and maintain their current stream of monthly income without the headaches of being a landlord. That option is a DST 1031 exchange into a real estate fund.

A 1031 exchange is a method to exchange an investment property for another “like-kind” investment property and avoid the tax implications from the initial sale. A Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) is a legally recognized trust for conducting business and can be used in a 1031 exchange. The replacement property now becomes an interest in a professionally managed real estate fund.

The benefits of a DST 1031 exchange can be substantial with the primary benefit being the ability to defer capital gains and depreciation recapture. The taxes are deferred until the real estate fund liquidates and distributes the proceeds of the sale. Once the fund is liquidated, the investor has the option to invest the proceeds received into another DST 1031 exchange in order to defer the taxes again. The investor can continue to defer, defer, defer until the original owner passes away. The heirs will receive a step up in cost basis, effectively eliminating the taxes owed from the original sale of the investment real estate. This deferment of taxes is a powerful wealth building strategy that can accelerate the growth of a family’s wealth.

The second benefit of a DST 1031 exchange is the elimination of property management responsibility. As with other passive investments, the investor will not have to make decisions regarding the investment management. Dealing with tenants will be over and the only work required will be the monthly walk to the mailbox to pick up the check.

Diversification is the third benefit achieved. The investor is able to diversify from a concentrated property in one location into a more diversified fund with several properties in different geographical locations. Examples of some property types available include multi-family apartments, NNN retail, self-storage, assisted living facilities, office buildings and medical offices. Often these newer commercial buildings are unattainable to the individual investor but a real estate fund pools the assets of many investors and can access these newer commercial property types.

The final benefit associated with a DST 1031 exchange is the use of the 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction. This deduction, which was passed with the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, allows eligible taxpayers to deduct up to 20% of their qualified business income. Individual owners may not qualify for the 20% QBI since they’re not in the business of owning and managing real estate but since the real estate fund is in the business of managing real estate, the fund qualifies for the 20% reduction.

In conclusion, the DST 1031 exchange provides an investor with a great exit strategy for their real estate portfolio. The headaches of being a landlord are eliminated, the tax liability from selling the properties is deferred (or in some cases eliminated through a step up in cost basis), and the investor benefits from the 20% QBI deduction and continues to receive monthly income from a real estate investment fund.

To learn more, please visit our 1031 exchange webpage at www.EndowmentWM.Com/1031-exchange or contact us by phone at 920-785-6010.

Have Questions? Need an expert opinion?

If you have more questions I’m happy to help you! We make getting answers super easy, without having to talk to some high-pressure sales person. Just use the secure contact form to ask a question, or email me directly at Sam@EndowmentWM.com, and I’ll get back to you via email within 48 hours to help point you in the right direction. I also offer a free wealth discovery meeting where we can discuss your personal situation and make sure you’re on the right path. Remember, it’s free to contact us and we are fiduciary advisors putting your personal needs first and foremost.

Best of Success,

Samuel Moore

Oct 31
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Do I “lose” money by waiting to take Social Security?

By Retirement, Social Security

Executive Summary

Many retirees choose to take their social security benefit as soon as possible at age 62. But is this the right decision? We all know that the longer you wait to get started, the larger your monthly payment will be. In fact, for every year you wait, you earn an 8% increase in the monthly benefit payment. But for those who DO choose to wait, the missed monthly payments can begin to add up (in their mind), which can cause some uncertainty and have retirees asking the question: “Am I losing money by not taking my Social Security benefit payment?” Read More

Oct 11
Love1

Is Your Wealth Advisor a Fiduciary?

By Family Office, Retirement

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the universe of financial professionals you will come across many types of individuals all with differing educational and experience backgrounds. Due to the overwhelming number of financial professionals it can be extremely difficult to distinguish one advisor from another. However, one simple distinction can help sort through a vast number of advisors within seconds. Ask them one question: are you a fiduciary advisor? Yes or No!

A fiduciary advisor is one that is required by law to act in your best interests whereas the non-fiduciary advisor (ie: stock broker) may face a strong conflict of interest when recommending “suitable” investment solutions to you which often lead you, the investor, down a path that is not in your best interest. Read More

Oct 04
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Should I Take A Loan From My 401(k)?

By 401k, Retirement

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

401k loans are a feature that some 401k’s offer and may be an option you have in your financial toolbox. But is it the right choice?

The answer: It depends.

Your 401k is designed and works best as a tax efficient way of investing for your future retirement. Using the 401k loan feature as your own personal piggy bank is ill-advised.

But in some cases, considering a 401k loan may actually make financial sense and safeguard your retirement portfolio.

Keep reading as we discuss 401k loans.

Read More