Ranking the World's Nations

 

What’s the best country? After several years at No. 2, Canada leads the globe, according to U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Countries” rankings for 2021. It’s followed by Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and the United States.¹

 

The criteria used to make Best Country determinations included quality of life, agility, entrepreneurship, an “open for business” climate, a strong job market and commitment to social justice and human rights. At No. 6, the United States received high marks in power and cultural influence, and scored highest in agility, which represents traits such as adaptability and responsiveness.²

 

Agility is an important trait for individuals and families, too, because it means you can pivot, adapt and respond to life’s challenges and move forward. Please call us if you’d like us to help make sure your financial picture remains agile no matter what challenges you may encounter.

 

Over the past year, the global perception of “best countries” has in many ways been shaped by responses to the pandemic. According to the Global Health Security Index, the U.S. has traditionally ranked highest in preparedness in terms of its ability to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease threats. Unfortunately, that preparedness apparently wasn’t an advantage with COVID-19, as the U.S. ranked worst globally in terms of case numbers and deaths since the onset of the pandemic.³

 

Fortunately, the U.S. has picked up in more positive perceptions as it rolled out vaccinations this spring. In April, it advanced to No. 17 in Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking. Singapore, New Zealand and Australia top that list as the best places to live during the pandemic. By tracking recovery rates in the 53 major economies across the globe, the Bloomberg index is designed to help predict how they may grow in the future.⁴

 

For now, global travel remains tenuous. Countries still struggling with outbreaks and low vaccine rates are largely off limits, while countries doing well in these areas are restricting citizens from traveling places where they might return with a new strain of the virus. In April, the U.S. State Department updated its travel advisory guidelines, warning Americas not to travel to about 80% of the world.⁵

 

All in all, 2020 was not a great year anywhere on the globe. Even countries that had success containing the virus suffered economically due to lockdowns, while the opposite was true for economies that stayed open. Still, the World Economic Forum published its annual World Competitiveness Ranking in December 2020, albeit without country competitiveness rankings due to incomplete data. Based on the indicators of reviving and transforming the enabling environment, human capital, markets and the innovation ecosystem, the U.S. led in areas such as digital legal framework and new business creation.⁶

We take pride in assisting our clients with incorporating all aspects of their life into their Retirement Roadmap 360®. Take control of your financial future and give us a call at (734) 769-1719 today to see how we may be able to help you! 

 

¹ Knowledge@Wharton. April 20, 2021. “Why Canada Took the Top Spot on This Year’s ‘Best Countries’ List.” https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/canada-took-top-spot-on-this-years-best-countries-list/. Accessed April 26, 2021.

² Ibid.

³ National Center for Biotechnology Information. Oct. 7, 2020. “The Global Health Security Index is not predictive of coronavirus pandemic responses among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7540886/. Accessed April 26, 2021.

⁴ Jinshan Hong, Rachel Chang and Kevin Varley. Bloomberg. April 26, 2021. “The Best and Worst Places to Be as Variants Outrace Vaccinations.” https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/. Accessed April 26, 2021.

⁵ Kenneth Kiesnoski. U.S. News & World Report. April 24, 2021. “State Department has warned against travel to 80% of the world. Here’s what you need to know.” https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/24/covid-80-percent-of-world-is-unsafe-for-travel-amid-pandemic-state-dept-warns.html. Accessed May 14, 2021.

⁶ Klaus Schwab and Saadia Zahidi. World Economic Forum. 2020. “The Global Competitiveness Report. Special Edition 2020.” http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2020.pdf. Accessed April 26, 2021.

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic retirement income strategies and should not be construed as financial advice.

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions.

Investment Advisory Services are offered by Imber Financial Group, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser firm. Insurance services are offered through Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. Imber Financial Group, LLC. and Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. are affiliated companies

Rerouting Your Summer Vacation

All is not lost. If you planned a multicity tour across Europe or Asia this summer, you’ve probably already rethought those plans. But that doesn’t mean you have to abandon the idea of a vacation altogether. Perhaps a domestic destination, a little ingenuity and a lot of family unity are just what you need.

As far as COVID-19 restrictions go, federal guidelines still do not recommend travel, especially internationally. The CDC advises that if you decide to travel domestically, be sure to take precautions against catching the virus, including washing hands often, socially distancing and wearing a mask.¹

In addition, tourism experts recommend avoiding large crowds and choosing outdoor destinations. The key may be to find destinations that fewer people know about.²

Before you go too far down the road, decide how much you can spend. If previous travel plans have been canceled, consider whether you want to use a voucher to rebook in the future or be reimbursed now.³ If you choose the latter option, you might be sitting on cash you are itching to spend. But before you do, it’s a good idea to research where the U.S. is in terms of “flattening the curve” and what the economy — and your job situation — could potentially look like in the future. Many economists are concerned about the effects a possible second wave of COVID-19 infections could have on the economy, so consider whether it’s smart to hold back some that cash you haven’t spent yet.⁴

If you are concerned about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on your retirement income, we may be able to help. Please feel free to contact us to discuss creating retirement strategies through the use of insurance products that can help you work toward your retirement income goals.

If you are up for rerouting your vacation plans, consider these ideas. On the high end of travel, an upscale hotelier, Auberge Resorts Collection, and a luxury travel company, Black Tomato, have partnered to host “Take the Open Road with Auberge and Black Tomato.” Packages offer the use of a Mercedes-Benz to take you on multiple destinations with unique experiences in a particular area, with options ranging from lobster fishing in Kennebunk, Maine, to hiking, horseback riding and fly fishing in Park City, Utah. All packages feature award-winning hotel accommodations.⁵

A more budget-friendly option could be a vacation rental. To minimize your risk of exposure to coronavirus, consider renting an all-in-one party house, complete with swimming pool and other kid-friendly accommodations. The extra expense of renting may be offset by preparing meals at home and limiting other excursions. Research to make sure that you don’t choose a “hotspot” experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak and that you’ll have access to stores, restaurants and any other venues you plan to visit.⁶

At Imber Wealth Advisors, we help people in the Ann Arbor area plan for retirement. With a strong financial plan in place, we can help you prepare to leave the workforce and live comfortably. Take control of your financialfuture and give us a call at (734) 769-1719 today!

 ¹ David Oliver. USA Today. May 20, 2020. “Weighing whether to travel this summer during the coronavirus pandemic? What to consider.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/05/20/coronavirus-travel-summer-vacation-what-cdc-state-department-say/5198927002/. Accessed June 9, 2020.

² Ibid.

³ Lisa Milbrand. Real Simple. May 14, 2020. “How to Handle Vacation Plans (Including Your Summer Vacation) During COVID-19.” https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/travel/travel-planning/travel-vacation-planning-covid-coronavirus. Accessed June 9, 2020.

⁴ Carmen Reinicke. Business Insider. June 8, 2020. “A 2nd wave of COVID-19 infections poses the biggest threat to the US economy this year, economist survey shows.” https://www.businessinsider.com/economy-biggest-threat-second-wave-coronavirus-infections-us-covid19-survey-2020-6. Accessed June 9, 2020.

⁵ Lauren Mowery. Forbes. June 9, 2020. “Four Ways You Should Hit America’s Roads This Summer With Black Tomato.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/lmowery/2020/06/09/four-road-trips-with-auberge-mercedes-and-black-tomato/#66e874be71f3. Accessed June 9, 2020.

⁶ Claire Ballentine. Bloomberg. May 21, 2020. “Considering a Vacation Rental? Here’s What to Know Before You Travel.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-21/considering-a-vacation-rental-what-to-know-before-covid-travel. Accessed June 9, 2020.

  

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic retirement income strategies and should not be construed as financial advice.

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of the desired reference.

Investment Advisory Services are offered by Imber Financial Group, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser firm. Insurance services are offered through Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. Imber Financial Group, LLC. and Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. are affiliated companies

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Inheriting a 401(k) Plan

Within the scope of an investment portfolio, the commonplace 401(k) may seem to be a simplistic account. But it’s not, especially when it comes to estate and legacy planning. The named beneficiary on the plan will inherit your 401(k) regardless of your will’s instructions. And from there, a spectrum of various choices emerge based on a plethora of different variables.

First off, you can’t name anyone other than your spouse as the beneficiary unless you get your spouse to sign off on a form that says it’s OK. This rule is designed to protect a spouse from a partner who is considering a divorce and tries to put all of his or her financial accounts under his or her own name before announcing this intention.¹

If you inherit a 401(k) from your spouse, what you decide to do with it and the subsequent tax impacts may depend largely on your age and whether or not your spouse had started taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) before he or she died. In general, you may (1) choose to leave the money in the plan and take distributions; (2) transfer the funds to an inherited IRA; or (3) transfer the money to your own IRA.²

If you are a non-spouse beneficiary of a 401(k) plan, the rules have changed recently. In late 2019, Congress passed legislation that limited a strategy called the “stretch IRA.” This strategy was particularly popular among people who had saved a substantial amount of money in their retirement accounts. It used to be that this type of beneficiary could potentially take distributions from the account throughout decades, based on the beneficiary’s age and life expectancy.³ This meant that those assets could continue growing tax-deferred indefinitely.

Now, as a result of the SECURE Act, most new non-spouse beneficiaries must fully distribute all the account’s inherited assets in 10 years or fewer after the death of the original account holder. If an account owner had previously set up a trust to be beneficiary of a qualified account prior to the SECURE Act, the new rules could lead to undesirable results. If you have such a trust as the account beneficiary, it’s important to have it reassessed to make sure the language doesn’t negatively impact the trust’s beneficiaries or create a tax disadvantage.⁴

There are more factors related to inheriting a 401(k) plan than just the recent SECURE Act provisions, including whether or not the account owner had reached the required date to start taking RMDs before death. The exact date depends on whether the account owner was still working at the company, had retired before age 70 ½ or was working at a different company.⁵

Suffice it to say that many things related to an inherited 401(k) are complex. And, while there are effective strategies, they can be complex, too. For example, you could decide to take advantage of spousal beneficiary strategies instead of naming a non-spouse. This might include the surviving spouse gifting the residual RMDs to other heirs or contributing that income to a taxable account and naming those heirs as beneficiaries upon her death, which may offer a strategic tax advantage.⁶

In short, estate and legacy planning is complicated business — even for something that seems straightforward, like a 401(k) plan. We can work with your estate planning and tax professionals to help you address these issues. 

Investment Advisory Services are offered by Imber Financial Group, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Insurance services are offered through Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. Imber Financial Group, LLC. and Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. are affiliated companies

1 Rebecca Lake. SmartAsset. Oct. 22, 2019. “A Guide to Inheriting a 401(k).” https://smartasset.com/retirement/inherited-401k. Accessed Feb. 24, 2020.

2 Ibid.

3 Greg Iacurci. CNBC. Dec. 17, 2019. “Lawmakers are killing this popular retirement tax break for the wealthy.” https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/17/lawmakers-may-kill-this-popular-retirement-tax-break-for-the-wealthy.html. Accessed Feb. 24, 2020.

4 Alessandra Malito. MarketWatch. Jan. 9, 2020. “Inheriting a parent’s IRA or 401(k)? Here’s how the Secure Act could create a disaster.” https://www.marketwatch.com/story/inheriting-a-parents-ira-or-401k-heres-how-the-secure-act-could-create-a-disaster-2019-12-26. Accessed Feb. 24, 2020.

5 Rachel L. Sheedy. Kiplinger. May 30, 2019. “Inherited 401(k)s: 6 Questions Heirs Need to Ask.” https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/retirement/T001-S004-inherited-401k-6-questions-heirs-need-to-ask/index.html. Accessed Feb. 24, 2020.

6 Rhian Horgan. Nasdaq. Jan. 30, 2020. “2 IRA Changes to Consider Right Now, Thanks to the SECURE Act.” https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/2-ira-changes-to-consider-right-now-thanks-to-the-secure-act-2020-01-30. Accessed Feb. 24, 2020.