The U.S. is in the emergent stages of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. However, we now have some experience in what this could mean moving forward, both for the health and economic impact of the U.S. and our global neighbors.

 

To continue fighting COVID-19 without shutting down schools and businesses, the Biden Administration recently announced new guidelines to help contain the virus. The initiatives include free booster shots for all adults, new quarantine and testing policies in schools, vaccination or weekly testing requirements by businesses, free at-home COVID test kits, more resources allocated to areas with hotspot flare-ups, and greater global distribution of vaccines to help stop the spread.¹

 

Regardless of where individuals stand on the debate of mandated vaccines, it is important to recognize the long-term effects of the continued spread of the virus. The stock market had a strong negative reaction after the omicron variant was identified in the U.S. If the virus continues to spread, we will continue suffering these setbacks. For many, the pandemic is less a health issue than a financial one. If you are looking for ways to shore up your investment portfolio to weather the ongoing volatility presented by COVID-19, please give us a call.

 

The following are key economic questions associated with omicron — or any new variant that develops in the future: 1) What is our capacity to prevent and contain its spread;² 2) How susceptible is it to various demographics; and 3) How will it affect our current vaccination levels and waning immunity?³

 

A recent study of the phenomenon presents a variety of possible scenarios. One positive outcome of omicron is that it motivates more people — and countries — to higher vaccination levels. If the new variant proves more easily transmitted than the delta variant, we may need to step up masking and social distancing measures; even sending workers back to working from home. If the strain proves to be vaccine-resistant, more resources will need to be dedicated to modifying messenger RNA vaccines and getting them out to the public as quickly as possible.

 

What about rising inflation? Some economists believe higher prices are directly linked to global shortages and higher demand — which would abate if omicron constrained the economy again. However, if inflation is due to monetary and fiscal stimulus policies, prices could further increase regardless of the direction of the pandemic.⁴

 

Finally, since vaccine hesitancy appears to be emanating from a lack of trust in the government, the U.S. may be jeopardized by the threat of growing civil instability. This has the potential to land us in the same high-risk category of countries that experience ongoing civil unrest and attempts to overthrow the government.⁵

 

For America’s health, safety, economic prospects and our own financial portfolios, let’s hope the issues surrounding COVID-19 do not manifest in these ways.

 

Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications.

 

¹ The White House. Dec. 2, 2021. “President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-⁠19 this Winter.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/02/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-against-the-delta-and-omicron-variants-as-we-battle-covid-19-this-winter/. Accessed Dec. 3, 2021.

² Andrew Sheets and Matthew Harrison. Morgan Stanley. Nov. 30, 2021. “Omicron Variant Causes Concern.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iJNYWeslf8. Accessed Dec. 3, 2021.

³ Mick Costigan. World Economic Forum. Nov. 30, 2021. “The Omicron variant is here – what comes next? Here are 5 possibilities.” https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/11/omicron-whats-next-5-scenarios-to-help-business-leaders-make-the-right-decisions/. Accessed Dec. 3, 2021.

⁴ Jeff Cox. CNBC. Nov. 27, 2021. “The current inflation run is similar to other episodes in history, but with important differences.” https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/27/the-current-inflation-run-is-similar-to-other-episodes-in-us-history-but-with-important-differences.html. Accessed Dec. 3, 2021.

⁵ Maneet Ahuja. Forbes. Nov. 29, 2021. “Ray Dalio Says America’s Decline Will Upend Lives, Not Just Portfolios.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/maneetahuja/2021/11/29/ray-dalio-says-americas-decline-will-upend-lives-not-just-portfolios-the-billionaire-investor-paints-a-dire-scenario-in-his-new-book/?sh=4961c9b3c4f0. Accessed Dec. 3, 2021.

 

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

 

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

American Conglomerates: Past, Present & Future

Conglomerates are parent companies that own a number of large subsidiaries. They became popular back in the 1960s with corporations like ITT, LTV and GE, to name a few. In recent years, behemoth American conglomerates have spun off, sold off and pared down.1

However, there are ways to invest in a single “parent company” for exposure to a wide range of holdings. For example, you can purchase stock in Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, which currently trades at $400,000-plus per share), a holding company that buys what it believes to be high-value companies in key industries and then improves upon them until they are high-revenue performers.2 Similarly, some hedge funds invest in distressed debt at a steep discount of companies that have filed for bankruptcy — with the anticipation that they will emerge stronger.3

Clearly, these are high-risk, high-reward opportunities, but they do offer investors the potential to buy shares in a “conglomerate” type of fund of diversified companies. If you’d like to discuss ways to take advantage of today’s conglomerate breakups, please contact us.

The newest breed of conglomerate today is dubbed Techglomerate. These consist of large, diversified tech giants such as Google, Facebook and Amazon. These powerful technology companies have scooped up many smaller startups in an effort to reduce potential competition and purchase innovations honed by entrepreneurs.4 Unfortunately, this concentration of power has created a bit of a monopoly that is not highly regulated. Without significant competition, it is difficult for the principles of capitalism to work properly — namely, keeping prices competitive.5

In the pharmaceutical industry, companies like Amgen, a biotech firm, have maintained a patent on the arthritis drug Enbrel for 37 years — 17 years past the standard patent term. Through a series of intellectual property protection filings, the company has earned more than $70 billion from sales of this one drug — a practice that contributes to the high price of pharmaceuticals.6

Just recently, Congress introduced the Platform Competition and Opportunity Act, a bill that would restrict acquisitions in digital markets that eliminate competition and enhance monopolies.7

In lieu of legislated regulation, another option is for conglomerates to break up of their own volition. For example, Johnson & Johnson and General Electric recently announced plans to split their conglomerates into separate companies designated by industry. These recent breakups tend to enhance stock prices, which is a positive sign that this may be a better strategy than awaiting legislative measures. And while diversification can help large companies weather volatile swings across a variety of industries, this new trend recognizes that divestiture may create better value. Recent data has shown that splintering into smaller companies offers the potential for superior operational performance and higher returns.8

  

1 Greg Rosalsky. NPR. Nov. 23, 2021. “The Conglomerate Paradox: As GE splinters, Facebook becomes Meta.” https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/11/23/1057446470/the-conglomerate-paradox-as-ge-splinters-facebook-becomes-meta. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

2 Greg McFarlane. Investopedia. May 5, 2021. “How Warren Buffett Made Berkshire Hathaway a Winner.” https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/041714/how-warren-buffett-made-berkshire-hathaway-worldbeater.asp. Accessed Nov. 30, 2021.

3 Rebecca Baldridge. Investopedia. Jan. 30, 2021. “Why Hedge Funds Love Investing in Distressed Debt.” https://www.investopedia.com/articles/bonds/08/distressed-debt-hedge-fund.asp. Accessed Nov. 30, 2021.

4 Greg Rosalsky. NPR. Nov. 23, 2021. “The Conglomerate Paradox: As GE splinters, Facebook becomes Meta.” https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/11/23/1057446470/the-conglomerate-paradox-as-ge-splinters-facebook-becomes-meta. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

5 Jennifer Ryan. Bloomberg. Nov. 9, 2021. “Big Tech’s ‘Natural Monopoly’ Tough to Self-Regulate, Malone Says.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-09/malone-says-big-tech-s-natural-monopoly-tough-to-self-regulate. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

6 Jonathan Gardner. Biopharmadive. Nov. 1, 2021. “A three-decade monopoly: How Amgen built a patent thicket around its top-selling drug.” https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/amgen-enbrel-patent-thicket-monopoly-biosimilar/609042/. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

7 Dave Kovaleski. Financial Regulation News. Nov. 10, 2021. “Sens. Klobuchar, Cotton introduce bill to halt monopolies among online platforms.” https://financialregnews.com/sens-klobuchar-cotton-introduce-bill-to-halt-monopolies-among-online-platforms/. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

8 Knowledge@Wharton. Nov. 16, 2021. “The Breakup of GE and J&J: The End of the Conglomerate?” https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-breakup-of-ge-and-jj-the-end-of-the-conglomerate/. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

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

Roth vs. Traditional IRA: Retirement & Estate Planning Advantages

It would be nice if the Roth IRA had been around long as the traditional IRA. Imagine the long-term benefits of tax-free growth throughout a 40-year career. Annual contribution limits for IRAs are relatively low ($6,000; $7,000 for 50-plus), but the Roth is a good complement for investors who also contribute to an employer-based retirement plan. While 401(k) contributions are made from tax-deferred income, Roth contributions are derived from previously taxed income. Both vehicles are permitted to grow without taxes on earnings; however, in retirement, you don’t have to pay any taxes on Roth distributions, whereas all 401(k) distributions are taxed at your then-regular income tax rate.1

That tax bite during retirement can feel pretty punishing when you’re on a fixed income. It’s one reason why the Roth has an edge over the traditional IRA — which also taxes distributions in retirement. One of the key strategies that has emerged in the Roth IRA era is tax diversification in retirement: Try to invest in such a way that not all your income is taxable. This can help avoid taxes on Social Security benefits and keep you from having to pay higher Medicare premiums.2

Everyone has different circumstances, and you should build your financial portfolio to reflect your needs and objectives. Since the total amount you can contribute to an IRA each year — traditional, Roth or a combination — is limited, it’s typically a good idea to pick one that best meets your needs. Another viable strategy for reducing taxes in retirement is later converting a traditional or rollover IRA to a Roth. Investors also should consider the advantages of both versions for estate planning purposes. If you have any questions, or would like help developing a long-term IRA strategy, please contact us.

Distributions from a Roth IRA can increase your income during retirement since qualified withdrawals are not taxed. Moreover, if an investor doesn’t need to use his Roth funds during retirement, those assets and all potential tax-free earnings they generate can be left tax-free to heirs. Whatever amount he passes on can continue growing tax-deferred and eventually be withdrawn tax free. Note that non-spouse beneficiaries of a Roth will need to take full distribution within 10 years of inheriting the money. However, when beneficiaries have the discipline to leave that money in the inherited Roth for the full 10 years, it can continue to grow for an even larger inheritance with no tax consequences.3

By contrast, traditional IRA distributions to heirs are considered taxable income in the year(s) withdrawn.4 So don’t just think about reducing your own taxes with a Roth; consider its tax-free advantage for your heirs.

Be aware that you can contribute only earned income to an IRA. That precludes Social Security and pension income, dividends, etc. You may continue to contribute throughout retirement as long as you’re earning some income — and may only contribute up to amounts earned, subject to the contribution limits. Also bear in mind that there are income limits for making Roth IRA contributions. Single tax filers must earn less than $140,000 (in 2021); the married and file jointly income limit is 208,000.5

In a Roth conversion, you can move money from a 401(k) into a Roth IRA, converting all or a portion of assets throughout time, but there are considerations. For example, you’ll have to pay taxes on the money you move in the year it’s converted. That’s a good reason to only move a portion at a time; try not to tip your reported income into a higher tax bracket each year. If you conduct the conversion once you’re retired, your taxable rate will be lower.

However, Roth funds are subject to a five-year rule. If you convert 401(k) funds to a Roth you’ve already owned for five years or more, you can go ahead and use that money. But, if you must open a new Roth to make the conversion, you must wait five years before you can tap that account, or funds tapped will be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty.6

If you are considering a Roth conversion for any retirement account funds, remember that income tax rates are relatively low right now. If there are any changes in the near future, rates are more likely to go up than down. That’s a good reason to start a conversion now if you and your advisor believe that’s a good strategy for your situation, especially if you plan to roll over funds gradually throughout several years.7

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 Dayana Yochim and Andrea Coombes. NerdWallet. April 28, 2021. “Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA.” https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/roth-or-traditional-ira-account. Accessed July 21, 2021.

2 Phil Lubinski. ThinkAdvisor. June 10, 2021. “6 Ways to Help Clients Avoid Medicare’s IRMAA Surcharges in Retirement.” https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2021/06/10/6-ways-to-help-clients-avoid-medicares-irmaa-surcharges-in-retirement/. June 23, 2021.

3 T. Rowe Price. Summer 2021. “The Simple Move That Has Significant Advantages.” https://www.troweprice.com/content/dam/iinvestor/planning-and-research/Insights/investor-magazine.pdf. Accessed June 23, 2021.

4 Dayana Yochim and Andrea Coombes. NerdWallet. March 17, 2021. “Inherited IRA: How It Works & Distribution Rules for Beneficiaries.” https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/roth-or-traditional-ira-account. Accessed July 21, 2021.

5 Charles Schwab. 2021. “2020-2021 Roth IRA Contribution Limits.” https://www.schwab.com/ira/roth-ira/contribution-limits. Accessed June 23, 2021.

6 Cathy Pareto. Investopedia. April 9, 2021. “Must-Know Rules for Converting a 401(k) to a Roth IRA.” https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/08/convert-401k-roth.asp. Accessed June 23, 2021.

7 Sarah O’Brien. CNBC. May 20, 2021. “These strategies can reduce the taxes you will pay on retirement accounts.” https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/20/these-plans-can-reduce-how-much-tax-you-will-pay-on-retirement-account.html. Accessed June 23, 2021.

Please remember that converting an employer plan account to a Roth IRA is a taxable event. Increased taxable income from the Roth IRA conversion may have several consequences, including (but not limited to) a need for additional tax withholding or estimated tax payments, the loss of certain tax deductions and credits, and higher taxes on Social Security benefits and higher Medicare premiums. Be sure to consult with a qualified tax advisor before making any decisions regarding your IRA. It is generally preferable that you have funds to pay the taxes due upon conversion from funds outside of your IRA. If you elect to take a distribution from your IRA to pay the conversion taxes, please keep in mind the potential consequences, such as an assessment of product surrender charges or additional IRS penalties for premature distributions. We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. All investments are subject to risk, including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

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

x

Putting Inflation Expectations in Persepective

Historically, inflation has been highly correlated with unemployment levels. When more people were out of a job, inflation was lower. As more people got jobs, inflation increased. From an economic point of view, this makes sense. Jobs increase income, which increases spending, which increases demand — supplies drop and prices rise. The opposite is true when fewer people hold jobs.¹

That’s one thing that makes economic policy so difficult to set. It requires a careful balance of cause and effect, keeping in mind that what’s good for some portions of the population is bad for others. During periods of rising inflation, it’s important to monitor how it might affect us personally, from buying household goods to managing a portfolio. While economists are keeping an eye on the direction and momentum of rising inflation now, you may want to consider adding inflation-protection measures to your investment portfolio at some point. Contact us if you’d like to learn more about allocations to treasury inflation-protected securities (known as TIPS), real-estate investment trusts or commodities to help hedge the effect of rising inflation.²

In April, the inflation rate grew to 4.2%, which drove speculation that the Federal Reserve might reconsider its current stance on interest rates and monetary policy. The consumer price index (CPI) rose significantly for used cars and trucks, food, housing, airline fares, recreation, motor vehicle insurance, household furnishings and operations.

Currently, the federal funds target rate (which serves as the benchmark for bank interest rates) ranges from 0 to 0.25%. Previously, the Fed indicated that it expects to maintain a near-zero interest rate through 2023. The central bank targets an average inflation rate of 2 percent throughout time, so it appears not particularly concerned with the recent spike. In recent comments, Fed chairman Jerome Powell noted that the committee was monitoring “a broad range of financial conditions,” rather than focusing on addressing just one.³

Besides, Fed officials expected inflation to increase as the U.S. economy reopened. The surge in prices is expected to be temporary, as it is simply a matter of a supply crunch after months of pent-up demand. It’s normal that prices for hotel rooms, rental cars, used vehicles, sporting events and restaurants will go back to their pre-pandemic levels. Once jobs, consumerism and inflation reach a level of normalization, the Fed will consider whether it needs to raise the target federal funds rate.⁴

In terms of the investment market response, CNBC’s Jim Cramer observed that people expected high inflation due to stimulus and jobs numbers. As a result, when the numbers were announced the market didn’t panic – thus far it has taken the high inflation number in stride. Cramer went on to note that raising interest rates won’t solve all the problems that occurred last year. In many cases, only time can resolve them.⁵

Likewise, time may resolve the current labor shortage, as restaurants and hotels struggle to find enough workers to fill open jobs. Additionally, the current strong economy could solve for the national minimum wage debate without the need to pass new legislation. For example, retailers Amazon, Costco and Target have all voluntarily increased wages to $15/hr or more to meet demand. This strategy follows the traditional economic principle of supply and demand, in which the only way to stay competitive in the labor market is to increase wages. After all, workers have to keep up with the rising costs of housing, childcare, food and transportation.

Speaking of childcare, after decades of working mothers in the labor market, it will be interesting to see if the rising economy also can address the problem of childcare. During the pandemic, more women than men left their jobs to stay home with children sidelined from schools and childcare centers. This phenomenon may continue until employers — or legislators — come up with a solution. It will be difficult for the American economy to advance while there are millions of unemployed women staying home because of trouble securing child care.

The pandemic also convinced twice the number of Baby Boomers to retire than the previous year. Raising wages and providing more childcare resources, paid parental leave and paid vacation time may be the only way to woo more people back into the labor force.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 Greg Depersio. Investopedia. Aug. 22, 2020. “What happens when inflation and unemployment are positively correlated?” https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/040715/what-happens-when-inflation-and-unemployment-are-positively-correlated.asp. Accessed June 11, 2021.

² Greg Iacurci. CNBC. June 8, 2021. “Gold as an inflation hedge? History suggests otherwise.” https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/08/gold-as-an-inflation-hedge-history-suggests-otherwise.html. Accessed June 11, 2021.

³ Knowledge@Wharton. June 1, 2021. “Inflation: What Lies Ahead?” https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/inflation-what-lies-ahead/. Accessed June 12, 2021.

⁴ Patti Domm. CNBC. June 11, 2021. “Inflation is hotter than expected, but it looks temporary and likely won’t affect Fed policy yet.” https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/10/inflation-hotter-than-expected-but-transitory-wont-affect-fed-policy.html. Accessed June 11, 2021.

⁵ Tyler Clifford. CNBC. June 10, 2021. “Jim Cramer reacts to red-hot inflation number: ‘The market took it in stride’.” https://www.cnbc.com/video/2021/06/10/jim-cramer-reacts-to-inflation-report-the-market-took-it-in-stride.html. Accessed June 11, 2021.

⁶ Sarah Hansen. Forbes. May 15, 2021. “Could Covid-19 Worker Shortages Create A $15 Minimum Wage—Even Without A New Law?” https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2021/05/15/could-covid-19-worker-shortages-create-a-15-minimum-wage-even-without-a-new-law/?sh=1ae0db234929. Accessed June 11, 2021.

 

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. 

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

 

 

Retirement Withdrawal Strategies

As hard as retirement saving and investing may seem, that’s the easy part. The real challenge is figuring out how to make your accumulated savings last throughout your and your spouse’s retirements. You need a strategy, and it’s best to have that strategy developed before retirement begins.

Because life expectancy is longer these days, many retirees need to maintain a growth component in their investment portfolio during retirement. That adds an extra challenge to your distribution strategy. The goals for drawing down funds include minimizing market risk to an equity allocation, coping with variable income that may be impacted by market returns, minimizing taxes, and supporting an increase in income needs associated with late-stage medical and long term care. It’s important to understand how these goals and needs interact to customize a retirement distribution strategy, and we can help you with that. Contact us to learn more.

Given that an investment portfolio may need to keep growing even after you retire, it’s important to consider “sequence of returns” risk. This basically means that if you retire around the time of a significant market decline, you can greatly deplete the principal from which you draw retirement income throughout the long term, subsequently having to reduce your retirement lifestyle or risk running out of money. To combat this risk, retirees should remain flexible. For example, continue to work past your planned retirement date if the market has a setback, or even re-enter the workforce post-retirement to help supplement your income and give investments time recover.¹

Once you retire, you can set up a systematic withdrawal plan if you need to supplement your regular household income. If your retirement plan indicates you’ll need more money at different stages, consider the bucket strategy, wherein you allocate certain investments (“buckets”) for different stages so you have new assets to tap as you age. This strategy may also enable you to retain a more aggressive equity allocation in buckets you plan to tap later.²

To help minimize taxes in a retirement portfolio, alternatives could be to first withdraw from taxable assets (e.g., brokerage account), then tax-deferred plans (e.g., 401(k) and traditional IRA) and finally tax-free assets (e.g., Roth IRA). This approach gives your tax-advantaged accounts more time to grow tax-deferred. By planning to tap tax-free assets last, there’s a better chance of leaving tax-free income for your heirs.

However, it’s important to tailor your draw-down strategy for your personal circumstances, taking into account your retirement tax bracket. For example, a moderate-income household with multiple account types may want to draw a combination of tax-free, taxable and tax-deferred assets from the beginning to stay within a lower marginal tax bracket.³

It’s also important to consider the best time to start receiving Social Security benefits. Here, too, conventional wisdom recommends delaying as long as possible; preferably to age 70 for maximum accrual. Wayne Pfau, co-director of the New York Life Center for Retirement Income, would like to see the Social Security Administration extend the age to which additional delayed retirement credits (8% a year starting at full retirement age) accrue on benefits until age 72. This would be an effective way to encourage people to work longer and reward them for doing so. Even if they don’t work longer, investors can draw down income from their taxable accounts to reduce the value of their employer accounts and IRAs. Then, when they do begin drawing their larger Social Security benefit for life, they also benefit from lower required minimum distributions (RMD) to help them stay in a lower income tax bracket.⁴

The key is to customize a retirement distribution strategy for each household’s situation, taking into consideration factors such as health and life expectancy (of both spouses), retirement income needs, where assets are invested, tax bracket management and what assets are best positioned for an inheritance.

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 BlackRock. 2021. “Will my income last a lifetime?” https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/insights/retirement-income. Accessed June 4, 2021.

² Curtis V. Cloke. Retirement InSight and Trends. May 4, 2021. “Advanced Annuity and Tax Strategies for Retirement Income.” https://www.retirement-insight.com/advanced-annuity-and-tax-strategies-for-retirement-income/. Accessed June 4, 2021.

³ T. Rowe Price. February 2021. “How to Get More Out of Your Retirement Account Withdrawals.” https://www.troweprice.com/content/dam/iinvestor/resources/insights/pdfs/how-to-get-more-out-your-retirement-account-withdrawals.pdf. Accessed June 4, 2021.

⁴ Ginger Szala. ThinkAdvisor. May 6, 2021. “Wade Pfau Makes Case for Raising Top Social Security Claiming Age to 72.” https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2021/05/06/wade-pfau-makes-case-for-raising-top-social-security-claiming-age-to-72/. Accessed July 7, 2021.

 

Neither the firm nor its agents or representatives may give tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult with a qualified professional for guidance before making any purchasing decisions. We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

 

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

 

 

Demographics Differing on Retirement Plans

According to PwC’s recent Retirement in America report, the median retirement savings among people ages 55 to 64 is $120,000. Unfortunately, that likely would provide less than $1,000 per month for a retiree, for only 15 years.¹

There’s an interesting dichotomy among demographics when it comes to retirement planning these days. There are those who believe they will work beyond age 70, or even never retire. Some believe they’ll need to keep working for financial reasons, while others simply want to stay engaged.² But then there’s another cohort (one-third of workers younger than 54) who aspire to retire by age 55, according to a 2020 survey by the research firm Hearts & Wallets.³

Clearly, the pandemic affected some households’ financial situation more than others. But the primary way to successfully fund retirement is to have a plan, and those who want to retire early generally do. Those who think they’ll never be able to stop working may have either failed to plan adequately or circumstances conspired to send those plans awry. Wherever you are in your planning stage, it never hurts to get advice. We’d be happy to review your current finances — and your retirement plan if you already have one — to either get you on track or ensure you’re still on the right path to retiring when and how you want.

Bear in mind that approximately 40 million people do not have the advantage of investing in an employer-sponsored retirement plan because they work for a small business. There appears to be a growing trend to address this situation, as multi-employer and pooled-employer plans (MEP/ PEP) are starting to come on board. These plans are designed to allow small employers to share investment and administrative costs.⁴

A 2019 survey of retirement plan participants by American Century Investments found that the number one regret among retirees was not saving enough money for retirement. Not saving enough could lead to working longer than you wanted or scaling back to a lower-cost retirement lifestyle.⁵ 

For current retirees or those expecting to retire soon, recognize that the recent rise in inflation is not without its advantages. For example, in April the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased to 4.7% over 12 months ago. This inflation measure is the one that Social Security uses to make annual cost of living adjustments (COLA) to benefits — which means the next COLA increase could reflect that 4.7% increase next year. For context, Social Security benefits rose by only 1.3% in 2021. The actual adjustment will be calculated later this year based on how inflation continues to perform, with the final determination generally announced after the third quarter.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! 

 

Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications.

 

¹ PwC. 2021. “Retirement in America: Time to rethink and retool.” https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/asset-wealth-management/library/retirement-in-america.html. Accessed June 15, 2021.

² American Advisors Group. May 6, 2021. “Nearly One in Three Seniors Plan to Work Past 70 or Never Retire, According to AAG Survey.” https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nearly-one-in-three-seniors-plan-to-work-past-70-or-never-retire-according-to-aag-survey-301285256.html. Accessed May 31, 2021.

³ Hearts & Wallets. March 16, 2021. “Retirement Resurgence: Americans Who ‘Aspire to Retire by 55;’ Anticipation of Increasing Number of Income Sources.” https://www.heartsandwallets.com/docs/press/press_release_2021-03-16_Retirement_Resurgence_Americans_Who_Aspire_to_Retire_by_55_Goal_More_Income_Sources.pdf. Accessed June 15, 2021.

⁴ Stephen Miller, CEBS. Nov. 16, 2020. “DOL Final Rule Paves the Way for 2021 Launch of Pooled 401(k) Plans.” https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/dol-final-rule-paves-way-for-2021-launch-of-pooled-401k-plans.aspx. Accessed June 29, 2021.

⁵ Brian Mayfield. American Century Investments. 2021. “4 Reasons to Rethink Cashing Out Your Retirement.” https://www.americancentury.com/content/direct/en/insights/guidance-planning/retirement/saving-for-retirement/rollover-options/cashing-out-retirement-401k-ira-four-considerations.html. Accessed May 31, 2021.

⁶ David Payne. Kiplinger. June 28, 2021. “What is the Social Security COLA?” https://www.kiplinger.com/article/retirement/t051-c000-s010-what-is-the-social-security-cola.html. Accessed June 29, 2021.

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

 

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