Volatility Is Not Risk

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The two should not be confused.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

What is risk? To the conservative investor, risk is a negative. To the opportunistic investor, risk is a factor to tolerate and accept.

Whatever the perception of risk, it should not be confused with volatility. That confusion occurs much too frequently.

Volatility can be considered a measurement of risk, but it is not risk itself. Many investors and academics measure investment risk in terms of beta; that is, in terms of an investment’s ups and downs in relation to a market sector or the entirety of the market.

If you want to measure volatility from a very wide angle, you can examine standard deviation for the S&P 500. The total return of this broad benchmark averaged 10.1% during 1926-2015, and there was a standard deviation of 20.1 from that average total return during those 90 market years.1

What does that mean? It means that if you add or subtract 20.1 from 10.1, you get the range of total return that could be expected from the S&P two-thirds of the time during the period from 1926-2015. That is quite a variance, indicating that investors should be ready for anything when investing in equities. During 1926-2015, there was a 67% chance that the S&P could return anywhere from a 30.2% yearly gain to a 10.1% yearly loss. (Again, this is total return with dividends included.)1

Just recently, there were years in which the S&P’s total return fell outside of that wide range. In 2013, the index’s total return was +32.39%. In 2008, its total return was -37.00%.2

When statisticians measure the volatility of major indices like the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, or Dow Jones Industrial Average, they are measuring market risk. Trying to measure investment risk is another matter.

You can argue that investment risk is not measureable. How can investors measure the probability of a loss when they invest? Even after they sell an investment, can they go back and calculate what their risk was at the time they bought it? They only know if they made money or not. Profit or loss says nothing about risk exposure.

Most experienced investors do not fear volatility. Instead, they fear loss. They think of “risk” as their potential for unrecoverable loss.

In reality, most apparent “losses” may be recoverable given enough time. True unrecoverable losses occur in one of two ways. One, an investor sells the investment for less than what he or she paid for it. Two, some kind of irrevocable change happens, either to the investment itself or to the sector to which the investment belongs. For example, a company goes totally out of business and leaves investors with worthless securities. Or, an innovation transforms an industry so profoundly that it renders what was once a leading-edge company an afterthought.

Accepting risk means accepting the possibilities of equity investing. The range of possibilities for investment performance and market performance is vast. History has shown that to be true, history being all we have to look at. It fails to tell us anything about the negative (or positive) disruptions that could come out of nowhere to upend our assumptions. A “black swan” (terrorism, a virus, an environmental crisis, a quick evaporation of investor confidence) is always a possibility. Next year, the performance of this or that sector or the small caps or blue chips could be spectacular. It could also be dismal. It could certainly fall in between those extremes. There is no way to calculate it or estimate it in advance. For the equities investor, the future is always a flashing question mark, regardless of what history tells or pundits predict.

Diversification helps investors cope with volatility & risk. Spreading assets across various investment classes may reduce a portfolio’s concentration in a hot sector, but it also lessens the possibility of a portfolio being overweighted in a cold one.

Volatility is a statistical expression of market risk, constantly measured. Volatility, however, should not be confused with risk itself.

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities

Citations.
1 – fc.standardandpoors.com/sites/client/generic/axa/axa4/Article.vm?topic=5991&siteContent=8088 [3/31/16]
2 – ycharts.com/indicators/sandp_500_total_return_annual [3/31/16]

Saving for College and Retirement

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Tips on trying to meet two great financial goals at once.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

Saving for retirement is a must. Saving for college is certainly a priority. How do you do both at once?

Saving for retirement should always come first. After all, retirees cannot apply for financial aid; college students can. That said, there are ways to try and accomplish both objectives within the big picture of your financial strategy.

As a first step, whittle down household debt. True, some debts are not easily reduced, and some are worth assuming, but many are byproducts of our wants rather than our needs. NerdWallet, a personal finance website, notes that the average U.S. household now carries credit card debt of more than $15,000. Less revolving consumer debt means more money available to potentially direct toward a retirement fund and a college fund.1

See if your children have a chance to qualify for need-based financial aid. Impossible, you say? You may be surprised. You can have one million dollars in your IRA or your workplace retirement plan and not impact your child’s potential for need-based financial aid one iota. That is because those retirement accounts are not considered parental assets in the calculation of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) that factors into determining a student’s need.2

That “need” is determined through a basic equation: the cost to attend the school minus the EFC equals the financial need of the student. So, in theory, the lower you can keep your EFC, the more need-based financial assistance your student deserves.2

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and College Board CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE use slightly different calculation methods to determine the EFC. Both student and parental assets factor into the calculation. What usually counts most is the income of the parent(s), minus some taxes, tax deductions, and allowances. Capital gains from investment accounts can qualify as “parent income,” and so can Roth and traditional IRA distributions.2,3

Money held inside a qualified retirement plan, though, is not included in need analysis formulas. Life insurance cash values rarely count. Most Coverdell ESAs and UGMA and UTMA accounts represent assets owned by the child, and child assets receive 20% weighting in EFC calculations (parental income receives up to 47% weighting). Parental assets, as opposed to parental income, are weighted at no more than 5.64% yearly. Cash and brokerage accounts are considered parental assets; so are student-owned 529 plans. Even real estate investments can be defined as parental assets.3,4

The CSS PROFILE form does inquire about retirement account values and life insurance cash values, but they are not factored into the EFC calculation. They may be considered if a college financial aid officer needs to make an assessment of the overall financial health of a household pursuant to a financial aid decision.2

What if your kids have little or no chance to receive financial aid? Then scholarships and grants represent the primary routes to easing the tuition burden. So save for retirement as well as you can and save for college in a way that promotes the best after-tax return on your investment.

Feel free to max out your workplace retirement plan contribution (and get the match from your employer). If you do so, the impact on your child’s eligibility for college aid would be negligible. If you have a Roth IRA or permanent life insurance policy, think about the ways they can be used in college planning as well as retirement and estate planning. You may be able to tap a life insurance policy’s cash value to pay some college costs, and distributions from a Roth IRA occurring before age 59½ are exempt from the standard 10% early withdrawal penalty if they are used for qualified educational expenses.5

Even if your household is high-income, look at the American Opportunity Tax Credit. The AOTC is a federal tax credit of up to $2,500 per year that can be applied toward qualified higher education expenses. It is better than a federal tax deduction, as it lowers your federal income tax dollar-for-dollar. If you are married and you and your spouse file jointly, you are eligible to claim the AOTC if your modified adjusted gross incomes total $180,000 or less. If you are a single filer, you are eligible if your modified adjusted gross income is $90,000 or less. Phase-out ranges do kick in at $160,000 for joint filers and $80,000 for single filers.6

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities

Citations.
1 – dailyfinance.com/2016/03/23/8-financial-decisions-youll-regret-forever/ [3/23/16]
2 – forbes.com/sites/troyonink/2016/02/29/balancing-act-strategically-saving-for-college-and-retirement/ [2/29/16]
3 – money.usnews.com/money/blogs/the-smarter-mutual-fund-investor/articles/2016-03-18/strategies-to-maximize-college-savings-and-financial-aid [3/18/16]
4 – finaid.org/savings/accountownership.phtml [4/6/16]
5 – irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/Plan-Participant,-Employee/Retirement-Topics-Tax-on-Early-Distributions [2/22/16]
6 – irs.gov/Individuals/AOTC [12/8/15]

Wisdom from Warren Buffett

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One of the world’s most heralded investors simply keeps calm and carries on.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

If you ask someone who the “world’s greatest investor” is, the answer more often than not may be “Warren Buffett.” That honor has never formally been awarded to him, and many other names might be in the running for that hypothetical title, but one thing is certain: the “Oracle of Omaha” is greatly admired in investing circles.

Warren Buffett is often a voice of reason in volatile times. Through the years, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO has dispensed many nuggets of investing wisdom. Like Ben Franklin’s aphorisms in Poor Richard’s Almanac, they are grounded in common sense and memorable. Here are some particularly good ones, culled from recent articles posted at Bloomberg, TheStreet, and Zacks Investment Research:

“The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect. You need a temperament that neither derives great pleasure from being with the crowd or against the crowd.”1

“Games are won by players who focus on the playing field — not by those whose eyes are glued to the scoreboard. If you can enjoy Saturdays and Sundays without looking at stock prices, give it a try on weekdays.”2

“If you aren’t thinking about owning a stock for 10 years, don’t even think about owning it for 10 minutes.”1

“The key to investing is not assessing how much an industry is going to affect society, or how much it will grow, but rather determining the competitive advantage of any given company and, above all, the durability of that advantage.”1

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”1

“The cemetery for seers has a huge section set aside for macro forecasters.”2

“A business with terrific economics can be a bad investment if it is bought at too high a price.”3

“Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.”1

Buffett’s clarity and candor stand out in a financial world marked by jargon. Some of the quotes above are from his annual letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, and show his genius for distilling investment lessons into plain English.

A classic value investor (if not a strict one), Buffett is also a great optimist. He has never stopped being bullish on America. “America is great now. It’s never been better,” Buffett told the audience at Fortune Magazine’s 2015 Most Powerful Women summit. “The stock market does wonderfully over time because American business does wonderfully over time.” He remains bullish on China, as well; he thinks Chinese stock benchmarks will sustain their momentum at least through 2017 because businesses and consumers in China have “found a way to unlock their potential.”4,5

Buffett’s blend of optimism and pragmatism have helped make him the world’s third-richest person, and the average investor might do very well to keep some of his maxims in mind, day after day.5

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities

Citations.
1 – zacks.com/stock/news/181853/15-memorable-investing-quotes-from-warren-buffett [7/15/15]
2 – bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-24/here-s-what-buffett-wouldn-t-do-and-maybe-you-shouldn-t-either [2/24/16]
3 – thestreet.com/story/13494470/1/3-new-warren-buffett-quotes-you-can-t-live-without.html [3/20/16]
4 – fortune.com/2015/10/16/why-the-most-powerful-women-and-warren-buffett-are-bullish-on-the-economy/ [10/16/15]
5 – globaltimes.cn/content/919951.shtml [5/4/15]

How Can You Make Your Retirement Money Last?

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These spending and investing precepts may encourage its longevity.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

All retirees want their money to last a lifetime. There is no guarantee it will, but, in pursuit of that goal, households may want to adopt a couple of spending and investing precepts.

One precept: observing the 4% rule. This classic retirement planning principle works as follows: a retiree household withdraws 4% of its amassed retirement savings in year one of retirement, and withdraws 4% plus a little more every year thereafter – that is, the annual withdrawals are gradually adjusted upward from the base 4% amount in response to inflation.

The 4% rule was first formulated back in the 1990s by an influential financial planner named William Bengen. He was trying to figure out the “safest” withdrawal rate for a retiree; one that could theoretically allow his or her savings to hold up for 30 years given certain conditions (more about those conditions in a moment). Bengen ran various 30-year scenarios using different withdrawal rates in relation to historical market returns, and concluded that a 4% withdrawal rate (adjusted incrementally for inflation) made the most sense.1

For the 4% rule to “work,” two fundamental conditions must be met. One, the retiree has to invest in a way that will allow his or her retirement savings to grow along with inflation. Two, there must not be a sideways or bear market occurring.1

As sideways and bear markets have not been the historical norm, following the 4% rule could be wise indeed in a favorable market climate. Michael Kitces, another influential financial planner, has noted that, historically, a retiree strictly observing the 4% rule would have doubled his or her starting principal at the end of 30 years more than two-thirds of the time.1

In today’s low-yield environment, the 4% rule has its critics. They argue that a 3% withdrawal rate gives a retiree a better prospect for sustaining invested assets over 30 years. In addition, retiree households are not always able to strictly follow a 3% or 4% withdrawal rate. Dividends and Required Minimum Distributions may effectively increase the yearly withdrawal. Retirees should review their income sources and income prospects with the help of a financial professional to determine what withdrawal percentage is appropriate given their particular income needs and their need for long-term financial stability.

Another precept: adopting a “bucketing” approach. In this strategy, a retiree household assigns one-third of its savings to equities, one-third of its savings to fixed-income investments, and another third of its savings to cash. Each of these “buckets” has a different function.

The cash bucket is simply an emergency fund stocked with money that represents the equivalent of 2-3 years of income the household does not receive as a result of pensions or similarly scheduled payouts. In other words, if a couple gets $35,000 a year from Social Security and needs $55,000 a year to live comfortably, the cash bucket should hold $40,000-60,000.

The household replenishes the cash bucket over time with investment returns from the equities and fixed-income buckets. Overall, the household should invest with the priority of growing its money; though the investment approach could tilt conservative if the individual or couple has little tolerance for risk.

Since growth investing is an objective of the bucket approach, equity investments are bought and held. Examining history, that is not a bad idea: the S&P 500 has never returned negative over a 15-year period. In fact, it would have returned 6.5% for a hypothetical buy-and-hold investor across its worst 15-year stretch in recent memory – the 15 years ending in March 2009, when it bottomed out in the last bear market.2

Assets in the fixed-income bucket may be invested as conservatively as the household wishes. Some fixed-income investments are more conservative than others – which is to say, some are less affected by fluctuations in interest rates and Wall Street turbulence than others. While the most conservative, fixed-income investments are currently yielding very little, they may yield more in the future as interest rates presumably continue to rise.

There has been great concern over what rising interest rates will do to this investment class, but, if history is any guide, short-term pain may be alleviated by ultimately greater yields. Last December, Vanguard Group projected that, if the Federal Reserve gradually raised the benchmark interest rate to 2.0% across the three-and-a-half years ending in July 2019, a typical investment fund containing intermediate-term fixed-income securities would suffer a -0.15% total return for 2016, but return positively in the following years.3

Avoid overspending and invest with growth in mind. That is the basic message from all this, and, while following that simple instruction is not guaranteed to make your retirement savings last a lifetime, it may help you to sustain those savings for the long run.

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities

Citations.
1 – money.cnn.com/2016/04/20/retirement/retirement-4-rule/ [4/20/16]
2 – time.com/money/4161045/retirement-income/ [5/22/16]
3 – tinyurl.com/hjfggnp [12/2/15]

How Can LTC Insurance Help You Protect Your Assets?

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Plan to create a pool of healthcare dollars that you can use when the time comes.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

How will you pay for long-term care? At the moment, you may not be able to answer that question – but long-term care insurance can provide an answer for you.

Why are baby boomers opting to make long-term care coverage an important part of their retirement strategies? The reasons to get an LTC policy at or after age 50 are very compelling.

Your premium payments buy you access to a large pool of money which can be used to pay for long-term care costs. By paying for LTC out of that pool of money, you can help to preserve your retirement savings and income.

The cost of assisted living or nursing home care alone could motivate you to pay for an LTC policy. Genworth Financial conducts a respected annual Cost of Care Survey to gauge the price of long-term care in the U.S. Here is some data from the latest edition:

*In 2016, the median monthly cost of a private room in a nursing home is $7,698. The median monthly cost of a semi-private room is $6,844, 2.27% greater than Genworth’s 2015 estimate.
*How about the median monthly cost of an assisted living facility? That currently comes to $3,628. Thankfully, that has increased only 0.8% from last year.
*The median monthly cost of an in-home health aide (44 hours per week) is $3,861. Across the past five years, that median cost has risen 6.6%.1

When you multiply these monthly cost estimates, the math gets downright scary. Can you imagine taking $45-90K out of your retirement savings to pay for a year of these expenses? What if you have to do it for more than one year?

The Department of Health & Human Services estimates that if you are 65 today, you have about a 70% chance of needing some form of LTC during the balance of your life. About 20% of those who will require it will need LTC for at least five years. Today, the average woman in need of LTC needs it for 3.7 years, while the average man needs it for 2.2 years.2

Why procrastinate? The earlier you opt for LTC coverage, the cheaper the premiums. This is why many people purchase it before they retire.

What it pays for. Some people think LTC coverage only pays for nursing home care. It can actually pay for a variety of nursing, social, and rehabilitative services at home and away from home, for people with a chronic illness or disability. For example, it can fund home health care, care in a group living facility, and adult daycare.3

Choosing a DBA. That stands for Daily Benefit Amount – the maximum amount that your LTC plan will pay per day for care in a nursing home facility. You can choose a Daily Benefit Amount when you pay for your LTC coverage, and you can also choose the length of time that you may receive the full DBA on a daily basis. The DBA typically ranges from a few dozen dollars to hundreds of dollars. Some LTC plans offer you “inflation protection” at enrollment. That means that every few years, you will have the chance to buy additional coverage and get compounding – so your pool of money can grow.

The Medicare misconception. Medicare is not long-term care insurance. At most, it will pay for 100 days of nursing home care, and only if 1) you are getting skilled care, and 2) you go into the nursing home right after a hospital stay of at least 3 days. Medicare also covers limited home visits for skilled care, and some hospice services for the terminally ill. That’s all.4

In some cases, Medicaid might help you pay for nursing home and assisted living care, but it is basically aid for those in dire financial need. Some nursing homes and assisted living facilities don’t accept it, and, for Medicaid to pay for LTC in the first place, the care has to be proven to be “medically necessary” for the patient. Do you really want to wait until you are nearly broke to try and find a way to fund long-term care? Of course not. LTC insurance provides a way to do it.5

Why not look into this? You may have heard that yearly premiums on LTC policies have increased recently. They have – as MarketWatch recently noted, annual premiums for a typical policy covering a 55-year-old couple can exceed $5,000. Those premiums are cheap, however, relative to the financial burden those without LTC policies may face in the future.6

Ask your insurance advisor or financial advisor about some of the LTC choices you can explore – while many Americans have life, health, and disability insurance, that is not the same thing as long-term care coverage.

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities

Citations.
1 – tinyurl.com/hbc3s2a [5/10/16]
2 – longtermcare.gov/the-basics/how-much-care-will-you-need/ [7/6/16]
3 – doi.nv.gov/Consumers/Long-Term-Care-Insurance/ [7/6/16]
4 – medicareadvocacy.org/18-medicare-doesnt-cover-long-term-nursing-home-care/ [7/6/16]
5 – nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/when-will-medicaid-pay-nursing-home-assisted-living.html [7/6/16]
6 – marketwatch.com/story/can-you-afford-5000-a-year-for-long-term-care-insurance-2015-06-25 [6/25/15]

What Expenses Could Change When You Retire?

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Some costs could rise, fall or even disappear.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

Your retirement may seem near at hand or far away, but one thing is certain: your future will differ from your present.

Financially, that fact is worth remembering. Some of the costs you have paid regularly all these years may suddenly decrease or fade away. Others may increase.

Will your insurance costs rise with age? Maybe not. You may find that your overall insurance expenses decline. Yes, health insurance becomes more expensive the older you get – but those premiums are merely part of the bigger insurance coverage picture. If you stop working in retirement, you have no need for disability insurance. You might have little need for life insurance, for that matter. You may have paid off your home and other major debts, and rather than drawing income from work, you will be drawing it from investments and Social Security.

You can expect your medical expenses to increase. By how much, exactly? That will vary per household, but perhaps you have read some of the latest estimates. This summer, Fidelity Investments said that a 65-year-old couple retiring today will need around $260,000 to cover future health care costs. This estimate assumes they live 20-22 years after they retire. Long-term care coverage was not included in that projection; Fidelity projects that a policy providing three years of care at $8,000 a month would cost the same couple an extra $130,000.1

How about your income taxes? If you live on 70-80% of your end salary in retirement – which is not unusual – then you may find yourself in a lower income tax bracket. Yes, your Social Security income may be taxed – but, even in the worst-case scenario, no more than 85% of it will be.2

If you have invested using a Roth IRA, you will be looking at some tax-free retirement income – provided, of course, you have owned the IRA for at least five years and are older than 59½ when you start making withdrawals. While a Roth account held in a workplace retirement plan requires withdrawals beginning at age 70½, the withdrawals will still be tax-free if you follow IRS rules.3

Will your housing costs fall? Over the long term, they may. Some retirees own their homes free and clear and others nearly do. Homeowner association fees and property taxes must still be paid, so, while that mortgage balance may be gone or nearly gone, other recurring costs will remain.

Homes inevitably need repairs, so, in some random year, you may find your housing costs jumping. Downsizing and moving into a smaller home can also mean a short-term rise in your housing expenses. If you do downsize and move, you will hopefully relocate to an area where housing costs are lower.

Will you face education costs? You may have retired your own college debt, but if you have children forty or fifty years younger than you are, you could risk retiring with some of their student loan debt on your hands. That expense could linger into your retirement – a valid reason to reject assuming it in the first place.

One “cost” may disappear, leaving you with a little more money each month. Once retired, your constant per-paycheck need to save for retirement vanishes. So if you are assigning 10% or 20% of your paychecks to your retirement accounts, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that money back in your wallet (so to speak) after you transition into your “second act.”

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities.

Citations.
1 – chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/ct-marksjarvis-retiree-health-costs-0821-biz-20160819-column.html [8/19/16]
2 – ssa.gov/planners/taxes.html [9/22/16]
3 – investors.com/etfs-and-funds/retirement/comparing-a-roth-401k-and-roth-ira/ [1/6/16]

October Is National Financial Planning Month

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Saving is a great start, but planning to reach your financial goals is even better.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

Are you saving for retirement? Great. Are you planning for retirement? That is even better. Planning for your retirement and other long-range financial goals is an essential step – one that could make achieving those goals easier.

Saving without investing isn’t enough. Since interest rates are so low today, money in a typical savings account barely grows. It may not even grow enough to keep up with inflation, leaving the saver at a long-term financial disadvantage.

Very few Americans retire on savings alone. Rather, they invest some of their savings and retire mostly on the accumulated earnings those invested dollars generate over time.

Investing without planning usually isn’t enough. Most people invest with a general idea of building wealth, particularly for retirement. The problem is that too many of them invest without a plan. They are guessing how much money they will need once they leave work, and that guess may be way off. Some have no idea at all.

Growing and retaining wealth takes more than just investing. Along the way, you must plan to manage risk and defer or reduce taxes. A good financial plan – created with the assistance of an experienced financial professional – addresses those priorities while defining your investment approach. It changes over time, to reflect changes in your life and your financial objectives.

With a plan, you can set short-term and long-term goals and benchmarks. You can estimate the amount of money you will likely need to meet retirement, college, and health care expenses. You can plot a way to wind down your business or exit your career with confidence. You can also get a good look at your present financial situation – where you stand in terms of your assets and liabilities, the distance between where you are financially and where you would like to be.

Last year, a Gallup poll found that just 38% of investors had a written financial plan. Gallup asked those with no written financial strategy why they lacked one. The top two reasons? They just hadn’t taken the time (29%) or they simply hadn’t thought about it (27%).1

October is National Financial Planning Month – an ideal time to plan your financial future. The end of the year is approaching and a new one will soon begin, so this is the right time to think about what you have done in 2016 and what you could do in 2017. You might want to do something new; you may want to do some things differently. Your financial future is in your hands, so be proactive and plan.

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities

Citations.
1 – gallup.com/poll/184421/nonretired-investors-written-financial-plan.aspx [7/31/15]

When Is Social Security Income Taxable?

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The answer depends on your income.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

Your Social Security income could be taxed. That may seem unfair, or unfathomable. Regardless of how you feel about it, it is a possibility.

Seniors have had to contend with this possibility since 1984. Social Security benefits became taxable above certain yearly income thresholds in that year. Frustratingly for retirees, these income thresholds have been left at the same levels for 32 years.1

Those frozen income limits have exposed many more people to the tax over time. In 1984, just 8% of Social Security recipients had total incomes high enough to trigger the tax. In contrast, the Social Security Administration estimates that 52% of households receiving benefits in 2015 had to claim some of those benefits as taxable income.1

Only part of your Social Security income may be taxable, not all of it. Two factors come into play here: your filing status and your combined income.

Social Security defines your combined income as the sum of your adjusted gross income, any non-taxable interest earned, and 50% of your Social Security benefit income. (Your combined income is actually a form of modified adjusted gross income, or MAGI.)2

Single filers with a combined income from $25,000-$34,000 and joint filers with combined incomes from $32,000-$44,000 may have up to 50% of their Social Security benefits taxed.2

Single filers whose combined income tops $34,000 and joint filers with combined incomes above $44,000 may see up to 85% of their Social Security benefits taxed.2

What if you are married and file separately? No income threshold applies. Your benefits will likely be taxed no matter how much you earn or how much Social Security you receive.2

You may be able to estimate these taxes in advance. You can use an online calculator (a Google search will lead you to a few such tools), or the worksheet in IRS Publication 915.2

You can even have these taxes withheld from your Social Security income. You can choose either 7%, 10%, 15%, or 25% withholding per payment. Another alternative is to make estimated tax payments per quarter, like a business owner does.2

Did you know that 13 states also tax Social Security payments? North Dakota, Minnesota, West Virginia, and Vermont use the exact same formula as the federal government to calculate the degree to which your Social Security benefits may be taxable. Nine other states use more lenient formulas: Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Utah.2

What can you do if it appears your benefits will be taxed? You could explore a few options to try and lessen or avoid the tax hit, but keep in mind that if your combined income is far greater than the $34,000 single filer and $44,000 joint filer thresholds, your chances of averting tax on Social Security income are slim. If your combined income is reasonably near the respective upper threshold, though, some moves might help.

If you have a number of income-generating investments, you could opt to try and revise your portfolio, so that less income and tax-exempt interest are produced annually.

A charitable IRA gift may be a good idea. You can make one if you are 70½ or older in the year of the donation. You can endow a qualified charity with as much as $100,000 in a single year this way. The amount of the gift may be used to fully or partly satisfy your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), and the amount will not be counted in your adjusted gross income.3

You could withdraw more retirement income from Roth accounts. Distributions from Roth IRAs and Roth workplace retirement plan accounts are tax-exempt as long as you are age 59½ or older and have held the account for at least five tax years.4

Will the income limits linked to taxation of Social Security benefits ever be raised? Retirees can only hope so, but with more baby boomers becoming eligible for Social Security, the IRS and the Treasury stand to receive greater tax revenue with the current limits in place.

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities

Citations.
1 – ssa.gov/policy/docs/issuepapers/ip2015-02.html [12/15]
2 – fool.com/retirement/general/2016/04/30/is-social-security-taxable.aspx [4/30/16]
3 – kiplinger.com/article/retirement/T051-C001-S003-how-to-limit-taxes-on-social-security-benefits.html [7/16]
4 – irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plans-faqs-on-designated-roth-accounts [1/26/16]

Why Life Insurance Matters

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Besides the death benefit, it may also help you financially during your life.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

As Bankrate.com noted, 43% of Americans have no life insurance. Some view it as optional; some have simply procrastinated when it comes to buying a policy. Others believe that they can’t afford it.1

In reality, life insurance is cheap today. If you just want term life coverage – essentially, life insurance that you “rent” for X number of years – you may find it quite affordable wherever you live. Plugging in some sample variables, a little comparison shopping online reveals that a 40-year-old, non-smoking woman in excellent health who lives in New Hampshire would pay premiums of just $380-420 a year for a 20-year level term policy with a $500,000 death benefit. (She would have several providers to choose from.)2

If you choose permanent life insurance rather than term life, new possibilities emerge. In addition to a benefit for your heirs at your death, an insurance policy capable of building cash value gives you more capability to address financial needs during your lifetime.

Permanent life insurance allows you the opportunity to build cash value. The premiums on a whole, universal, or variable life policy are higher than for a term life policy, but there is a reason for that – as you pay into one of these policies, the policy, itself, accumulates cash value. That cash value grows without being taxed.3

In all probability, the cash value will continue to be available as long as you live. While it’s true that some insurance companies have gone under, the reality is that very, very few do. They guarantee the death benefit and the viability of the policy as long as you keep making the premium payments.3

If you need a loan someday, a cash value life policy may give you an option. Some of these policies allow withdrawals of the cash value, meaning that you can borrow against the cash value once you have funded the policy with a sufficient amount of premiums. (You can even tap the cash value to pay the premiums, if you like.) Naturally, loans taken from the policy will reduce the death benefit amount. The policyholder faces no requirement to pay back the loan, but the loan is subject to interest.3

Many of these policies come with degrees of flexibility. You may be able to transfer some of the cash value into another insurance product with the death benefit unaffected.

The death benefit may do much to preserve your loved ones’ quality of life. Life insurance death benefit proceeds are almost never taxed (only under rare circumstances does the IRS count them as gross income). So a permanent life policy will give your heirs money to address funeral and burial expenses and possible estate taxes, and those funds could also provide them with part of their inheritance.4

Cash value life insurance also means permanent coverage as long as the policy is in force. The death benefit will not be readjusted or diminished if you fall ill, and if you buy a policy in your thirties or forties, you save money compared to those who purchase a policy after age 50.

Permanent life insurance is also highly useful in estate planning. Several kinds of trusts may be used in conjunction with permanent life policies, such as irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs), special needs trusts, spendthrift trusts, simple living trusts, and more. Often, a trust can be named as beneficiary of a permanent life policy, an estate planning step toward an eventual financial benefit to heirs.5

First and foremost, life insurance matters for its death benefit – but those considering it should not overlook its financial utility in other situations during the course of life.

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities.

Citations.
1 – bankrate.com/financing/insurance/how-painful-is-the-life-insurance-talk/ [9/15/15]
2 – term4sale.com/cgi-bin/cqsl.cgi [8/9/16]
3 – investopedia.com/terms/c/cash-value-life-insurance.asp [8/9/16]
4 – irs.gov/Help-&-Resources/Tools-&-FAQs/FAQs-for-Individuals/Frequently-Asked-Tax-Questions-&-Answers/Interest,-Dividends,-Other-Types-of-Income/Life-Insurance-&-Disability-Insurance-Proceeds/Life-Insurance-&-Disability-Insurance-Proceeds [1/1/16]
5 – aol.com/article/2015/05/07/how-to-supercharge-trusts-with-life-insurance/21173793/ [5/7/15]

Are There Really Tax-Free Retirement Plan Distributions?

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A look at some popular & obscure options for receiving money with little or no tax.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

Will you receive tax-free money in retirement? Some retirees do. You should know about some of your options for tax-free retirement distributions, some of which are less publicized than others.

Qualified distributions from Roth accounts are tax-free. If you own a Roth IRA or have a Roth retirement account at work, you can take a tax-free distribution from that IRA or workplace retirement plan once you are older than 59½ and have held the account for at least five tax years. One other nice perk: original owners of Roth IRAs never have to take Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) during their lifetimes. (Owners of employer-sponsored Roth retirement accounts are required to take RMDs.)1,2

Trustee-to-trustee transfers of retirement plan money occur without being taxed. In a rollover of this kind, the custodian financial firm that hosts your workplace retirement plan account makes a payment directly out of the account to an IRA you have waiting, with not a penny in taxes levied or withheld. Trustee-to-trustee transfers of IRAs work the same way.3

If you are older than 80, you might get a tax break on a lump-sum withdrawal. If you were born prior to January 2, 1936, you could be entitled to a tax reduction on a lump-sum distribution out of a qualified retirement plan in certain cases. Unfortunately, this is never the case with an IRA RMD.4

Your heirs could receive tax-free dollars resulting from life insurance. Payouts on permanent life insurance policies are normally exempt from federal income tax. (The payout may be included in the value of your taxable estate, though.) A life insurance death benefit paid out from a qualified retirement plan is also tax-exempt provided the death benefit is greater than the policy’s pre-death cash surrender value. Even if an employee takes a distribution from a corporate-owned life insurance policy on his or her life while still alive, that distribution may not be fully taxable as it may constitute a return of the principal invested in the life insurance contract.4,5

Sometimes the basis in a workplace retirement account can be withdrawn tax-free. If you have made non-deductible contributions through the years to an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement plan account, these contributions are not taxable when they are distributed to the original account owner, accountholder, or an account beneficiary – it is considered return of principal, a recovery of the original account owner or accountholder’s cost of investment.4

IRA contributions can optionally be withdrawn tax-free before their due date. As an example, your 2016 IRA contribution can be withdrawn tax-free by the due date of your federal tax return – April 15 or thereabouts. If you file Form 4868, you have until October 15 (or thereabouts) to do this.6

Withdrawals such as these can only happen, however, if you meet two tests set forth by the IRS. First, you must not have taken a deduction for your contribution. Second, you must, additionally, withdraw any interest or income those invested dollars earned. You can also take investment losses into account. (There is a worksheet in IRS Publication 590 you can use to calculate applicable gains or losses.)6

These common and obscure paths toward tax-free retirement income may be worth exploring. Who knows? Perhaps, this year, your retirement will be less taxing than you think.

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities.

Citations.
1 – irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plans-faqs-on-designated-roth-accounts [1/26/16]
2 – irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plans-faqs-regarding-required-minimum-distributions [7/28/16]
3 – irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/rollovers-of-retirement-plan-and-ira-distributions [2/19/16]
4 – news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=764726 [8/13/16]
5 – doughroller.net/personal-finance/life-insurance-proceeds-tax/ [8/18/16]
6 – tinyurl.com/gwoxed8 [8/18/16]