Roger Wohlner

A s​olo 401(k) is a retirement plan that is available for business owners, a spouse who is involved in the business as well as any partners in the business. Nonowner employees are not eligible to participate in the plan. Solo 401(k)​ planss are also known as individual 401(k)s and as a self-employed 401(k).
Read: Small businesses haven’t been this pessimistic about the economy in 48 years
Employee contributions are the same as with a 401(k) offered by an employer, $20,500 plus a catch-up cont...

Outside the Box
As we move toward retirement there are many questions as to how to proceed in different areas. When to claim your Social Security benefits is a key question. Another area that often elicits a number of questions and much confusion is Medicare.
One question that is often asked is, do I need to enroll in Medicare if I am still working at age 65? The answer, like a lot of things in the financial planning realm is, it depends.
The basics
For those who are receiving their Social Se...

To date, 2022 has been a challenging year for investors. The stock market just finished the worst first half of a year in decades, and inflation is at the highest level since 1981. Interest rates are rising as the Federal Reserve tries to combat inflation. Even so, investing is still the key for most people in building wealth and achieving goals like a comfortable retirement.
Against this background, some of the best investment options to consider for 2022 are discussed below. What are actual...

Inflation hurts everyone, but it can be especially harmful to retirees
The news is full of stories about rising inflation. Whether it’s the price of groceries, gasoline or other goods and services that we purchase, inflation is definitely increasing. We saw this reflected in the cost of living increase for Social Security benefits for 2022. The increase was 5.9% which represents the largest increase in almost 40 years.
While inflation impacts everyone, it can have a devastating effect on reti...

Retirement Weekly
The decade leading up to your retirement is one of the most critical periods for retirement planning. There are a number of financial planning issues to consider during this time period to help ensure a financially secure retirement for you.
Prepare a retirement spending plan
This is the time to take a hard look at how you plan to spend your time in retirement and how much your desired retirement lifestyle will cost. This can encompass a lot of things including your housing....

TDFs are a hands-off investment option — but they come with risks.
Target-date funds are a popular investing vehicle for those saving for retirement, and are a staple in many 401(k) plans. They have some advantages, but also have some negatives as well.
What is a target-date fund?
A target-date fund, or TDF, is a lifestyle fund that is invested toward a target retirement date. They are generally a collection of mutual funds of the fund company offering the TDF. There are also some target date...

Have some fun, but don’t forget to save for retirement
Congratulations, you’ve made it, you’re a new college graduate. Now it’s time to head out into the working world. You will be earning money and getting a regular paycheck. Along with earning money comes responsibility.
Here are 8 money lessons for the class of 2022.
Live within your means
Getting your first real paycheck can be exciting. It’s tempting to buy the things you might not have been able to afford as a college student. It’s OK t...

The Federal Reserve raised its federal-funds rate by 0.75%. How will that impact the average investor?
The Federal Reserve recently raised its benchmark federal-funds rate by 0.75%. This is the largest increase in over 30 years and was done as part of their efforts to curb the high inflation the U.S. is experiencing in 2022. This increase is part of a series of rate hikes the Fed had previously announced to help curb inflation.
What are the implications of the Fed’s rate hikes and what should...

Index funds are a popular investment as they offer a low cost way to invest in a fund that tracks a specific stock or bond index. They offer a number of advantages over actively managed funds.
What is an index fund?
An index fund is a mutual fund or ETF that tracks an index such as the S&P 500. The S&P 500 is a well-known stock market index for large-cap stocks that many investors view as a proxy for the U.S. stock market.
Index funds are passively managed investments that track a market inde...

APY stands for average percentage yield. APY is the annual return on money held in a bank account. It represents what your rate of return you will earn in a year including compound interest.
What Is Annual Percentage Yield (APY)?
APY reflects the amount of interest earned on a bank savings account or other interest bearing account. The APY includes the stated interest rate plus any compound interest earned as well. Compound interest is what makes APY different from the stated interest rate on...

What You Need to Know
The SEC recently rejected an application for a spot Bitcoin ETF.
Bitcoin futures ETFs track futures contracts, which can deviate widely from the actual returns of Bitcoin.
Funds such as the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust do offer a means to trade a Bitcoin fund via the stock exchange.
Many advisors are seeing interest among some clients in cryptocurrencies and other digital assets. As their advisor, you are faced with several questions and issues regarding this. Is this type of...

What You Need to Know
Holding Bitcoin in a retirement account can make sense due to the tax issues associated with digital assets.
Self-directed retirement accounts must be reviewed for all associated fees plus their capabilities in holding digital assets.
Whether to hold Bitcoin in a taxable account or a retirement account will vary by client.
Your clients are seeing news stories about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies seemingly everywhere. As an advisor, you want to be able to facilitate a...

What You Need to Know
QCDs can be a tax-efficient way for eligible clients to make charitable contributions.
QCDs can help reduce future RMDs.
These distributions can help retirees manage their AGI levels each year.
Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) allow those who are 70 ½ or older to divert some or all of their distributions from a traditional IRA to a qualified charitable organization. As we approach the end of the year, many of your clients are focusing on making gifts to charitie...

Here are some things to consider in determining whether a Roth conversion makes sense for you.
Taxes – now or later?
Perhaps the most crucial issue in determining whether or not a Roth conversion makes sense for you are taxes. Specifically, what is your current tax bracket and what is your anticipated tax bracket in retirement?
Money converted to a Roth IRA or 401(k) is taxed in the year of the conversion. If you are in a high tax bracket, the conversion would be taxed at that higher rate and...

Inflation hurts everyone, but it can be especially harmful to retirees
The news is full of stories about rising inflation. Whether it’s the price of groceries, gasoline or other goods and services that we purchase, inflation is definitely increasing. We saw this reflected in the cost of living increase for Social Security benefits for 2022. The increase was 5.9% which represents the largest increase in almost 40 years.
While inflation impacts everyone, it can have a devastating effect on reti...