Roger Wohlner

Saving for retirement is important for people of all ages, whether you’re just starting your career or have been working for decades. And in most cases, that savings responsibility rests squarely on your shoulders as many employers, especially in the private sector, no longer offer the pension plans that employees relied on in the past.
A key retirement savings vehicle for many is an employer-sponsored 401(k) plan. You contribute a portion of your salary to the plan and choose from the invest...

Many of your clients might benefit from using a Roth IRA as part of their retirement savings strategy. But if you have clients who earn too much to contribute to a Roth IRA, you are likely familiar with the backdoor Roth strategy. For clients whose circumstances fit, you might also consider the mega backdoor Roth strategy as a way to funnel larger amounts into a Roth IRA account for them.
What It Is
A backdoor Roth IRA generally involves making an after-tax contribution to a traditional IRA a...

What You Need to Know
The Secure Act raised the RMD age to 72; some lawmakers want to raise it to 75.
Retirees with a strong desire to leave money to heirs are the most likely to change behavior when the RMD age rises, a study finds.
Advisors should avoid giving blanket advice on RMDs.
A new report from the National Bureau of Economic Research has shed some additional light on the implications of changing the age to commence required minimum distributions from retirement plans.
The Setting Ev...

Advising your clients on the best path to retirement is a significant part of financial planning. But offering strategies to help reduce their taxes during retirement is equally valuable, as taxes can take a bite out of your client’s retirement income.
Here are five important strategies to discuss with those clients who are in or approaching their retirement years to help them realize significant savings.
1. Roth Conversions
For clients with sizable balances in traditional IRAs or 401(k)s, th...

What You Need to Know
The Secure Act removed the age restrictions on traditional IRA contributions.
Traditional IRA contributions made after age 70 ½ can complicate the use of QCDs for your clients.
Choosing between a Roth or traditional IRA contribution for clients with earned income should be done as part of their overall tax and financial planning strategy.
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (Secure) Act contains a number of provisions that affect retirement planning...

The CARES Act provisions offer expanded access to retirement accounts for individuals. For clients who may be considering taking advantage of either of these provisions, it’s important to help them look at the potential impact on their retirement.

There are pros and cons to Roth IRA conversions. (Image: Shutterstock)
Much has been written about the benefits of converting retirement assets in a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. During 2020, Roth conversions received a lot of favorable press with tax rates being low and the stock market being depressed for part of 2020.
This is a retirement savings strategy that might be beneficial for some of your clients, but like any financial strategy it should be looked at on a case-by-case basis to de...

A Direct Stock Purchase Plan (DSPP) can be a cost-effective method for investors to accumulate shares in a particular company over time. It's become less popular as investing has become cheaper through online brokers. But direct stock purchases can still be an effective way to invest. If you're thinking about using a DSPP, you need to understand how it works. This includes knowing all expenses and fees associated with the plan. Let's dig in and find out more about Direct Stock Purchase Plans.

The terms bull market and bear market are used frequently in financial news media to describe stock market conditions. But just because financial experts use the terms doesn't mean everyone knows what they mean. Read on to find out more about the difference between bull market and bear market and what's behind them.

There can be significant tax advantages to taking withdrawals from one retirement account over another.

ESG INVESTING
flexshares.com | ESG Investing: Why It Makes Sense | 1 of 8
The premise behind ESG
investing is that companies
that properly integrate ESG
criteria into the fabric of
their business processes and
practices will see a positive
impact
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) indicators, an extension of the Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) movement that has been around for a number of years, we believe are becoming increasingly important factors people are considering when th...

Source: iStock
To date, 2020 has been a rough year for investors with the stock market well off its highs reached in February. You may have a number of clients for whom a Roth conversion makes sense. Financial advisor Jim Blankenship, CFP, EA of Blankenship Financial Planning feels it can be beneficial to do a Roth conversion when account values are low. Why? “Because the reduced value of your holdings will likely increase significantly as the momentum swings upward,” he explains. “This way, ...

Source: iStock
The volatility in the stock market due to the COVID-19 pandemic is stirring a range of emotions, including fear in even some very experienced investors. Some of these investors might be your clients. As their financial advisor, part of your job is to help your clients look past any emotions they may be feeling and allow them to focus on their plan and objectives.
Controlling What You Can Control
It’s important for advisors to stress to clients that there are certain aspects of ...

Each fall, many companies offer their employees a chance to choose their employee benefits options for the coming year. Employee benefits are a significant benefit of working for a company. Choosing the best benefits option can help your clients save money on things like healthcare and other services. As their financial adviser you can serve as a key resource for your clients as they make their choices.
Benefit Options
Typical benefit options include:
Health insurance
Dental insurance
Disabil...