We at Paragon Financial Advisors don’t believe that “any direction” is acceptable. The financial well-being of you and your loved ones is too important to be left to chance. That’s why we encourage our clients to develop their personal financial goals. Goals are basically a result or achievement toward which
Normally, retirement plans are generally considered safe from creditors. A recent ruling by the Bankruptcy Panel for the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has called that safety into question. An individual was awarded ½ of his ex-wife’s 401(k) plan and her entire individual retirement account in their divorce settlement.
October 2018 marked the 10th year of the longest bull market in history. In 2017, the stock market (S&P 500) moved placidly upward; in fact, the market set record highs over 100 times since the Presidential election in November 2016. This year, 2018, has given investors pause to think, however.
Time does fly—and with it, some potentially significant tax benefits. There are actions which, if taken in October 2018, can have consequences on taxes—even 2017 retirement plans. We will discuss some of the general rules here; you should discuss the specifics of your situation with your tax professional. Roth IRAs
Social Security benefits are a component in the retirement planning of most Americans. However, those benefits pose questions for both younger and older employees. Younger employees are faced with the long term viability of the system (see our previous posting of “Social Security, Medicare, and You”. Older employees are faced
Each year the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds provide a report on the financial status of these programs—current and projected. The information below is from a summary of the 2016 Annual Reports www.ssa.gov, Office of the Chief Actuary, 2016 Trustees Report-Jacob J. Lew, Sec. of the
The World Economic Forum produced a white paper entitled “We’ll Live to 100-How Can We Afford It?” (Lead Author, Rachel Wheeler, Project Lead, May 2017) The basic premise of this white paper was the status of world-wide retirement plans and potential problems and reforms necessary to address those problems. The
You’ve probably heard by now that Equifax, one of the four major credit reporting agencies, experienced a security breach resulting in the exposure of the personal information of 143 million Americans between May and July of this year. While Paragon does not have a relationship with Equifax, we feel
It is no secret that returns in the capital markets (stocks and bonds) have been volatile (and below historical averages) for the past few years. Some market “experts” are predicting that those lower returns will be the “new normal” for some years to come. If that prediction is correct, individuals
The 2016 elections have certainly brought about some changes in the political landscape. One thing hasn’t changed however—an ageing population that is moving toward retirement. Baby boomers began turning 65 in 2011 and their number is increasing by about 10,000 per day. In 2017, the leading edge of the boom