Happy New Year; 2014 is a year of memories and 2015 is a year of promises. Some of those promises might not be pleasant for individuals transferring an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) unless they follow very specific rules. The Transfer IRAs can be transferred to a new advisor or trustee in one of two ways: […]

Corporate retirement plans have been, historically, either defined benefit (DB) or defined contribution (DC) plans. With a DB plan, the employer is “guaranteeing” a life-long retirement benefit to the employee at the time of retirement. That benefit is usually a function of the years worked at the company and the salary earned over a previous […]

This quarter’s edition of Paragon Perspectives discusses mistakes to avoid in your Individual Retirement Account and some simple steps for late contributions. Individual Retirement accounts (IRAs) have been great savings devices for many individuals.  Contributions have been limited to several thousands of dollars per year; however, rollovers of corporate retirement plans into self-directed IRAs have […]

The December 1, 2014 Wall Street Journal (Encore Section, pg R3) had an interesting article about how people spend time in retirement. The implication was that time spent in retirement was different than time spent when working. That time utilization difference in retirement is intuitively obvious. What is not so obvious, however, is the financial […]

On Monday, October 27, 2014, the Society of Actuaries issued new estimates of life expectancies in the U.S. A 65 year old female has a life expectancy of 88.8 years, an increase of 2.4 years from the 2000 age projection. Males age 65 have a life expectancy of 86.6 years, an increase of 2 years […]

More and more retiring employees are facing the question of whether to take their retirement benefits as a lump sum payment or a life-time monthly payment. The “correct” decision obviously lies with the individual’s particular circumstances (health of retiree and spouse, other financial assets, fund needs, etc.). There are compelling reasons for both scenarios in […]

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) have been a popular savings vehicle for a long time (since 1974). They became more popular with the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981. Contributions made into an IRA were usually tax deductible (depending on your income level) and grew tax deferred until money was taken from the IRA. There were […]

Retirement brings many changes. The old adage of “twice as much spouse and half as much money” is humorous; other aspects of retirement are not. In this issue, we discuss some of the planning issues that retirement brings. We also look at what may lie ahead for rising interest rates.The first article discusses longevity. No […]

It’s that time of year again—students are moving into the dorms at colleges and universities all over the country. Traffic is increasing, restaurants are crowded, and all the other “problems” associated with students starting a new school year are at the forefront. It’s a new world for freshmen students; confusing and sometimes stressful. That stress […]

When you think of “investing”, what comes to mind? Did you think of the US stock market? You might have thought about bonds or other fixed income securities. What about real estate, commodities or other alternative investments? Although less common, they can provide significant benefits when combined with stocks and bonds. How can these investments […]