Kim Bolker 9/5/17 Kim Bolker 9/5/17

Talking to Your Kids About Your Wealth

How can you convey its importance and its meaning?

Are you an owner of a thriving business or a medical or legal practice? Are you a highly paid executive? If you have children, at some point they may discern how wealthy you are – and in turn, learn how “rich” they are. How will you handle that moment? How will they handle that knowledge?

Some kids end up valuing family wealth more than others. We all know (or have heard) about children from wealthy families who grew up to become opportunistic, materialistic, and unmotivated young adults living off their parents’ largess. Other children learn to treat family money with respect and admiration, recognizing the role it plays for the family, while glimpsing its potential to help charities and the community.

What accounts for the difference? It may boil down to values. When the right values are handed down, a young adult is poised to hold wealth in high regard and receive it with maturity.

Some parents never tell their children how wealthy they really are. This is not uncommon: in a recent U.S. Trust survey of households with investable assets greater than $3 million, 64% of those polled indicated that they had said nothing or nearly nothing about their net worth to their kids.1

This is also a risk. In hiding the details and avoiding the talk, parents may see a child grow into a young adult who is ill-prepared to understand and manage wealth.

One good step is to set some expectations. After your kids learn how wealthy you are, they may expect your money to play a financial part in their personal lives, especially in adolescence. Tell them, frankly, what you are willing or not willing to do and why. Where will the family wealth come into their lives? Will you want to fund their college educations, or help them with car payments? You may or may not want to do that.

You can help them see that wealth has meaning. Some financial professionals like to ask their clients the question, “what does having money mean to you?” In other words, what should that money accomplish? What dreams should it help you pursue, and what fears or worries could it be used to address? How does having money fit into your vision of success – is it integral to it or inessential to it?

It has been said that money never transforms character; it simply reveals it. The responsibility of handling wealth amounts to a test of character. Thoughtful conversations with your children about the meaning of wealth may help them pass that important test when the time comes.

Rep disclosures: Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. 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.

Citations.

1 - reuters.com/article/us-money-generations-strategies-idUSKBN0OX1RH20150617 [6/17/15]

Kim Bolker 8/27/17 Kim Bolker 8/27/17

Getting Your Financial Paperwork in Good Order

Help make things easier for your loved ones when you leave this world.

Who wants to leave this world with their financial affairs in good order? We all do, right? None of us wants to leave a collection of financial mysteries for our spouse or our children to solve.

What we want and what we do can differ, however. Many heirs spend days, weeks, or months searching for a decedent’s financial and legal documents. They may even discover a savings bond, a certificate of deposit, or a life insurance policy years after their loved one passes.

Certainly, you want to spare your heirs from this predicament. One helpful step is to create a “final file.” Maybe it is an actual accordion or manila folder; maybe it is a file on a computer desktop; or maybe it is secured within an online vault. The form matters less than the function. The function this file will serve is to provide your heirs with the documentation and direction they need to help them settle your estate.

What should be in your “final file?” Definitely a copy of your will and copies of any trust documents. Place a durable power of attorney and a health care proxy in there too, as this folder’s contents may need to be accessed before you die.

Copies of insurance policies should go into the “final file” – not only your life insurance policy, but home and auto coverage. A list of all the financial accounts in your name should be kept in the file – and, to be complete, why not include sample account statements with account numbers, or, at least, usernames and passwords, so that these accounts can be easily accessed online.

Social Security benefit information should also be compiled. That information will be essential for your spouse (and, perhaps, for a former spouse). If you happen to receive a pension from a former employer, your heirs need to know the particulars about that.

They should also be able to access documentation pertaining to real estate you own. If you have a safe deposit box, at least one of your heirs should know where the key is – otherwise, your heirs will have to pay a locksmith, directly or indirectly, to open it. Along those lines, the combination to a home safe should be disclosed. If you have trust issues with some of your heirs, you can only disclose such information to the trusted ones or to an attorney.

Contact information should be inside the “final file” as well. Your heirs will need to look up the email address or phone number of the financial professionals you have consulted, any attorneys you have turned to for estate planning or business advice, and any insurance professionals with whom you have maintained relationships.

Other documentation to include: credit card information, vehicle titles, and cemetery/burial information. Be sure to include your social media and e-commerce passwords for sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Amazon, and eBay. Some social media sites may require a copy of your death certificate or obituary notice before allowing any other party to access your profile. Furthermore, you may also wish to leave a letter or note instructing your heirs on how the world should be notified of your death.1

Your heirs will want to supplement your “final file” with contributions of their own. Perhaps the most important supplement will be your death certificate. A funeral home may tell your heirs that they will need only a few copies. In reality, they may need several – or more – if your business or financial situation is particularly involved.

A “final file” may save both money & time. If documentation is scant or unavailable, settling an estate can be a prolonged affair. As National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys president Howard Krooks told Reuters, “It could be six months or longer if you don't have the paperwork in order.” In the worst-case scenario, probate consumes 5% or more of an estate.2

One other important step may save your heirs money & time. If you add the name of an heir to a key bank account, that heir can pay a hospital bill or make a mortgage payment on your behalf without undue delay.2

Be sure to tell your heirs about your “final file.” They need to know that you have created it; they need to know where it is. It will do no good if you are the only one who knows those things when you die.

You can compile your “final file” gradually. The next account statement, income payment, or real estate or insurance newsletter than comes into your inbox or mailbox can be your cue to tackle and scratch off that particular item from the “final file” to-do list. Yes, it takes work to create a “final file” – but you could argue that it is necessary work, and your heirs will thank you for your effort.

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.

Rep disclosures: Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Citations.

1 - marketwatch.com/story/13-steps-to-organizing-your-accounts-and-assets-2016-03-03 [3/3/16]

2 - reuters.com/article/us-retirement-death-folder-idUSKBN0FK1RW20140715 [7/15/14]

Kim Bolker 8/16/17 Kim Bolker 8/16/17

Financial Priorities Young Families Should Address

Wise money moves for parents under 40.

As you start a family, you start to think about certain financial matters. Before you became a mom or dad, you may not have thought about them much, but so much changes when you have kids.

Parenting presents you with definite, sudden, financial needs to address. By focusing on those needs today, you may give yourself a head start on meeting some crucial family financial objectives tomorrow. The to-do list should include:

Life & disability insurance coverage. If one or both of you cannot work and earn income, your household could struggle to meet education expenses, medical expenses, or even paying the bills. Disability insurance payments could provide some financial support in such an instance. Some employers provide it, but that coverage often proves insufficient. Every fifth American has a disability, and more than 25% of 20-year-old Americans will become disabled before reaching retirement age. One in eight working people will be disabled for five years or longer during their pre-retirement years. Could you imagine your household going that long on only a fraction of its current income?1,2

Generally, the earlier you buy life insurance coverage, the cheaper the premiums will be. The biggest savings await those consumers who buy coverage before age 30 and before they marry and have kids. After 30, high blood pressure and cholesterol problems may begin to show up on blood tests, and other health problems may surface. As an example, a single, child-free 25-year-old in good health purchasing a 30-year term policy with a $500,000 death benefit will pay a monthly premium of about $75. The premium jumps to around $115 for the typical 35-year-old married parent in good health.3

Estate planning. Is it too early in life to think about this? No. Life insurance, a will, a living trust – these are smart moves, especially if you have children with any kind of special needs or health concerns of your own that may shorten your longevity or lead to weaknesses in body or mind. Besides documents linked to insurance and wealth transfer, consider a durable power of attorney and a health care proxy.

If you are considering designating a guardian for your children in the event of the unthinkable, whoever you appoint needs to be comfortable with the possibility of taking legal responsibility for your child. That person must also have the financial wherewithal to be a good guardian, and his or her family or spouse must also be amenable to it.

College planning. What will a year at a public university cost in 2035? Vanguard, the investment company, conducted an analysis and projected an average tuition of $54,070. (The 2035 projection was $121,078 for a private college.) So, the message is clear: start saving now. Saving and investing for college through a 529 plan, a Coverdell ESA, or other accounts that offer the potential for tax-deferred growth may give you a better chance to meet those future costs.4

An emergency fund. Ideally, your household maintains a cash cushion equivalent to 3-6 months of salary. Build it a little at a time, set aside a bit of money per month, and you may be surprised at how large it grows during the coming years.

Address these priorities now, and you may lower your chance of financial stress in the future.

Rep disclosures: Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Citations.

1 - ssa.gov/disabilityfacts/facts.html [8/10/17]

2 - blog.disabilitycanhappen.org/life-insurance-vs-disability-insurance/ [7/14/17]

3 - moneyunder30.com/buying-life-insurance-young-saves-money [1/5/17]

4 - teenvogue.com/story/college-tuition-cost-future [3/18/17]

Kim Bolker 8/2/17 Kim Bolker 8/2/17

Before You Claim Social Security

A few things you may want to think about before filing for benefits.

Whether you want to leave work at 62, 67, or 70, claiming the retirement benefits you are entitled to by federal law is no casual decision. You will want to consider a few key factors first.

How long do you think you will live? If you have a feeling you will live into your nineties, for example, it may be better to claim later. If you start receiving Social Security benefits at or after age 67 (Full Retirement Age), your monthly benefit will be larger than if you had claimed at 62. If you file for benefits at 67 or later, chances are you probably a) worked into your mid-sixties, b) are in fairly good health, c) have sizable retirement savings.

If you sense you might not live into your eighties or you really, really need retirement income, then claiming at or close to 62 might make more sense. If you have an average lifespan, you will, theoretically, receive the average amount of lifetime benefits regardless of when you claim them; the choice comes down to more lifetime payments that are smaller or fewer lifetime payments that are larger. For the record, Social Security’s actuaries project the average 65-year-old man living 84.3 years and the average 65-year-old woman living 86.6 years.1

Will you keep working? You might not want to work too much, for earning too much income can result in your Social Security being withheld or taxed.

Prior to age 66, your benefits may be lessened if your income tops certain limits. In 2017, if you are 62-65 and receive Social Security, $1 of your benefits will be withheld for every $2 that you earn above $16,920. If you receive Social Security and turn 66 this year, then $1 of your benefits will be withheld for every $3 that you earn above $44,880.2

Social Security income may also be taxed above the program’s “combined income” threshold. (“Combined income” = adjusted gross income + non-taxable interest + 50% of Social Security benefits.) Single filers who have combined incomes from $25,000-34,000 may have to pay federal income tax on up to 50% of their Social Security benefits, and that also applies to joint filers with combined incomes of $32,000-44,000. Single filers with combined incomes above $34,000 and joint filers whose combined incomes surpass $44,000 may have to pay federal income tax on up to 85% of their Social Security benefits.2

When does your spouse want to file? Timing does matter. For some couples, having the lower-earning spouse collect first may result in greater lifetime benefits for the household.3

Finally, how much in benefits might be coming your way? Visit ssa.gov to find out, and keep in mind that Social Security calculates your monthly benefit using a formula based on your 35 highest-earning years. If you have worked for less than 35 years, Social Security fills in the “blank years” with zeros. If you have, say, just 33 years of work experience, working another couple of years might translate to slightly higher Social Security income.3

Your claiming decision may be one of the major financial decisions of your life. Your choices should be evaluated years in advance, with insight from the financial professional who has helped you plan for retirement.

Rep disclosures: Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Citations.

1 - ssa.gov/planners/lifeexpectancy.html [7/27/17]

2 - newsok.com/article/5546356 [5/8/17]

3 - fool.com/retirement/2016/07/16/about-to-take-social-security-read-this-first.aspx [12/15/16]

Kim Bolker 7/26/17 Kim Bolker 7/26/17

Getting (Mentally) Ready to Retire

Even those who have saved millions must prepare for a lifestyle adjustment.

A successful retirement is not merely measured in financial terms. Even those who retire with small fortunes can face boredom or depression and the fear of drawing down their savings too fast. How can new retirees try to calm these worries?

Two factors may help: a gradual retirement transition and some guidance from a financial professional.

An abrupt break from the workplace may be unsettling. As a hypothetical example, imagine a well-paid finance manager at an auto dealership whose personal identity is closely tied to his job. His best friends are all at the dealership. He retires, and suddenly his friends and sense of purpose are absent. He finds that he has no compelling reason to leave the house, nothing to look forward to when he gets up in the morning. Guess what? He hates being retired.

On the other hand, if he prepares for retirement years in advance of his farewell party by exploring an encore career, engaging in varieties of self-employment, or volunteering, he can retire with something promising ahead of him. If he broadens the scope of his social life, so that he can see friends and family regularly and interact with both older and younger people in different settings, his retirement may also become more enjoyable.

The interests and needs of a retiree can change with age or as he or she disengages from the working world. Retired households may need to adjust their lifestyles in response to this evolution.

Practically all retirees have some financial anxiety. It relates to the fact of no longer earning a conventional paycheck. You see it in couples who have $60,000 saved for retirement; you see it in couples who have $6 million saved for retirement. Their retirement strategies are about to be tested, in real time. All that careful planning is ready to come to fruition, but there are always unknowns.

Some retirees are afraid to spend. They fear spending too much too soon. With help from a financial professional, they can thoughtfully plan a withdrawal rate.

While no retiree wants to squander money, all retirees should realize that their retirement savings were accumulated to be spent. Being miserly with retirement money contradicts its purpose. The average 65-year-old who retires in 2017 will have a retirement lasting approximately 20 years, by the estimation of the Social Security Administration. So, why not spend some money now and enjoy retired life?1

Broadly speaking, our spending declines as we age. The average U.S. household headed by an 80-year-old spends 43% less money than one headed by a 50-year-old.1

Retirement challenges people in two ways. The obvious challenge is financial; the less obvious challenge is mental. Both tests may be met with sufficient foresight and dedication.

Rep disclosures: Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616- 942-8600.

Citations.

1 - tinyurl.com/ydedsyl5 [4/24/17]

Kim Bolker 7/19/17 Kim Bolker 7/19/17

Talking to Your Kids About Your Wealth

How can you convey its importance and its meaning?

What accounts for the difference? It may boil down to values. When the right values are handed down, a young adult is poised to hold wealth in high regard and receive it with maturity.

This is also a risk. In hiding the details and avoiding the talk, parents may see a child grow into a young adult who is ill-prepared to understand and manage wealth.

Rep disclosures: Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Citations.

1 - reuters.com/article/us-money-generations-strategies-idUSKBN0OX1RH20150617 [6/17/15]

Kim 3/14/17 Kim 3/14/17

Should the Self-Employed Plan to Work Past 65?

Some solopreneurs think they will “work forever,” but that perception may be flawed. About 20% of Americans aged 65-74 are still working. A 2016 Pew Research Center study put the precise figure at 18.8%, and Pew estimates that it will reach 31.9% in 2022. That estimate seems reasonable: people are living longer, and the labor force participation rate for Americans aged 65-74 has been rising since the early 1990s.^1,2

It may be unreasonable, though, for a pre-retiree to blindly assume he or she will be working at that age. Census Bureau data indicates that the average retirement age in this country is 63.³

When do the self-employed anticipate retiring? A 2017 Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey finds that 56% of U.S. solopreneurs think they will retire after 65 or not at all.⁴

Are financial uncertainties promoting this view? Not necessarily. Yes, the survey respondents had definite money concerns – 28% felt Social Security benefits might be reduced in the future; 22% were unsure that their retirement income and accumulated savings would prove sufficient; and 26% suspected they were not saving enough for their tomorrows. On the other hand, 54% of these self-employed people said that they wanted to work in retirement because they enjoyed their job or profession, and 67% felt working would help them remain active.⁴

Is their retirement assumption realistic? Time will tell. The baby boom generation may rewrite the book on retirement. Social Security’s Life Expectancy Calculator tells us that today’s average 60-year-old woman will live to age 86. Today’s average 60-year-old man will live to age 83. Leaving work at 65 could mean a 20-year retirement for either of them, and they might live past 90 if their health holds up. Even if these Americans quit working at age 70, they could still need more than a dozen years of retirement money.⁵

You could argue that an affluent, self-employed individual is hardly the “average” American retiree. Many solopreneurs own businesses; doctors and lawyers may fully or partly own professional practices; real estate investors and developers may have passive income streams. These groups do not represent the entirety of the self-employed, however – and even these individuals can face the challenge of having to sell a business, a practice, or real property to boost their retirement savings.

Successful, self-employed people over 50 need to approach the critical years of retirement planning with the same scrutiny and concerted effort of other pre-retirees.

Look at the years after 50 as a time to intensify your retirement planning. This is the right time to determine how much retirement income you will need and how much more you need to save to generate it. This is the time to evaluate your level of investment risk and to think about when to collect Social Security. This is the time to examine your assumptions.

Rep disclosures: Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600

«RepresentativeDisclosure»

Citations.

1 - nytimes.com/2017/03/02/business/retirement/workers-are-working-longer-and-better.html [3/2/17]

2 - pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/01/07/number-of-older-americans-in-the-workforce-is-on-the-rise/ [1/7/14]

3 - thebalance.com/average-retirement-age-in-the-united-states-2388864 [12/24/16]

4 - transamericacenter.org/docs/default-source/global-survey-2016/tcrs2017_pr_retirement_preparations_of_self-employed.pdf [1/31/17]

5 - ssa.gov/OACT/population/longevity.html [3/9/17]

Kim 3/10/17 Kim 3/10/17

Little Things That May Help Your Retirement Saving

Over time, these seemingly small factors could make a major difference. Saving for retirement takes decades and demands the investment of significant amounts of your income. As this major effort unfolds, you should recognize that some subtle factors and seemingly minor decisions could end up making a sizable and positive impact on your financial future.

Your investment yield may be less important than the amount you save. Beating the S&P 500 feels great, but outperforming the market is not your foremost goal. Your real retirement saving objective is to accumulate sufficient assets – enough to provide adequate income in the “second act” of your life.

How much control do you have over your investment returns? The short answer is very little; market cycles, macroeconomic factors, and the behavior of institutional investors influence them profoundly. On the other hand, you have direct control over your savings rate. The more you pour into your retirement accounts, the more dollars you are giving a chance to compound.

As a hypothetical example, say two people have balances of $100,000 in their respective retirement accounts. Ariel earns a 10% annual return and puts $10,000 into the account at the start of every year for 20 years. David gets a 12% annual return from his account, but he never adds to its $100,000 principal during those 20 years. After 10 years, Ariel’s account balance is $434,638, while David’s is $310,585. After 20 years, Ariel has $1,302,775, while David has $964,629. Result: David falls behind, even while achieving a 2% greater return.

Investment account fees can take a toll. Account fees are little things, but their impact over the years can be enormous on a retirement saver. This is why you may want to place your invested assets into accounts with minimal fees, annual fees of well under 1%.

Everyone talks about the several hundred dollars a year you can save (and invest) by swapping out your daily, flavored latte for a regular cup of joe, but you might as well keep ordering lattes. The money lost to lattes pales next to the money you could potentially lose to account fees. Demos, a public policy think tank, estimates that high expense ratios and administration fees on investments in a typical workplace retirement plan may cost a middle-class, dual-income household as much as $155,000 in retirement assets over a lifetime.

What you avoid doing may help your effort as well. Resist the impulse to deviate from your long-term retirement planning and investing strategy without careful examination. Be wary of the emotional reactions to headlines or market disruptions, those little voices urging you to get out of the market or tilt your portfolio one way or another. Refrain from siphoning down the money in your retirement accounts and using those dollars for another purpose. Stick to your plan, ride through the turbulence, and avoid making a quick, impetuous decision that might do your retirement funds more harm than good.

On that note, remember that tuning out the noise is okay. The financial world is a noisy place, a place of non-stop trading and information flows. Any notable news development becomes a front page (or home page) item. It may seem risky to accept so much of this breaking news passively, with no reaction on your part as an investor or a saver – but passivity has its virtues. A little passivity – in your temperament, in your investment approach – may leave your retirement savings in surprisingly good shape over the long run, compared to the savings of someone who reacts to every temperature shift in the market climate.

Pay attention to these little things as you pursue big financial objectives. In hindsight, you will likely be glad you did.

Rep disclosures: Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

«RepresentativeDisclosure»

Citations.

1 - bankrate.com/finance/investing/saving-money-or-investing-more-important-over-time.aspx [6/25/16]

2 - forbes.com/sites/arielleoshea/2016/08/08/3-common-saving-mistakes-you-can-fix-right-now/ [8/8/16]

Kim 2/28/17 Kim 2/28/17

Little Things That May Help Your Retirement Saving

Over time, these seemingly small factors could make a major difference.

Saving for retirement takes decades and demands the investment of significant amounts of your income. As this major effort unfolds, you should recognize that some subtle factors and seemingly minor decisions could end up making a sizable and positive impact on your financial future.

Your investment yield may be less important than the amount you save. Beating the S&P 500 feels great, but outperforming the market is not your foremost goal. Your real retirement saving objective is to accumulate sufficient assets – enough to provide adequate income in the “second act” of your life.

Investment account fees can take a toll. Account fees are little things, but their impact over the years can be enormous on a retirement saver. This is why you may want to place your invested assets into accounts with minimal fees, annual fees of well under 1%.

What you avoid doing may help your effort as well. Resist the impulse to deviate from your long-term retirement planning and investing strategy without careful examination. Be wary of the emotional reactions to headlines or market disruptions, those little voices urging you to get out of the market or tilt your portfolio one way or another. Refrain from siphoning down the money in your retirement accounts and using those dollars for another purpose. Stick to your plan, ride through the turbulence, and avoid making a quick, impetuous decision that might do your retirement funds more harm than good.

On that note, remember that tuning out the noise is okay. The financial world is a noisy place, a place of non-stop trading and information flows. Any notable news development becomes a front page (or home page) item. It may seem risky to accept so much of this breaking news passively, with no reaction on your part as an investor or a saver – but passivity has its virtues. A little passivity – in your temperament, in your investment approach – may leave your retirement savings in surprisingly good shape over the long run, compared to the savings of someone who reacts to every temperature shift in the market climate.

Pay attention to these little things as you pursue big financial objectives. In hindsight, you will likely be glad you did.

Rep disclosures: Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

«RepresentativeDisclosure»

Citations.

1 - bankrate.com/finance/investing/saving-money-or-investing-more-important-over-time.aspx [6/25/16]

2 - forbes.com/sites/arielleoshea/2016/08/08/3-common-saving-mistakes-you-can-fix-right-now/ [8/8/16]

Kim 2/21/17 Kim 2/21/17

What Could You Do With Your Tax Refund?

Instead of just spending the money, you could plan to pay yourself.

About 70% of taxpayers receive sizable refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. Just how sizable? The average refund totals about $2,800.

What do households do with that money? It varies. Last year, consumer financial services company Bankrate asked Americans about their plans for their federal tax refunds. Thirty-one percent of the respondents to Bankrate’s survey said that they would save or invest those dollars, and 28% indicated they would attack their debts with the money. Another 27% said they would buy food with that cash or use it to pay utility bills. Just 6% said they would earmark their refunds for shopping sprees or vacations.

So, according to those survey results, about six in ten people who get a refund will use it to try and improve their personal finances. You could follow their example.

Do you have an adequate emergency fund? If not, maybe you could strengthen it with your refund. If you have no such fund at all, your refund gives you an opportunity to create one.

You might use your refund to pay off your worst debts. High-interest debts, in particular – if you pay off a debt that carries 16% interest, getting rid of that liability is, effectively, like getting a 16% return. If you lack an emergency fund, you should create that first, then think about reducing your debt. Paying debt down without an emergency fund or some reservoir of savings just sets you up for quickly accumulating more debt.

If you own a home, you may want to consider making a thirteenth mortgage payment before 2017 ends. Putting your refund to work that way may make more sense financially than putting it in the bank, given the minimal interest rates on so many deposit accounts today.

You could pay insurance premiums with the funds. An IRS refund of around $3,000 could go a long way. If you have put off buying a term or permanent life policy, your refund might make insuring yourself easier.

Could you invest the money the IRS returns to you? You could increase (or max out) your annual retirement plan contribution with it or simply direct it into another type of investment account. Whether the savings or investment vehicle is tax-advantaged or not, you have a chance to make that lump sum grow with time.

Aside from investing in equities or debt instruments, you could take your refund and invest in yourself. Maybe you might use it to start a business or support a business you already own. It could also be spent on education. Think of these options as “indirect investments” that might help you or your household grow wealthier one day.

Lastly, remember what a federal or state tax refund represents. It is a percentage of your earnings that the government holds back, in the event that you owe it in taxes. If you repeatedly get a refund, you might want to carefully adjust your W-4 withholding, so that your paychecks are larger during the year.

Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

«RepresentativeDisclosure»

Citations.

1 - azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumers/2017/01/21/tax-season-6-things-to-know/96776554/ [1/21/17]

2 - thestreet.com/story/13523031/2/why-you-should-invest-your-tax-refund-instead-of-spending-it.html [4/8/16]

3 - turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/IRS-Tax-Forms/Top-5-Reasons-to-Adjust-Your-W-4-Withholding/INF14437.html [2/9/17]

Rep disclosures: Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Kim 2/13/17 Kim 2/13/17

Life Insurance Before Age 40

Millennials have good reasons to obtain coverage now.

Do you plan to buy life insurance before you turn 40? Maybe you should. You may save money in the long run by doing so.

At first thought, the idea of purchasing a life insurance policy in your thirties may seem silly. After all, young adults are now marrying and starting families later in life than past generations did, and you and your peers are likely in excellent health with a good chance of living past 80.

In fact, LIMRA – a life insurance research and advocacy group – recently surveyed millennials and found that 30% thought saving for a vacation mattered more than buying life insurance coverage. The perception seems to be that insurance is something to purchase when you start a family or when you hit your forties or fifties.¹

Getting a policy before you marry or start a family may be a great idea. The reasons for doing so might be compelling.

Your premiums will be lower. The older you become, the more expensive life insurance becomes. Data compiled last summer by Life Happens, a non-profit life insurance education effort, confirms this.

Life Happens asked several prominent U.S. insurers to supply their preferred premium rates for healthy non-smokers aged 25, 35, 45, and 55 buying a $250,000 whole life policy (the kind designed to build cash value with time). The average preferred premium rates for 25-, 35-, and 45-year-olds fitting this description were:

25-year-old male: annual premium of $1,987

35-year-old male: annual premium of $2,964

45-year-old male: annual premium of $4,747

25-year-old female: annual premium of $1,745

35-year-old female: annual premium of $2,531

45-year-old female: annual premium of $3,947

The numbers starkly express the truth – whole life insurance premiums more than double between age 25 and age 45.²

Premiums on term life policies are even lower. Term life insurance is essentially coverage that you “rent” for 10, 20, or 30 years – it cannot build any cash value, but in some cases, a term policy can be adapted or exchanged for a whole life policy when the term of coverage ends.

If you are young, term coverage is remarkably cheap. NerdWallet recently researched term life premiums for healthy 30-year-olds. It found the following sample rates for 20- and 30-year term policies valued at $250,000:

30-year-old male: annual premium of $156 for a 20-year term policy, $240 for a 30-year term policy

30-year-old female: annual premium of $141 for a 20-year term policy, $206 for a 30-year term policy

The downside of term coverage is that you are “renting” the insurance. Just as you cannot build home equity by renting a house, you cannot build cash value by “renting” a policy.³

A whole life policy may become quite valuable. As Life Happens notes, the average such policy bought at 25, 35, or 45 may have a guaranteed cash value of anywhere from $100,000-200,000 when the policyholder turns 65, assuming the policy is kept in force and no loans are taken from it. Universal life policies permit tax-deferred growth of the cash value.^1,2

Make no mistake, a whole life policy is a lifelong commitment. It must be funded every year or it will lapse. That should not scare you away from the value and utility of these policies – the cash inside the policy can often be borrowed or withdrawn. Sometimes families use cash value to fund college educations or help with medical expenses or retirement. Such withdrawals can lessen the death benefit of the policy, but what is left is often adequate. Cash withdrawals from a whole life policy are usually exempt from taxes, just like the death benefit.¹

Maybe this is the time to put time on your side. Age-wise, life insurance will never be cheaper than it is for you today. Getting coverage now – even if you are single – may be a money-smart move as well as a great life decision.

Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600

«RepresentativeDisclosure»

Citations.

1 - cnbc.com/2016/10/17/think-about-life-insurance-sooner-rather-than-later.html [10/17/16]

2 - lifehappens.org/product-selector/comparing-the-cost-permanent-and-term-life-insurance/ [1/26/17]

3 - nerdwallet.com/life-insurance#basic [1/26/17]

Kim 1/16/17 Kim 1/16/17

OUT-OF-THE-BOX WAYS TO PAY FOR COLLEGE

Many of these options go unrecognized. Today’s average student borrower takes out more than $25K in loans. Education debt has reached record levels in America – more than $1 trillion. In the face of those numbers, parents and students are looking for assorted ways to pay for college without incurring big liabilities.¹

In addition to grants, loans, merit-based aid and your student holding down a job, there are other ways to reduce college cost – some little recognized.

First, how expensive will college be? Can you project the total cost of your student’s college education? Assuming five years in school (which is the average for today’s undergrads) and no change in majors along the way, can a financial aid officer give you a ballpark figure? If not, an online resource such as Alltuition.com may be able to estimate it for you.^1,2

Presumably, you opened a 529 plan or some other form of college savings fund for your student years ago. If those funds aren’t enough, where can you find other resources to meet a projected shortfall?

What about outright gifts of cash? If you or relatives or friends have the money, that is an option. Will you suffer gift tax consequences as a result? No. If the money constituting that completed gift is used directly to pay tuition expenses at an educational institution, that gift is not taxable. It will not cut into your annual gift exclusion amount ($13,000 for 2012) or your lifetime unified credit (currently set at $5.12 million).^3,4

One caveat, however: if you make any kind of tuition payment on behalf of your student, that will be characterized as untaxed income on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). That could wipe out your student’s chances of getting any need-based financial aid. This is why some families elect to put off tuition gifts until a student’s senior year.⁴

Can you reduce your taxable income to get your student more financial aid? You may be able to do so. If getting federal student aid is your objective, knocking down your taxable income (through moves big and little) might make a big difference.

On the FAFSA, family income matters more than family assets. Retirement account balances, net worth attributable to home values and small businesses – none of this matters, it doesn’t factor into the needs analysis. The FAFSA is used to determine the expected family contribution (EFC), which is the combination of funds that the parent(s) and student can make available for a school year. The gap between the EFC and the expected total education costs of the school year represents the level of financial need weighed in determining federal student aid.⁵

So the lower your EFC is, the greater your level of financial need will be – and the greater amount of federal student aid that may be available. This is why many parents and students elect to spend down their combined savings and assets set aside for college during the freshman year. With no assets left for the sophomore year (and by this same logic, subsequent academic years), eligibility for federal student aid is wide open. Of course, you may be also opening a door to potential long-term debt.

There are other ways to alter your tax picture to get your student some financial aid –aid not linked to lingering debt.

Have you heard of “tax scholarships”? No, not scholarships linked to a state tax credit (though those may be worth a look). These are de facto scholarships that you may be able to create for your student with the help of a CPA or financial advisor (and the IRS). If you can find or arrange new tax deductions this year, you can redirect that money toward your student’s college expenses. Savvy business owners and professionals often make this move.

What about untraditional scholarships? For example, CollegeNet.com currently offers a “weekly scholarship” running between $3,000-10,000. Collegians themselves decide which applicant deserves the funds. There are other such examples.¹

Can you negotiate tuition? At first instinct, does that seem rude, uncouth? It may prove smart – and it is done. There are such things as tuition discounts (and grant programs) offered to those who negotiate, even those not eligible for need-based aid. If a university really wants your student, you may have some leverage.

Are you willing to go the JC route, or the online route? Going to a local junior college for the first two years of study toward a bachelor’s degree can save a student and family tuition, housing and travel and auto expenses, and maybe a little anxiety – if your student decides he or she wants to major in oceanography instead of marketing, you haven’t paid $10,000 or $20,000 a year to arrive at that conclusion.

Recognizing the costs of housing, commuting and parking permits, some colleges are offering parts of their curriculum online or in more accessible settings – for example, Virginia Tech offers introductory math courses through computer labs and the University of Minnesota’s new Rochester campus uses part of a local shopping mall to hold classes. While taking classes on a computer or at some obscure satellite campus may not give you the full university experience, it may help to reduce expenses.²

Need help with college planning? Talk with a financial professional well versed in the matter – sooner rather than later.

Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

This material was prepared by MarketingLibrary.Net Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. 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.

Citations.

1 – www.dailyfinance.com/2012/04/19/paying-for-college-two-websites-offer-outside-of-the-box-ideas/ [4/19/12]

2 – www.businessweek.com/printer/articles/70120-student-loans-debt-for-life [9/6/12]

3 – www.irs.gov/uac/In-2012,-Many-Tax-Benefits-Increase-Due-to-Inflation-Adjustments [10/20/11]

4 - www.education.com/reference/article/pay-college-saving-understand-gift-tax/ [9/6/12]

5 – thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/11/fafsaq-and-a/ [1/11/11]

Kim 1/8/17 Kim 1/8/17

When Is Social Security Income Taxable?

The answer depends on your income. 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.

Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600

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]

Kim 12/19/16 Kim 12/19/16

The Intriguing Post-Election Rally

Why did some sectors rise more than others? Wall Street likes certainty. When startling financial, political, or societal events occur, volatility usually follows, and the major indices may fall.

In late October, the Dow Jones Industrial Average went on a multi-day losing streak as Donald Trump caught up to Hillary Clinton in the polls tracking the presidential race. Wall Street had been anticipating a Clinton victory; suddenly, that looked less certain. The Dow gradually sank below 18,000. When Trump won, however, the Dow did not drop further. It rallied for seven days and notched four record closes.^1,2

What sparked the Dow’s rally? One, a new presumption of massive federal spending on infrastructure and defense. In August, Trump pledged he would “at least double” Clinton’s proposed federal stimulus if elected, which would mean committing more than $500 billion to repair the nation’s highways, bridges, and ports. He has also talked of greater military spending. Many, if not all, of the 30 companies making up the Dow could play significant roles in such efforts. Two, a Trump presidency is perceived as pro-business, with the potential for decreased regulation, renegotiated trade agreements, and tax cuts.^2,3

The small caps also soared after Trump’s win. The Russell 2000 advanced 9% during November 9-17, leading some investors to wonder what the small caps had in common with the record-setting blue chips. The quick answer is that these small-cap firms have greater exposure to the U.S. economy than they do to foreign economies. Bulls believe that these firms will be particularly well positioned if infrastructure spending increases.⁴

Why did the S&P 500 & Nasdaq Composite lag the Dow & the Russell? The S&P rose 1.8% from November 9-17. This returned the index to the level at which it had been for most of the third quarter.^4,5

A closer look at the S&P’s recent performance reveals a striking gap between its industry groups. Its financial sector climbed 10% in the eight days after Trump’s victory, aided by hopes for friendlier bank regulation in the new administration. By November 15, its YTD performance was 17% better than that of the S&P’s worst-performing sector, utilities. This degree of difference had not been seen in the index since 2009. Basically, a major rotation happened, taking invested assets out of certain sectors and into other sectors presumed to benefit from the policies of a Trump presidency.^2,6

Hearing about the Dow’s surge, some investors assumed their portfolios would see large, abrupt gains – but in any sector rotation, money flows away from some industry groups toward others. In the three days after Trump’s victory, the Dow had gained 2.81%; the S&P, 1.16%; and the Nasdaq, 0.84%. While the Dow is only comprised of 30 companies, the S&P and the Nasdaq are much broader benchmarks, exponentially larger in their scope. Both the Nasdaq and the S&P contain many tech companies – and, broadly speaking, Silicon Valley was not high on Trump.⁷

Investors scratching their heads at recent portfolio performance would also do well to remember that large caps are just one of six asset classes. The gains for U.S. equities stood out globally after the election; there were losses in emerging and developed markets abroad, and losses in the debt markets. As assets in many portfolios are allocated across various asset classes to try and manage risk, this helps to explain why many retail investors saw only small gains or no gains at all immediately after November 8. They were not invested merely in the member firms of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.⁷

Will this rally continue? It’s difficult to say. As you know, history provides information of the past, and no assurance of future returns. While it’s possible that the new administration’s policies will bear out this goodwill, it’s also possible, after the administration convenes, that there is a new perspective. Time will tell.

Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Citations.

1 - money.cnn.com/data/markets/dow/ [11/17/16]

2 - investing.com/news/stock-market-news/s-amp;p,-nasdaq-higher-as-investors-digest-yellen-remarks-441723 [11/17/16]

3 - fortune.com/2016/08/03/donald-trump-infrastructure/ [8/3/16]

4 - blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2016/11/17/why-the-small-cap-rally-may-stick-around/ [11/17/16]

5 - marketwatch.com/story/stop-calling-stock-market-rise-a-trump-rally-2016-11-17 [11/17/16]

6 - bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-15/s-p-500-futures-inch-ahead-as-investors-speculate-on-trump-plans [11/15/16]

7 - forbes.com/sites/davidmarotta/2016/11/14/how-the-markets-moved-after-a-trump-victory/ [11/14/16]

Kim 12/11/16 Kim 12/11/16

Retirees Should Have Spending Plans

Without such strategies, they can risk going through their savings too fast. Every day, articles appear urging people to save for retirement. These articles are so prevalent that it may seem like retirement planning is entirely about getting people to save.

Actually, retirement planning concerns much more than that. It has another aspect well worth discussing: the eventual spending of all of that money that has been accumulated.

Too few Americans coordinate their retirement spending. Earlier this year, Ameriprise asked more than 1,300 savers aged 55-75 if they had a drawdown strategy in mind for the future. Nearly two-thirds of the pre-retirees surveyed did not. A third of the retired respondents to the survey also lacked spending plans.¹

In retirement, inattention to household spending can have serious consequences. A newly retired couple can travel too much, eat out too frequently, and live it up to such a degree that its savings can be drawn down abruptly. That danger is heightened if a couple’s investments start to perform poorly. A spending plan may help retirees guard against this kind of crisis.

Another case occurs when a retiree household becomes overconfident in its decently performing portfolio and its middling level of savings. A decade or so into retirement without a spending plan, that household finds its investment and bank accounts dwindling mysteriously fast. Sunday brunches give way to $3.99 bacon-and-egg specials, and the golf clubs stay in the garage all year. A plan for drawing down retirement savings in moderation when retirement starts might help such a couple maintain its quality of life longer.

There is no standardized retirement drawdown strategy. Each retired household (and its retirement planner) must arrive at one specific to its savings, investment mix, income requirements, and age.

There are some basic principles, however, that may help in configuring the spending plan. It makes sense for many retirees to tap their taxable brokerage accounts as a first step in a drawdown strategy. This allows assets held within tax-advantaged retirement accounts (such as IRAs) more time to grow and compound. By doing this, a retiree can effectively realize a tax break – money coming out of a traditional IRA is taxed as regular income, whereas long-term capital gains are taxed between zero and 20%.^1,2

Of course, Roth IRA withdrawals are never taxed, provided you have followed IRS rules. That brings up another factor in planning retirement spending – what can be done with regard to asset location and tax efficiency before retirement.²

A retiree with a larger traditional IRA may want to consider a Roth conversion of some or all of those IRA assets before age 70. In the fifties or sixties, an IRA owner may be at or near peak earnings, so handling the tax bite that comes with such a conversion may be comparatively easier than it would be during retirement.

Another tactic is to take earlier, voluntary withdrawals from accounts that would demand Required Minimum Withdrawals (RMDs) beginning at age 70½. These voluntary withdrawals, which would occur before the start of RMDs, would leave an IRA owner with lower RMDs (and less taxable income) in the future.

Retirement spending should never be treated casually. A spending strategy may play a crucial role in preserving a retired household’s quality of life.

Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Citations.

1 - cnbc.com/2016/03/02/spending-in-retirement-is-a-balancing-act.html [3/2/16]

2 - investopedia.com/ask/answers/102714/how-are-ira-withdrawals-taxed.asp [10/17/16]

Kim 11/29/16 Kim 11/29/16

What You Can & Cannot Control as You Plan for Retirement

Some things you have no influence over. You may have some power to affect other factors. Are you worried about retiring? Many baby boomers are, and they have reason to be, given low interest rates, subpar returns on equities, increasing health care costs, and the issues facing Social Security.

Now, do yourself a favor. Read that last sentence again, and ask yourself, “which of those four things can I control?”

The correct answer: none of them. That may be frightening, but it is also truthful. As you plan for retirement, you must acknowledge that certain factors are beyond your control. As much as you would like to influence or change them, you have no say over them.

So, what can you control? Primarily, three things: the way you save; the way you manage risk; and the way you will spend your savings.

The way you save may be more important than the way you invest. Every saver hears about the benefits of an early start, and those benefits can be considerable. As an example, consider these hypothetical savers:

Erica saves $5,000 per year for 20 years at an 8% return, and thanks to time, inflows, and compounding, she turns that initial $5,000 into $247,115 two decades later. Midway through this 20-year stretch, Giovanni, Erica’s co-worker, decides he will start saving too. Time is not such a good friend to him, however. If he wants to amass $247,115 (give or take a few bucks), he will have to pour in around $15,795 into his retirement account annually at that 8% yearly yield. And as for Erica … all other variables frozen, if she saves $14,000 per year, instead of $5,000 a year, at a consistent 8% yield for 20 years, her savings at the end of that two-decade period will be $691,921 rather than $247,115.¹

Your risk exposure matters. In a perfect world, taking on X degree of risk would lead to Y degree of reward. If only it worked that way. Still, a portfolio that assumes reasonable levels of risk may generate better long-term returns than a highly conservative, risk-averse one.

The inescapable truth of investing is that when you forfeit risk, you also often forfeit your potential for significant gains. To be more specific, getting out of equities when the market sours puts you on the sidelines when the market rallies. Should you abandon equities in a correction or bear market, you face another kind of risk – the risk of selling low and buying high.

If you absolutely detest risk and want to minimize your risk exposure as you save and invest for retirement, then you must compensate for that lessened risk exposure by saving more, whether in cash or conservative investment vehicles. Remember that to save more, you must also spend less.

Will you plan how to spend your retirement savings? That will put you a step ahead of many retirees, who have no strategy whatsoever. You need to plan both the succession and amount of your retirement withdrawals – what annual percentage should be distributed from what accounts in what order. Four primary variables may affect your plan, and you arguably have some control over them all: your yearly withdrawal amount, your level of debt, your health, and your retirement date. You cannot control the tax code or the equities markets, but you can try to pay off debt, improve your health, spend reasonably, and work longer, if needed.

Focus on what you can control. It may keep you from losing some sleep over what you cannot.

Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Citations.

1 - bankrate.com/finance/investing/saving-money-or-investing-more-important-over-time.aspx [12/30/15]

Kim 11/27/16 Kim 11/27/16

How Can Women Save More for Retirement?

Suggestions to accelerate & maintain the pace of the effort. Numerous articles have mentioned the obstacles women can face as they save for retirement. Turning from the negative, here are some positive factors that may help women save more.

Financial literacy. Learning about investing, retirement topics and the markets is step one. An appreciation and understanding of the potential of equity investment, a recognition that a six-figure or seven-figure sum may be needed to retire – a retirement savings effort proceeds from these understandings.

When you have knowledge, you have more confidence and your money decisions feel empowering. A 2014 TIAA-CREF survey found that 81% of women who had obtained knowledge from a financial professional reported feeling informed about retirement planning and retirement saving, and 63% of women who had received financial advice felt confident about their retirement saving progress.¹

Debt reduction. Less debt leaves more money to save. One recent survey suggests that women amass less debt than men: in reviewing credit trends for 2013, Experian found women were 4.3% less indebted than men overall and that female borrowers missed fewer mortgage payments and took out smaller home loans. As for handling a student loan burden while saving for retirement, most federal college loans are eligible for at least one of the new income-based repayment plans which cap monthly payment levels based on family size and income.^2,3

Estimating high. Here are seven words you will rarely (if ever) hear from a financial professional: “You are saving too much for retirement.” Most people save too little, and here is a case where erring on the side of caution is no error at all. Building your retirement nest egg through multiple vehicles (an IRA, a workplace retirement plan, an equity portfolio, savings accounts) can contribute to the generation of a larger-than-necessary retirement fund.

Saving 10% or more of your income as soon as you can. Starting early allows you to take advantage of the considerable power of compounding. Putting away 10% or 15% of your annual income into retirement accounts is not excessive; it is quite reasonable, even necessary.

As a hypothetical example, 35-year-old Christina has already saved $30,000 for retirement with the idea of retiring at 65. She currently earns $70,000 annually. A retirement income of $100,000 seems like a nice idea for 2045 and the 20 years stretching beyond that date.

Assuming a 6% return before and after retirement, Christina would need to save 17.61% of her income, or $12,329 a year, to reach her goal under such parameters.⁴

At age 45 she has built $152,000 in retirement savings and earns $120,000 a year. To get that $100,000 retirement income for a 20-year retirement, she still has to save 14.9% of her income ($17,928) at a hypothetical 6% consistent return to realize that objective. The lesson: save, save early, and save more.⁴

Asking for raises or creating new income streams. It can be hard to ask for a raise, but it is harder to live on a substandard salary or risk positioning yourself for a retirement savings shortfall. Your employer will not likely give you one out of thin air, so initiate the conversation and assert your value. Also, look for opportunities to make more money outside of the 8-to-5 or 7-to-4: speaking engagements, home organizing, direct sales, consulting and other methods.

Owning your financial life. That is to say, keep control over it. If a relationship is wonderful and intense, great, but avoid being seduced into a passive financial role in the long term. That was the default role for women decades ago when they married, but even today, when one person makes most of the financial decisions in a relationship, the other person risks moving forward in life with inadequate financial knowledge. That problem plagues widows.

Actively managing your finances also means straightforwardly addressing spending issues, debt and any other financial problems or dilemmas that must be resolved as you pursue your retirement savings goal.

Thinking positive. Saving for retirement begins by pairing the right outlook and the right actions. Stay positive; stay consistent; run the numbers and make sure you are saving enough. To find out just how much is enough, consult a financial professional who can help you assess your saving potential.

Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Citations.

1 - tiaa-cref.org/public/about/press/about_us/releases/articles/pressrelease534.html [10/29/14]

2 - experian.com/blogs/news/2013/05/22/women-vs-men/ [5/22/13]

3 - studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/understand/plans/income-driven [4/9/15]

4 - msn.com/en-us/money/tools/retirementplanner [4/9/15]

Kim 11/6/16 Kim 11/6/16

How Will the Market Respond After the Election?

We may see some volatility, but equilibrium could quickly be restored. What will happen on Wall Street after November 8? We can shrug and say, “who knows,” and that simple answer may be as good as any other. Trying to predict which way the market will go is difficult, even when it comes to a single trading session. All that said, investors may take some cues from the result of the presidential election and push stocks in one direction or another.

Could there be a market shock? The biggest stock market disruptor so far in 2016 has been the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom. That late June development erased the entire year-to-date advance of the S&P 500 – but the S&P recovered quickly, gaining back its losses by the start of July in a textbook example of stock market resilience. The index rallied for several weeks thereafter.¹

The market appears to be pricing in a Clinton win. A Trump win would defy quite a few political forecasts – and perhaps affect Wall Street in a way similar to the Brexit vote.

One forecasting firm, Macroeconomic Advisers, has put out a bold prediction: it believes that the S&P 500 could rise 4% in the near term after a Clinton win, while a Trump win would bring on a 7-8% descent. The Brookings Institute – a research and public policy think tank, not a market analytics firm – feels a Trump victory would prompt a correction. Overseas markets might also slump significantly in reaction to an oncoming Trump presidency, as Trump’s image outside the U.S. is largely unfavorable.^1,2

Regardless of who wins, some immediate volatility would not be unusual. Bespoke Investment Group, a very respected provider of market data, finds that the S&P 500 has seesawed in the days surrounding recent presidential elections. The common pattern is a rally on Election Day; then, a pullback the next day, averaging around 1%. An extreme example of this behavior came in 2008, when the index rose 4% on Election Day (Barack Obama was the heavy favorite that year), then fell 5.3% a day later.²

What does history tell us could happen in the months ahead? Understanding that past performance is not indicative of future success (or failure), we see that the performance of the S&P has varied widely on such occasions. In 2012, the index was flat for the rest of the year after the election; the next year, the S&P rose 30%. In 2008, the S&P fell 10% after the election. Then it advanced 23% in 2009. In 2004, a 7% rally after the re-election of George W. Bush was followed by only a 3% gain in 2005. In 2000, an 8% post-election retreat for the S&P preceded a 13% fall for the index in 2001. From numbers like that, we can only conclude that stock market behavior is hard to predict.¹

The election is an event on a timeline. Wall Street’s reaction to it, positive or negative, will likely be old news within weeks, if not days. The Federal Reserve’s December policy statement may make bigger waves. Take whatever occurs in stride, knowing that it is but a page in the long story of Wall Street. One market moment should not lead you to rethink your approach or your commitment to saving and investing for your long-term goals.

Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Citations.

1 - businessinsider.com/what-happens-in-the-stock-market-after-us-elections-2016-9 [10/15/16]

2 - money.cnn.com/2016/10/24/investing/stocks-donald-trump-hillary-clinton/index.html [10/24/16]

Kim 10/23/16 Kim 10/23/16

Social Security: Myths vs. Facts

Dispelling some misperceptions about the program. Some myths & misperceptions keep circulating about Social Security. These are worth dispelling, as more and more baby boomers are becoming eligible for their retirement benefits.

Myth #1: Social Security will go away before you do. The federal government has announced that Social Security may become insolvent between 2033 and 2037 if no action is taken – but it is practically a given that Congress will act on the program’s behalf. Social Security provides 40% of the total income of the 40 million Americans receiving retirement benefits.¹

Did you know that Social Security has had a surplus each year since 1984? That situation is about to change. By about 2020, the program is projected to face a deficit, which it will tap incoming interest payments to offset. It will only be able to use that tactic until the mid-2030s. The program will not “run dry” or go bankrupt at that point, but by some estimates, its payments to retirees could become about 25% smaller.¹

Myth #2: Your Social Security benefits are “your” money. It would be a fitting reward if your Social Security income represented the return of all the payroll taxes you had paid through the years. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The payroll taxes you paid decades ago funded the Social Security benefits that went to retirees at that time. Your Social Security benefits will be funded by the payroll taxes that a younger generation pays.²

Myth #3: Social Security income is tax-free. In reality, up to 85% of your Social Security income may be taxed. Social Security uses a formula to determine the taxable amount, which is as follows: adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + one-half of your Social Security benefit = your combined income. Single filers with combined incomes between $25,000-$34,000, and joint filers with combined incomes between $32,000-$44,000, may have as much as 50% of their benefits taxed. Single filers with combined incomes above $34,000, and joint filers with combined incomes above $44,000, may have up to 85% of their benefits subject to taxation.²

Myth #4: If you have never worked, you will never get Social Security benefits. This is not necessarily true.

Generally speaking, you have to work at least ten years to become eligible for Social Security income. That is, you have to spend ten or more years at jobs in which you pay Social Security taxes; you have to pay into the system to get something back from the system. Unfortunately, caregiving and child-rearing do not qualify you for Social Security.¹

To get technical about it, you must accumulate 40 “credits” to become eligible for benefits. When you receive $1,260 in earned income, you get one credit. Another $1,260 in earned income brings you another credit, and so forth. You can receive up to four credits per year. Most people will collect their 40 credits in a decade; though others will take longer.¹

If you have never worked, or worked for less than 10 years, you could still qualify for Social Security on the earnings record of your spouse, your ex-spouse, or your late spouse. A widow can choose to collect up to 100% of a deceased spouse’s monthly benefit; a married spouse can collect up to 50% of the other spouse’s monthly benefit. If you have divorced, you may still file for Social Security benefits based on your ex-spouse’s earnings record – provided that the marriage lasted ten years or longer and you have not married again.¹

Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Citations.

1 - fool.com/retirement/2016/07/18/12-jaw-dropping-stats-about-social-security.aspx [7/18/16]

2 - usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2016/04/03/social-security-facts/81883222/ [4/3/16]

Kim 10/17/16 Kim 10/17/16

Are You Insured?

Too many Americans have no life insurance. Their loved ones may pay dearly for that choice. September is National Life Insurance Awareness Month – a good time to think about the value and importance of insuring yourself.

According to a recent Bankrate survey, 42% of Americans have no life insurance at all. They may not know that life insurance coverage has become much more affordable than it once was.¹

Many people ask if life insurance is really worth the cost; maybe you are among them. The simple answer to that question is yes. It can be stunningly cheap: a healthy, non-smoking man in his thirties may pay less than $45 a month for a $1 million 20-year term policy. Permanent life insurance costs more than term life insurance, but permanent life policies can build cash value over time; term policies cannot.²

Life insurance is about managing risk, and if other people rely on you financially, you need to have it in place in case your passing puts them at financial risk. When a spouse or parent dies, there are financial matters to address: a sudden lack of income for a household, bills and mortgages or rent to pay, final expenses such as funeral or cremation costs, and the cost of children’s education. Without adequate life insurance coverage, a household is hard-pressed to meet these immediate, financially draining challenges.

Many growing families have inadequate life insurance coverage. The Bankrate survey discovered that 37% of parents with children under age 18 had no policy at all. Some younger families find coverage through group plans, but perhaps not enough: 32% of the survey respondents raising minor children said that the death benefits on their life insurance contracts were $100,000 or less.¹

The problem of inadequate coverage seems to plague households of all ages. A five-figure life insurance payout can pay for a funeral, but it will not offer much economic insulation to a family after a wage earner dies. Bankrate found that 47% of the Americans who have life insurance have policies with coverage amounts of $100,000 or lower. Twenty-one percent of Americans have policies with death benefits of $25,000 or lower.¹

How much coverage is adequate for you? Ideally, you should determine that with the help of an insurance professional. As a rough rule of thumb, the death benefit on a policy should be about 15 times your income. If you are considering a term life policy, the term should not end before your envisioned retirement age.²

Life insurance can also be valuable while you are alive. A policy with cash value components may grow over time, either by a fixed amount per year or a variable amount as a result of the insurer directing some of the assets into underlying equity investments. (In such cases, it is also possible for the cash value to decline if the underlying investments do poorly.) After a while, you may be able to borrow against the cash value. Sometimes the payout amount on these types of policies can be adjusted as well as the size of the premiums. Of course, you must keep paying the premiums to keep any kind of permanent life or term life policy in force.³

While you may decide you prefer one kind of policy over another, the important thing is to have coverage in place – not just to reassure yourself, but those you love. Life insurance can help a spouse or a family maintain financial equilibrium at a time when it is most needed.

Kim Bolker may be reached at kbolker@sigmarep.com or 616-942-8600.

Citations.

1 - bankrate.com/finance/insurance/money-pulse-0715.aspx [7/8/15]

2 - forbes.com/sites/timmaurer/2016/01/05/10-things-you-absolutely-need-to-know-about-life-insurance/ [1/5/16]

3 - nerdwallet.com/blog/insurance/should-you-consider-cash-value-life-insurance/ [5/6/15]

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