Bristlecone Blog

With anxiety comes an urge to do something. We agree, and here is what we are doing at Bristlecone, as well as some more recommendations for you to implement.

If you’re a named beneficiary of an IRA account whose owner recently passed away, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure how to proceed. Inherited IRA assets are subject to myriad IRS and federal regulations, several of which were revised under the recently-passed SECURE Act, creating even more confusion. As a beneficiary, understanding your options, obligations, and potential tax consequences is critical to maximizing the value of your inheritance.

This sweeping bill offers several adjustments to our current laws surrounding saving and preparing for retirement. The SECURE Act is poised to: provide more part-time workers with the opportunity to participate in an employer-sponsored 401(k) plan, adjust the age caps on traditional IRAs and increase access to tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts. Below we’re outlining the most prominent changes of this new act and how they may affect your own retirement.

Many seniors breathe a sigh of relief upon reaching age 65—and qualifying for Medicare. Private health insurance is a major household expense for those aged 50-64, and Medicare coverage is significantly cheaper. Even so, some seniors are surprised to learn that they could be subject to additional out-of-pocket Medicare premiums...

Back in our February 2018 commentary (“Just Keep Swimming”), we briefly discussed the risks of market downturns for people nearly or recently retired. The main danger we identified was called sequence of returns risk. As some of our readers approach retirement, they may wonder: what is this risk and how should they protect from it?

Our financial lives can be complicated. Between monthly bills, medical costs, bank accounts, credit and debit cards, investment accounts, and taxes, for better or worse each of us accumulates hundreds of financial relationships over the course of our lives.