For the Week of June 14, 2021

The Markets

Stocks climbed slightly Friday. The S&P reached a new record, and the NASDAQ posted its fourth winning week in a row as investors shook off a report showing the Consumer Price Index jumped 5 percent in May from a year earlier. For the week, the Dow fell 0.78 percent to close at 34,479.60. The S&P rose 0.43 percent to finish at 4,247.44, and the NASDAQ climbed 1.85 percent to end at 14,069.42.

Source: Morningstar.com. *Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. Three- and five-year returns are annualized. The Dow Jones Industrials, MSCI EAFE, Barclays US Agg Bond, NASDAQ and S&P, excluding “1 Week” returns, are based on total return, which is a reflection of return to an investor by reinvesting dividends after the deduction of withholding tax. (TR) indicates total return. MSCI EAFE returns stated in U.S. dollars.

Dollar Is King — 59 percent of the world’s foreign exchange reserves, i.e., cash holdings of central banks around the world, were held in U.S. dollars as of the end of calendar year 2020, its lowest level in 25 years but still making the dollar the most popular currency in the world. The Euro, representing 21 percent of global foreign exchange reserves, is the second most widely held currency (source: International Monetary Fund, BTN Research).

Babies — When America recorded 4.32 million births in 2007, it broke the nation’s all-time high of 4.31 million births from 1957. Since 2007, the number of U.S. births has fallen in 12 of 13 years to 3.61 million births in 2020, the same number of U.S. births that took place in 1980 (source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BTN Research).

Work From Home, Start a Business — Americans filed 4.33 million new business applications in 2020, up 24 percent from 3.49 million filed in 2019, and up 75 percent from 2.48 million filed in 2010 (source: Census Bureau, BTN Research).

WEEKLY FOCUS – The Importance of a Good Withdrawal Plan

So, you’ve developed a financial plan for your future. You know how you’re going to accumulate the savings and investments needed to provide a comfortable retirement. But do you have a plan for withdrawing savings during retirement? If you don’t create a well-thought out plan for accessing funds from your accounts, you could lose savings to taxes or even run out of money.

Here are some things to keep in mind when developing your budget and withdrawal plan.

Budget for your future lifestyle. Your budget is a good place to begin determining your monthly retirement withdrawals. Will you continue your current financial lifestyle? Adopt a more conservative approach? Or do you have goals, which will require a higher budget? In addition to living expenses, include travel, entertainment, and the possibility of life-changing events like marriage or health issues.

Know how taxes will affect your assets. Having assets in accounts, which vary in terms of their tax treatment, could be wise. Your assets likely fall into tax-deferred, taxable, or tax-free categories. Knowing how your savings will be taxed is important when developing your withdrawal plan. For example, depending upon your circumstances and goals, it might be best to use the profits from taxable investment accounts first and later look to your tax-deferred accounts, such as a traditional IRA or 401(k). Most experts agree Roth IRAs should be the last account to tap, giving them as much time as possible to grow tax-free.

Know your required minimum distributions (RMDs). When you reach 72 (70½ if you reached 70½ before January 1, 2020), certain types of accounts require you begin withdrawing savings. If you don’t, the tax penalty could be as high as 50 percent of the required distribution. The rules for RMDs can be confusing. Your financial professional can help you understand them and avoid fees.

Just as it’s never too early to start saving for retirement, it’s never too soon to think about how you’ll withdraw from those savings in retirement. There are many approaches to withdrawal plans, but the best plan is based on your future goals and the kind of investment accounts you have. Call our office today. We can help you create a well-thought-out withdrawal plan designed to increase confidence, preserve your retirement assets, and reduce your tax burden.

We do not provide tax advice; please consult an accountant for more information.

* The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted index of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. NASDAQ Composite Index is an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over-the-counter common stocks traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System. The Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australia and Far East Index (MSCI EAFE Index) is a widely recognized benchmark of non-U.S. stock markets. It is an unmanaged index composed of a sample of companies representative of the market structure of 20 European and Pacific Basin countries and includes reinvestment of all dividends. Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index is an unmanaged index comprised of U.S. investment-grade, fixed-rate bond market securities, including government, government agency, corporate and mortgage-backed securities between one and 10 years. Written by Securities America, Copyright June 2021. All rights reserved. Securities offered through Securities America, Inc., broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. and/or Arbor Point Advisors LLC, registered investment advisers. Securities America, Inc., Securities America Advisors, Inc., and Arbor Point Advisors LLC are separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent. Securities America  •  12325 Port Grace Blvd.  •  La Vista, NE 68128  •  800-747-6111  •  securitiesamerica.com #  3631160.1

For the Week of June 7, 2021

    The Markets

Stocks rose Friday. The Labor Department’s May jobs report showed unemployment fell to a pandemic-era low of 5.9 percent, and new job growth was stronger than April’s but short of expectations. The mixed news appeared to assure investors the Fed would retain its accommodating money policies. For the week, the Dow rose 0.69 percent to close at 34,756.39. The S&P gained 0.64 percent to finish at 4,229.89, and the NASDAQ climbed 0.49 percent to end at 13,814.49.

Source: Morningstar.com. *Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. Three- and five-year returns are annualized. The Dow Jones Industrials, MSCI EAFE, Barclays US Agg Bond, NASDAQ and S&P, excluding “1 Week” returns, are based on total return, which is a reflection of return to an investor by reinvesting dividends after the deduction of withholding tax. (TR) indicates total return. MSCI EAFE returns stated in U.S. dollars.

Did You Need It? — 40.3 percent of college graduates aged 22 to 27 are working in jobs in which they are underemployed, i.e., they are working in a job that typically does not require a college degree. Historically, 33.5 percent of college grads are underemployed (source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, BTN Research).

Will It Be Spent Eventually? — The personal savings rate in the U.S. in the first quarter 2021 was 21 percent. The personal savings rate in the U.S. in the first quarter 2001 was 5 percent. The personal savings rate is defined as savings (i.e., after-tax income less consumption spending) divided by after-tax income (source: Department of Commerce, BTN Research).

Not a Big Number? — At its peak, 3.7 million home mortgages (out of 52.4 million mortgages nationwide) had requested and received forbearance protection afforded through the CARES Act that was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27, 2020. As of March 2021, that total had fallen to 2.2 million home mortgages still in forbearance, or just 4.2 percent of all mortgages (source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, BTN Research).

WEEKLY FOCUS – June Is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month

It’s difficult to find someone who has not been emotionally and/or financially impacted by Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is one of our nation’s costliest diseases. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, total payments for all individuals with Alzheimer’s or other dementias are estimated to total $355 billion in 2021 (not including unpaid caregiving). Sadly, afflicted individuals without adequate long-term care insurance frequently lose most, if not all, of their financial assets.

But even dementias’ beginning stages and mild cognitive impairment experienced by healthy seniors can put personal wealth at risk. That’s why it’s important to begin having conversations about your aging family member’s finances well before you see signs of mental decline. Obviously, this has to be done with great sensitivity and respect. Make sure they know you don’t want to take control, but you would like to ensure they are protected and their wishes honored in the years to come.

During ongoing dialogs, try to learn what you’ll need to know if it becomes necessary to manage their finances: the names and contact information of their financial planner, accountant, and attorney; financial records and where they are kept; their monthly income and the sources; insurance policies; the location of financial accounts; regular bills and how they are paid; and log-in information for online accounts.

Suggest meeting jointly with their financial professional and/or other family members. Gain an understanding of their priorities and wishes. Ask which assets are most important to them, what causes they want to support, and whether their will is up to date.

Propose having legal documents created that will allow you or another family member to make decisions if your loved one becomes unable to. This can include: a health care power of attorney (POA) or a more limited living will, either a limited or durable power of attorney for finances, an authorization to disclose account information, and a form authorizing a financial institution to contact you if concerns arise about their ability to manage finances. Not having these documents when they’re needed can make helping your elderly relative considerably more difficult. For example, without a POA, you may need to go to court to attain guardianship of your family member to access accounts on their behalf.

Contact our office if you would like more information about protecting your loved one or help creating a plan to care for them.