The articles on this page are intended for convenience, educational, and informational purposes only and should not be construed as individualized advice or recommendations. The discussions contained on this page are not a substitute for investment advice from a professional adviser. Readers should not use this content as the sole basis for any investment, financial planning, tax, legal or other decisions. Rather, a professional adviser should be consulted, and independent due diligence should be conducted before implementing any of the options referenced. While information presented is believed to be factual and up to date, River Wealth Advisors does not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. Due to various factors, including but not limited to changing market conditions, this market commentary may no longer be reflective of current opinions or recommendations. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change.
Depending on your tax bracket and the type of gains realized, the IRS can chew up to 43.8% of it in taxes.Simply put, tax efficiency is a measure of how much of an investment’s return is left over after taxes are paid. Tax efficiency shouldn’t become so much of the focus that it degrades your portfolio performance; rather it should help preserve gains as much as possible.
Read MoreBonds are an important part of a well diversified investment portfolio. They are widely viewed as a safe, low risk component for investment allocations, with an aim of preserving capital and generating income. Bonds function like loans. Investors provide money for a period of time to finance projects. When the bond matures, the principal is returned, and interest is paid along the way.
Read MoreIt’s only natural that investors are keenly focused on the returns of their portfolio. Everyone wants to know how they’re doing, and how much their portfolio is appreciating. Before the days of 24-hour news, smart phone apps and websites providing minute-by-minute market news, investors were satisfied seeing positive long-term returns.
Read MoreThe quickly changing market landscape makes it more difficult for investors to figure out what strategies will help grow their portfolio. Just when you think you’ve adjusted for market factors, like low interest rates, something new gets thrown into the mix. Uncertainty and the changing marketplace is one reason that investors may want to consider adding dividend-paying stocks to their portfolio.
Read MoreSince the passing of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) in 1974, the Department of Labor (DOL) has had authority to protect tax-deferred retirement savings accounts. In April 2016, under the Obama administration, the DOL announced a new fiduciary rule for 401(k) and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA).
Read MoreSince the passing of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) in 1974, the Department of Labor (DOL) has had authority to protect tax-deferred retirement savings accounts. In April 2016, the DOL announced a new fiduciary rule that will have a huge impact on 401(k) and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA).
Read MoreThe Freedom of Work Act, which was passed in 2000, changed social security rules to provide benefit options for individuals who either continued to work, or returned to work after filing for social security benefits. Specifically, the rules allowed an individual to suspend their benefits after filing. While suspended, the benefit amount went up each year, earning delayed retirement credits.
Read MoreNot long ago, the prescription for investing for retirement was simple. Save as much as possible while working, and gradually become more conservative with your investments as retirement approaches. This strategy was frequently implemented in the past by converting growth oriented portfolios, which were comprised mainly of stocks, into income oriented portfolios, which focused more on fixed income or bonds.
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