Changes for Unused Funds from 529 Plans Beginning in 2024
To address investor concerns related to 529 Plan savings going unused, a provision of SECURE ACT 2.0 allows the opportunity to rollover unused 529 education savings into a Roth IRA in the beneficiary’s name, penalty free. As a result, investors should feel a sense of relief about leftover 529 savings that weren’t used for education. […]
S&P 500
Adam Gagas Chief Investment Officer October 3, 2023 The S&P 500 Index is often thought of as a proxy for the US stock market. In truth, the S&P 500 is an index that represents only a narrow slice of the domestic marketplace. Recently, the index is showing signs of getting even narrower by two important […]
Estate Planning Awareness Month
October is Estate Planning Awareness Month, which serves as an important reminder for all of us to take time to review our estate plans or create one if we haven’t already. Estate planning is not just for the wealthy or elderly – it’s important for everyone to have a plan in place to protect your […]
Commentary from Fed Meeting (September, 2023)
Each month, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) issues its position on the current economic conditions and outlook on future forecasts and projections. The main areas of focus are inflation, unemployment and interest rates. Here are a few takeaways from Chairman Jerome Powell’s press conference: As predicted, the FOMC voted to hold the federal […]
Rockbridge Institutional – August 2023 Market Review
“Irrational Exuberance” and Market Pricing The price of Nvidia stock, a software design and development firm that manufactures chips integral to the gaming industry and, consequently, a proxy for Artificial Intelligence (AI), skyrocketed from $142 per share on December 30 to $494 per share today – a gain of over 230%. Does this increase in […]
SAVE – Student Loan Repayment Program
With over 28 million borrowers of Federal student loans resuming payments following a multi-year hiatus, the Biden-Harris Administration released a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. Known as the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, this IDR approach calculates monthly payments according to a borrower’s income and family size, ultimately forgiving any outstanding balances after […]
IRS Delays Roth Catch-Up Requirement for High Income Earners
There was some good news from the IRS recently for high-income earners making catch-up contributions to their employer-sponsored retirement plans. The IRS recently issued a notice that they will be postponing one of the new rule changes under Secure 2.0 Act. If you recall, the Act was going to require high-income earners (individuals making over $145,000/year) over […]
Another IRS Rule Change For RMDs!
The original SECURE Act enacted back in 2019 made two notable changes (among many) for those who owned retirement accounts. The first major change increased the age at which account owners must begin taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from their tax-deferred retirement accounts from age 70 ½ to 72. The second major change addressed how […]
Rockbridge Institutional – July 2023 Market Review
Inflation and a “Soft Landing” Inflation expectations and the economic impact of the Fed’s ratcheting up its Target Interest Rate has been a major source of uncertainty. So far, the trajectory of inflation has been in the right direction and unemployment has remained low. The trailing 12-month change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has […]
EVs and Tax Credits
When deciding what electric vehicle to purchase, tax credit eligibility can be a big factor. All-electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell electric vehicles purchased new, in 2023 or after, may be eligible for a federal tax credit. However, there are various qualifications for both the buyer and the manufacturer that must be met in order […]