Bedel Blog

Do not put your financial plan on the shelf and carry-on as usual. It's essential that you engage a qualified wealth advisor to help develop your financial plan.

Bond yields are at historically low levels, and the Fed has indicated no interest in creating negative yields. How do you rethink what bonds mean for your portfolio? What's the best way to avoid disappointment in a post-COVID portfolio?

Restricted stock awards deserve just as much attention as other aspects of your portfolio, but understanding how they work hasn't been easy. Lack of knowledge can cause you to miss an opportunity to maximize your benefits.

Apple (APPL) is one of the largest publicly traded companies and has a market cap that recently surpassed $2 trillion! So why are they splitting their stock, and how will it impact your portfolio?

According to the IRS, if you've already taken your RMD, there is still time to replace that distribution and avoid the tax burden. The ability to return the unwanted RMDs only applies to the amount of the RMD withdrawn — and it must be completed by August 31.

Did you take your required minimum distribution before the CARES Act was signed into law? How does the legislation affect your RMD?

This spring, the Federal Reserve lowered the Fed Funds rate to zero percent. This left investors scrambling to find ways to earn interest on their cash. Luckily, there are options available.

Determining what to do with an old 401(k) is an important decision, but it does not have to be complicated. The Wall Street Journal recently reported about 30% of workers leaving jobs elect to cash out their 401(k) accounts and pay taxes – and often 10% penalties! Is that the smartest option?

Having money left over in a 529 account may be viewed as a problem, but it is a problem most of us would love to have.

Did equity markets fully recover from their March lows? Is the reopening of global economies sustainable, or are we on a path to another shutdown?

The SECURE Act has eliminated the option of "stretching" distributions of an inherited IRA over the beneficiary's lifetime. If you have named a trust as a beneficiary of your IRA, it may be time to review, rethink, and revise.

As a financial planner, my focus is on helping our clients achieve their goals, which means maximizing every dollar. This requires a complete understanding of the client's current tax situation, foresight on how their taxable income will look in future years, and some educated guessing on where tax rates may be. The goal is to pay as little tax as possible.