Bedel Blog

Primarily, catch-up contributions pad retirement accounts with extra funds in the final stretch towards retirement. Pre-tax contributions can help save on taxes in higher-income years before retirement, and Roth contributions help build up an ever-so-important tax-free bucket of money.

Did your estate attorney recommend changing ownership of your accounts, home, vehicles, etc., to help with an efficient transfer of assets after you're gone? It's important to implement any recommended change immediately.

Cutting rates tends to encourage both hiring and spending; yet, when inflation is already climbing, those same cuts risk adding fuel to the fire. Today, the central bank is walking a tightrope that may prove harder to balance than many think.

Unfortunately, some employees feel overwhelmed and confused by the benefits offered by their employer, causing open enrollment to become a source of stress rather than an opportunity. Below you will find some considerations when it comes to common benefits offered to employees.

While high inflation is unlikely to surpass investment returns, it does diminish the impact of the gains you get from those returns. Inflation is normally factored into retirement planning, but unexpected or unaccounted-for inflation over a long period of time can start to harm those plans.

Working through the details and getting the proper documentation in place, as early as possible, helps ensure the farm can continue for another generation.

This strategy should not be applied blindly, as there are many other caveats to consider. While it might seem like a no-brainer to utilize this option and remove as much tax liability as possible, it may be wise to pay the ordinary tax (if you will be in a lower tax bracket in the year in which the distribution/transfer would occur) or a portion of it and move the entire after-tax contribution portion to a Roth IRA since those assets would then grow and be distributed tax free.

With today’s yields being much higher than the close to 0% yields that prevailed for many years, fixed income investments can offer attractive returns for that part of your portfolio that serves as a ballast.

There will be significant changes to charitable giving in 2026, and taxpayers of all income levels will be impacted.

The 2025 tariff regime marks the highest average effective US tariff rate since 1909, now standing at an average of 18.2% according to Yale, and can even get up to 20.6% after August 1st.

Trump Accounts are part of the OBBB and designed to encourage long-term, multigenerational savings. Think of them as a hybrid between an IRA and a 529 plan—but with fewer strings attached.

We've covered nine economic indicators for examining an economy, though many more exist. Many are related, even if they appear in separate areas. Economists consistently debate which ones are more important when determining a country's current and future economic strength.