Our daily roundup of retirement news your clients may be thinking about.
More retirement investors are including cryptocurrency in their portfolio because it helps them achieve diversification, according to this article on Forbes. Cryptocurrency is also not affect by policy changes, affording them a hedge against the government. Cryptocurrencies also have a big potential for long-term growth.
Clients who intend to convert traditional IRA assets into a Roth should pay the tax bill using money from outside the account, according to this Q-and-A article on MarketWatch. "[D]oing so maximizes the amount of money in the tax-free environment of a Roth and lowers the amount of money in the taxable environment of a non-retirement account."
Retirees who want to manage their debt in the golden years are advised to pay the debts with the highest interest rates and the least benefits, according to this article on Motley Fool. They may also consider going back to work to make money for debt payments. Another option is to sell assets that they don't need.
Retirement investors are advised to have cash reserves equivalent to five years' worth of expenses, according to this article on U.S. News & World Report. They should also adopt a more conservative approach to investing and take on more risks if they experience in increase in income. When investing in bonds, investors should take these options with caution and simplify their portfolio while achieving diversification by opting for a total U.S. stock market, value-oriented exchange-traded fund and U.S. bond market index fund.
Retirement investors will be better off putting their savings in accounts with different tax treatments, according to this article on CNBC. That's because socking away all their savings in a traditional 401(k) or a traditional IRA will boost their taxable income by the time they start taking the distributions and give them less room to manage their taxes. “The more diversified your tax characteristics are, the more leverage you have for better outcomes,” says an expert.
