Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary

US equity markets ended the week with a powerful move to the upside after Fed Chairman J. Powell indicated that the balance of risk had shifted to the labor market, leaving the door open for a September rate cut.  The final day of trading wiped out losses incurred in...
Annuity Awareness Month 2025: Your Guide to Income Security

Annuity Awareness Month 2025: Your Guide to Income Security

Each June, Annuity Awareness Month shines a spotlight on one of retirement’s most misunderstood—but potentially powerful—financial tools: the annuity. In 2025, as market uncertainty, inflation concerns, and rising interest rates continue to weigh on retirement...

The Craziest Stuff I’ve Heard

By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF® IRA Analyst The Ed Slott team has answered literally tens of thousands of IRA and retirement plan questions over the past few years. That is not hyperbole—we track it all. The questions we’re asked run the gamut from basic to extremely...

In ERISA Retirement Plans, Spouse Beneficiaries Rule

  By Ian Berger, JD IRA Analyst At Ed Slott and Company, we continually stress how important the beneficiary designation form is. Because it’s that form – and not the retirement account owner’s will or other estate planning documents – that usually dictates who...