Retirement Archives - Seacure Advisors

Your Questions Answered

August 14, 2018 By SeaCure Advisors Leave a Comment

Carolyn Howard, CFP® shares her insights in response to reader questions on Investopedia Advisor Insights:

Q: I have a 401(k) with my new employer; should I roll my traditional IRA into my new 401(k) account?

I was advised to roll my 401(k) plan from a previous employer into a traditional IRA, which I did. I haven’t made any contributions to it since rolling it over, and it has grown very little. I have a 401(k) with my new employer; should I roll my traditional IRA into my new 401(k) account? I feel that if I combine them, my money and 401(k) will grow the most. I was advised to leave my traditional IRA at the company that it is at, so I am not sure what my best option is.

A: You can choose to leave your rollover IRA as is. You have more flexibility in your investment options with the IRA. You can also choose to put it into your new 401k if you like the choices available for investing. Having only one account can provide simplicity when making investment decisions. Your choices are dependent on what you want to do. The growth on your IRA and 401k are dependent on your investment choices and asset allocation. If both the IRA and 401k have the same asset allocation and similar funds, they should grow at the same rate. Your decision is more of a personal decision than an investment decision.

Q: Does the IRS call you and accuse you of fraud and ask you for money?

I received a call from a woman who gave me her name and an ID number informing us that the IRS is charging us with fraud and that we owe them $8,140. We are retired on Social Security and have not owed any taxes for more than fifteen years. Is this a scam?

A: It is excellent that you are asking this question. The IRS does not call you and inform you of anything. This is a SCAM. You can contact the IRS directly and inquire of this information. This person that called is just trying to steal money from you. You should be very proud of yourselves for being aware of these kinds of calls. Keep up your good work.

Update: Police in India have recently arrested several people in connection with this scam.

Q: Should I use annuities as a temporary investment?

I invested in a four-year fixed annuity several years ago to allocate a percentage of my portfolio into a vehicle that was conservative. At the time, it was the safest, risk-free investment recommended by my investment adviser. The annuity is set at 4 percent annually. I am a long-term aggressive investor who makes about 12-15 trades a year. My retirement horizon is between 2-5 years away from now. Is this a safe strategy going forward?

A: Annuities can be useful as a bond alternative especially as interest rates are rising. If you have bonds as part of your portfolio, the bonds or bond funds could be losing value since bond prices decline as rates rise. You state the annuity is earning 4%/year. As you approach retirement, the 4%/year with downside protection during market corrections could be a valuable part of your retirement strategy. You may consider your retirement goals as you near that target in 2-5 years. One of the things to consider are your income needs during retirement and the risk tolerance during withdrawal years. With your “long term aggressive strategy”, you may experience a market downturn during the withdrawal period that could ultimately impact your lifestyle. You would not have that risk with the annuity. Consult your investment advisor to review your retirement goals, income needs, and the amount of risk your income needs can tolerate.

Q: What does “period certain” mean on an annuity contract?

Period Certain on an annuity contract can mean a couple of different things. It could mean that you have a guaranteed amount of time to receive the income from the annuity when you begin taking the income. You make this decision when you purchase the annuity. If you should predecease that time frame, your beneficiaries would be eligible for the remainder of the income. Another common use of period certain is when you buy an annuity and choose at application time that you want a lifetime income with a period certain, for example, of 20 years. You will be given a lifetime income by the annuity company but if you should predecease the 20 year period certain, your beneficiaries would be eligible for the remainder of the income. You can also choose to receive a lifetime income without a period certain. You will receive the maximum income payout with a lifetime income without the period certain. There are options that insurance companies have for the various types of annuities. Please review them carefully.

To read all of Carolyn’s answers to reader questions on Investopedia, click here.

If you have questions regarding your financial situation that you would like to discuss in person or on a video conference with a SeaCure representative, please contact us and request a free consultation.

Investing For Major Life Goals

May 22, 2018 By SeaCure Advisors Leave a Comment

Go out into your yard and dig a big hole. Every month, throw $50 into it, but don’t take any money out until you’re ready to buy a house, send your child to college, or retire. It sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it? But that’s what investing without setting clear-cut goals is like. If you’re lucky, you may end up with enough money to meet your needs, but you have no way to know for sure.

How do you set goals?

The first step in investing is defining your dreams for the future. If you are married or in a long-term relationship, spend some time together discussing your joint and individual goals. It’s best to be as specific as possible. For instance, you may know you want to retire, but when? If you want to send your child to college, does that mean an Ivy League school or the community college down the street?

You’ll end up with a list of goals. Some of these goals will be long term (you have more than 15 years to plan), some will be short term (5 years or less to plan), and some will be intermediate (between 5 and 15 years to plan). You can then decide how much money you’ll need to accumulate and which investments can best help you meet your goals. Remember that there can be no guarantee that any investment strategy will be successful and that all investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Looking forward to retirement

After a hard day at the office, do you ask, “Is it time to retire yet?” Retirement may seem a long way off, but it’s never too early to start planning — especially if you want your retirement to be a secure one. The sooner you start, the more ability you have to let time do some of the work of making your money grow.

Let’s say that your goal is to retire at age 65 with $500,000 in your retirement fund. At age 25 you decide to begin contributing $250 per month to your company’s 401(k) plan. If your investment earns 6 percent per year, compounded monthly, you would have more than $500,000 in your 401(k) account when you retire. (This is a hypothetical example, of course, and does not represent the results of any specific investment.)

But what would happen if you left things to chance instead? Let’s say you wait until you’re 35 to begin investing. Assuming you contributed the same amount to your 401(k) and the rate of return on your investment dollars was the same, you would end up with only about half the amount in the first example. Though it’s never too late to start working toward your goals, as you can see, early decisions can have enormous consequences later on.

Some other points to keep in mind as you’re planning your retirement saving and investing strategy:

Plan for a long life. Average life expectancies in this country have been increasing for years and many people live even longer than those averages.
Think about how much time you have until retirement, then invest accordingly. For instance, if retirement is a long way off and you can handle some risk, you might choose to put a larger percentage of your money in stock (equity) investments that, though more volatile, offer a higher potential for long-term return than do more conservative investments. Conversely, if you’re nearing retirement, a greater portion of your nest egg might be devoted to investments focused on income and preservation of your capital.
Consider how inflation will affect your retirement savings. When determining how much you’ll need to save for retirement, don’t forget that the higher the cost of living, the lower your real rate of return on your investment dollars.

Facing the truth about college savings

Whether you’re saving for a child’s education or planning to return to school yourself, paying tuition costs definitely requires forethought — and the sooner the better. With college costs typically rising faster than the rate of inflation, getting an early start and understanding how to use tax advantages and investment strategy to make the most of your savings can make an enormous difference in reducing or eliminating any post-graduation debt burden. The more time you have before you need the money, the more you’re able to take advantage of compounding to build a substantial college fund. With a longer investment time frame and a tolerance for some risk, you might also be willing to put some of your money into investments that offer the potential for growth.

Consider these tips as well:

Estimate how much it will cost to send your child to college and plan accordingly. Estimates of the average future cost of tuition at two-year and four-year public and private colleges and universities are widely available.
Research financial aid packages that can help offset part of the cost of college. Although there’s no guarantee your child will receive financial aid, at least you’ll know what kind of help is available should you need it.
Look into state-sponsored tuition plans that put your money into investments tailored to your financial needs and time frame. For instance, most of your dollars may be allocated to growth investments initially; later, as your child approaches college, more conservative investments can help conserve principal.
Think about how you might resolve conflicts between goals. For instance, if you need to save for your child’s education and your own retirement at the same time, how will you do it?

Investing for something big

At some point, you’ll probably want to buy a home, a car, maybe even that yacht that you’ve always wanted. Although they’re hardly impulse items, large purchases often have a shorter time frame than other financial goals; one to five years is common.

Because you don’t have much time to invest, you’ll have to budget your investment dollars wisely. Rather than choosing growth investments, you may want to put your money into less volatile, highly liquid investments that have some potential for growth, but that offer you quick and easy access to your money should you need it.

Changing Market: Municipal Bonds After Tax Reform

May 8, 2018 By SeaCure Advisors Leave a Comment

January is typically a strong month for the municipal bond market, but 2018 began with the worst January performance since 1981, driven by rising interest rates and uncertainty over changes in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).¹ The muni market stabilized through April 2018, but uncertainty remains.² The tax law changed the playing field for these investments, which could affect supply and demand.

When considering these dynamics, keep in mind that bond prices and yields have an inverse relationship, so increased demand generally drives bond prices higher and yields lower, and vice versa. Any such changes directly affect the secondary market for bonds and might also influence new-issue bonds. If you hold bonds to maturity, you should receive the principal and interest unless the bond issuer defaults.

Tax rates and deduction limits

Municipal bonds are issued by state and local governments to help fund ongoing expenses and finance public projects such as roads, water systems, schools, and stadiums. The primary appeal of these bonds is that the interest is generally exempt from federal income tax, as well as from state and local taxes if you live in the state where the bond was issued. Because of this tax advantage, a muni with a lower yield might offer greater value than a taxable bond with a higher yield, especially for investors in higher tax brackets.

The lower federal income tax rates established by the new tax law would cut into this added value, but the difference is relatively small and unlikely to affect demand. Many taxpayers, especially in high-tax states, may find munis even more appealing to help replace deductions lost to other TCJA provisions, including the $10,000 cap for deductions of state and local taxes.³ Tax-free muni interest can help lower taxable income regardless of whether you itemize deductions.

The large corporate tax reduction from a top rate of 35% to 21% is likely to have a more significant effect on demand for munis. Corporations, which own a little less than 30% of the muni market, may hold on to bonds they currently own but become more selective in purchasing future bonds.⁴

Municipal bond yields

Federal Income Tax Rate	Taxable Equivalent Yield on 3% Muni
22%	3.85%
24%	3.94%
32%	4.41%
35%	4.62%
37%	4.76%

A tightening market

The supply of new municipal bonds dropped after the fiscal crisis as local governments became more cautious about borrowing. The TCJA further tightened the market by eliminating “advanced refunding” bonds, issued to replace older bonds at lower interest rates, which have accounted for about 15% of new issues.⁵

This is expected to reduce the supply of bonds for the next three years or so, but the long-term effects are unclear. If interest rates continue to climb, there is less to gain by replacing older bonds, but local governments may issue taxable bonds if they see an opportunity to reduce interest payments. There may also be changes to the structure of future muni issues.⁶

Risk and rising interest rates

Munis are considered less risky than corporate bonds and less sensitive to changing interest rates than Treasuries, making them an appealing middle ground for many investors. For the period 2007 to 2016, which includes the recession, the five-year default rate for municipal bonds was 0.15%, compared with 6.92% for corporate bonds. Most of those defaults were related to severe fiscal situations such as those in Detroit and Puerto Rico. The five-year default rate for investment-grade bonds (rated AAA to BBB/Baa) was just 0.05%.⁷

Treasuries, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest, are considered the most stable fixed-income investment, and rising Treasury yields, as occurred in early 2018, tend to put downward pressure on munis.⁸ However, Treasuries are more sensitive to interest rate changes, and stock market volatility makes both Treasuries and munis appealing to investors looking for stability.

Bond funds

The most convenient way to add municipal bonds to your portfolio is through mutual funds, which also provide diversification that can be difficult to create with individual bonds. Diversification is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.

Muni funds focused on a single state offer the added value of tax deductibility for residents of those states, but smaller state funds may not offer the level of diversification found in larger states. It’s also important to consider the holdings and credit risks of any bond fund, including those dedicated to a specific state. For example, in October 2017, many state funds still held Puerto Rico bonds, which are generally exempt from state income tax but carry high credit risk.⁹

If a bond was issued by a municipality outside the state in which you reside, the interest may be subject to state and local income taxes. If you sell a municipal bond at a profit, you could incur capital gains taxes. Some municipal bond interest may be subject to the alternative minimum tax.

The return and principal value of bonds and bond fund shares fluctuate with changes in market conditions. When redeemed, they may be worth more or less than their original cost. Bond funds are subject to the same inflation, interest rate, and credit risks associated with their underlying bonds. As interest rates rise, bond prices typically fall, which can adversely affect a bond fund’s performance. Investments offering the potential for higher rates of return involve a higher degree of risk.

Mutual funds are sold by prospectus. Please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus, which contains this and other information about the investment company, can be obtained from your financial professional. Be sure to read the prospectus carefully before deciding whether to invest.

1, 8) CNBC, February 28, 2018

2) Bloomberg, 2018 (Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Municipal Index for the period 1/1/2018 to 4/16/2018)

3-4, 6) The Bond Buyer, February 12, 2018

5) The New York Times, February 23, 2018

7) Moody’s Investors Service, 2017

9) CNBC, October 10, 2017

New Medicare Cards Are Coming

April 25, 2018 By SeaCure Advisors Leave a Comment

medicare cards are coming

If you receive Medicare, you will be getting a new Medicare card in the mail. To help prevent fraud and fight identity theft, Medicare is removing Social Security Numbers from Medicare cards. Your new card will have a new Medicare Number that’s unique to you.

When are new cards being mailed?

Medicare will be mailing new red, white, and blue paper Medicare cards between April 2018 and April 2019. Card mailings will be staggered, so the timing will depend on your geographical location.

Newly eligible people will begin receiving the new cards starting in April. The following table from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shows when Medicare will be mailing cards to existing Medicare recipients. You can check the status of card mailings in your area on medicare.gov/newcard.

Wave	States Included	Cards Mailing
1	Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia	Beginning May 2018
2	Alaska, American Samoa, California, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon	Beginning May 2018
3	Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin	After June 2018
4	Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont	After June 2018
5	Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina	After June 2018
6	Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming	After June 2018
7	Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Virgin Islands	After June 2018

Some tips on using your new Medicare card

The following tips are from the Medicare website, medicare.gov.

Your new card will be mailed to you automatically. You don’t need to do anything as long as your address is up-to-date. If you need to update your address, contact Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount or 1-800-772-1213.
Once you receive your new Medicare card, destroy your old Medicare card and start using your new card right away.
Doctors, other health-care providers, and facilities will ask for your new Medicare card when you need care, so carry it with you.
If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO), your Medicare Advantage Plan ID card is your main card for Medicare — you should still keep and use it whenever you need care. However, you also may be asked to show your new Medicare card, so you should carry this card, too.
Medicare will never call you uninvited and ask you to give out personal or private information to get your new Medicare Number and card.
Scam artists may try to get personal information (like your current Medicare Number) by contacting you about your new card. If so, hang up and call 1-800-Medicare.

Saving For College And Retirement

March 13, 2018 By SeaCure Advisors Leave a Comment

You want to save so that you can retire comfortably when the time comes. You also want to have a saving strategy to help your child go to college. So how do you juggle the two? The truth is, saving for your retirement and your child’s education at the same time can be a challenge. But take heart–you may be able to reach both goals if you make some smart choices now.

Know what your financial needs are

The first step is to determine what your financial needs are for each goal. Answering the following questions can help you get started:

For retirement:

How many years until you retire?
Does your company offer an employer-sponsored retirement plan or a pension plan? Do you participate? If so, what’s your balance? Can you estimate what your balance will be when you retire?
How much do you expect to receive in Social Security benefits? (One way to get an estimate of your future Social Security benefits is to use the benefit calculators available on the Social Security Administration’s website, www.ssa.gov. You can also sign up for a my Social Security account so that you can view your online Social Security Statement. Your statement contains a detailed record of your earnings, as well as estimates of retirement, survivor’s, and disability benefits.)
What standard of living do you hope to have in retirement? For example, do you want to travel extensively, or will you be happy to stay in one place and live more simply?
Do you or your spouse expect to work part-time in retirement?

For college:

How many years until your child starts college?
Will your child attend a public or private college? What’s the expected cost?
Do you have more than one child whom you’ll be saving for?
Does your child have any special academic, athletic, or artistic skills that could lead to a scholarship?
Do you expect your child to qualify for financial aid?

Many on-line calculators are available to help you predict your retirement income needs and your child’s college funding needs.

Figure out what you can afford to put aside each month

After you know what your financial needs are, the next step is to determine what you can afford to put aside each month. To do so, you’ll need to prepare a detailed family budget that lists all of your income and expenses. Keep in mind, though, that the amount you can afford may change from time to time as your circumstances change. Once you’ve come up with a dollar amount, you’ll need to decide how to divvy up your funds.

Retirement takes priority

Though college is certainly an important goal, you should probably focus on your retirement if you have limited funds. With generous corporate pensions mostly a thing of the past, the burden is primarily on you to fund your retirement. But if you wait until your child is in college to start saving, you’ll miss out on years of tax-deferred growth and compounding of your money. Remember, your child can always attend college by taking out loans (or maybe even with scholarships), but there’s no such thing as a retirement loan!

If possible, save for your retirement and your child’s college at the same time

Ideally, you’ll want to try to pursue both goals at the same time. The more money you can squirrel away for college bills now, the less money you or your child will need to borrow later. Even if you can allocate only a small amount to your child’s college fund, say $50 or $100 a month, you might be surprised at how much you can accumulate over many years. For example, if you saved $100 every month and earned 8 percent, you’d have $18,415 in your child’s college fund after 10 years. (This example is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent a specific investment.)

If you’re unsure how to allocate your funds between retirement and college, a professional financial planner may be able to help you. This person can also help you select the best investments for each goal. Remember, just because you’re pursuing both goals at the same time doesn’t necessarily mean that the same investments will be appropriate. Each goal should be treated independently.

Help! I can’t meet both goals

If the numbers say that you can’t afford to educate your child or retire with the lifestyle you expected, you’ll have to make some sacrifices. Here are some things you can do:

Defer retirement: The longer you work, the more money you’ll earn and the later you’ll need to dip into your retirement savings.
Work part-time during retirement.
Reduce your standard of living now or in retirement: You might be able to adjust your spending habits now in order to have money later. Or, you may want to consider cutting back in retirement.
Increase your earnings now: You might consider increasing your hours at your current job, finding another job with better pay, taking a second job, or having a previously stay-at-home spouse return to the workforce.
Invest more aggressively: If you have several years until retirement or college, you might be able to earn more money by investing more aggressively (but remember that aggressive investments mean a greater risk of loss).
Expect your child to contribute more money to college: Despite your best efforts, your child may need to take out student loans or work part-time to earn money for college.
Send your child to a less expensive school: You may have dreamed your child would follow in your footsteps and attend an Ivy League school. However, unless your child is awarded a scholarship, you may need to lower your expectations. Don’t feel guilty–a lesser-known liberal arts college or a state university may provide your child with a similar quality education at a far lower cost.
Think of other creative ways to reduce education costs: Your child could attend a local college and live at home to save on room and board, enroll in an accelerated program to graduate in three years instead for four, take advantage of a cooperative education where paid internships alternate with course work, or defer college for a year or two and work to earn money for college.

Can retirement accounts be used to save for college?

Yes. Should they be? Probably not.

Most financial planners discourage paying for college with funds from a retirement account; they also discourage using retirement funds for a child’s college education if doing so will leave you with no funds in your retirement years.

However, you can certainly tap your retirement accounts to help pay the college bills if you need to. With IRAs, you can withdraw money penalty free for college expenses, even if you’re under age 59½ (though there may be income tax consequences for the money you withdraw). But with an employer-sponsored retirement plan like a 401(k) or 403(b), you’ll generally pay a 10 percent penalty on any withdrawals made before you reach age 59½ (age 55 or 50 in some cases), even if the money is used for college expenses. You may also be subject to a six month suspension if you make a hardship withdrawal. There may be income tax consequences, as well.

Check with your plan administrator to see what withdrawal options are available to you in your employer-sponsored retirement plan.