Ask an Advisor

March 16, 2026My husband and I have buckets of assets (both retirement and taxable investments) that we are considering for “management.” We are retired, have no debt and can live on income and RMDs. I don’t understand and feel very uncomfortable providing statements outside of an advisor’s normal onboarding process. We have very clear goals and are considering… read more…

March 9, 2026Not everyone has been fortunate to have high-earning employment during their life. That said, for those of us who have saved as best we could but do not have a substantial amount (less than $300,000), what is a realistic retirement savings goal and where do we go for advice? -Jim There’s no magic number for… read more…

March 5, 2026My husband has an annuity that he has not rolled into an IRA. If I inherit this annuity, does it work the same as if he had an IRA? Can I roll the funds into my IRA. We are both retired and are in our early 80s. – Carol No, you wouldn’t be able to… read more…

February 17, 2026At what point should you stop contributing to your investment and retirement accounts and just let time and compound interest do its thing? I’m 39 (married with a 1-year-old) with $587,000 in a 401(k)/TSP and $135,000 in a Roth IRA. My employer matches up to 5% of 401(k) contributions. I’m planning to sell a rental… read more…

February 9, 2026Help me! I read the column frequently—huge fan! I’m 47, married, and severely burned out after 25+ years in a fast-paced and stressful field. We have $750,000 in a personal brokerage account (I contribute $30,000 annually), $760,000 in a rollover IRA, $210,000 in a Roth 401(k) (plus a $13,000 company match), $150,000 in crypto, $20,000… read more…

February 2, 2026I would love to see some ideas on managing finances once in retirement. The timeline to invest is much shorter. You have talked about RMDs but how to manage the balance would be helpful. –Karen Retirement marks a fundamental shift in how your savings serve your objectives. During your working years, the focus is largely… read more…

January 12, 2026According to an article by Brandon Renfro, there are three 5-year rules for Roth IRAs, but he talks about the first two as they apply to the reader’s question. He explains the 5-year rule for Roth contributions and the 5-year rule for Roth conversions. I’m just interested in the second rule as I’m considering converting… read more…

January 5, 2026I draw my husband’s Social Security but I’m also working. How much money can I earn for the year? –Janice It’s quite common to collect Social Security retirement benefits and still work. In fact, some people never quit their job. Others may choose to take on part-time or gig work into their 70s and 80s… read more…

December 30, 2025I’m 68, single and retired. I started claiming Social Security at 65 and my house is paid off completely. I have two fixed annuities: one for $300,000 at 5.5%, due to mature in 2026, and one for $100,000 at 4.5%, due to mature in 2028. RMDs are looming in five years when I will be… read more…

December 10, 2025Looking at long-term performance of the S&P 500, you might wonder why you wouldn’t just invest your entire 401(k) in it. The numbers are compelling: The index has averaged about 10.5% per year historically, and its returns in recent years have been even stronger. So, why not just “go all in?” Do you have a… read more…

December 1, 2025A fiduciary makes a legal commitment to providing clients impartial and informed guidance on their money. One would hope that anyone holding themselves out to be a fiduciary is, in fact, meeting this standard. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as financial advisor = fiduciary.  Traditionally, “financial advisor” has been used to describe a range of… read more…

November 17, 2025I’m 68 and currently receive spousal survivor Social Security benefits. Can I switch to my own Social Security benefit? –Sylvia Sylvia, I’m sorry to hear about your husband’s passing. Thank you for the question, and yes, you can switch to your own benefit. It would make sense to do that if your own benefit is… read more…

November 10, 2025I am a 60-year-old male and I want to retire when I turn 63 and move to Colombia. My house will be paid off in one year and I plan on transferring the deed to my son. When I retire, I will have a $400-per-month pension, an estimated Social Security benefit of $2,700 per month,… read more…

November 3, 2025I’ve received letters from the thrift savings plan (TSP) and from my IRA holder that I am subject to RMDs this year. I’ve also been advised that converting these qualified funds to annuities and beginning distributions (which would then be completely taxable) satisfies the RMD requirements, which would then no longer apply. What are your… read more…

October 20, 2025My husband does not have a living trust, nor am I on his bank accounts as a beneficiary. I’m also not on the title of our home that we have lived in for the past 30+ years. What are the repercussions that I may run into should he perish before me? All I have is… read more…

October 13, 2025I’ve been hearing more and more about using home equity as an asset class for retirement planning. It now makes up more than 50% of my net worth, with no mortgage remaining. Please share your thoughts or strategies. – David Home equity can absolutely be an asset class to consider in your retirement plan. There… read more…

October 6, 2025I have to take RMDs this year. How do I decide if I should convert that money into an existing Roth? What needs to be considered? If so, how should it be done: at one time or in increments? I am considering incrementally over several years. – Ella In many cases, doing Roth conversions even after… read more…

October 29, 2025I am a 59-year-old human resource professional with $45,000 in a 401(k), to which I contribute 6%. My husband and I have $95,000 in the market, with $27,000 being in a Roth. My husband is a teacher and has $110,000 in his Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) pension. We still have $40,000 to pay on our… read more…

September 15, 2025I am retired but not yet 73. I have been doing Roth IRA conversions for a few years. I know you can’t withdraw the converted principal for a period of five years. My question is when I can access the on-going dividends that were generated from the converted stocks without paying a penalty? – Mayboline  If you’re… read more…

October 30, 2025I’m 44 years old but I’m a late starter in regard to thinking about my retirement. I have a little over $17,000 in my 401(k) and I would like to know what options would be best suited to get the maximum return considering my age and late start. I would also like to work with… read more…

September 2, 2025I’m 73, married and file my taxes jointly with my spouse. My IRA is in Vanguard mutual funds. We make about $8,000 annually in contributions to charities. I understand that direct contributions from an IRA to charities can reduce the amount of taxable RMDs. Do these contributions need to be direct wire transfers from Vanguard… read more…

August 18, 2025My wife and I are 66 years old. She retired at 62 and is already collecting Social Security. I plan to retire at the end of this year at 67. We only have approximately $150,000 in a 401(k) account together and we will get approximately $6,500  in Social Security per month when we retire. We… read more…

October 30, 2025I’m self-employed and own a karate studio in California, which is an S corporation. I have two employees. I don’t have any kind of 401(k) or IRA set up, though I do have approximately $180,000 in U.S. Bonds. My challenge is that I make around $100,000 annually and have very few tax deductions since I… read more…

October 31, 2025I inherited an IRA from an aunt in 2009 and have been receiving the RMD each year since 2010. If the 10-year rule went into effect in 2019, how does it affect my inherited IRA from that point forward?  Does that mean I have to draw it down to zero by 2029? If so, can any… read more…

July 28, 2025The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 nearly doubled the standard deduction, leading about 90% of taxpayers to go this route instead of itemizing their deductions. You’re likely among them. But with the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law on July 4, 2025, you may be wondering whether it’s… read more…