Recent world events have made it clearer than ever that it’s imperative to have a long-term financial strategy that allows you to weather volatile economic times. The Roth IRA is a popular tax-minimizing strategy, as it allows for tax-free growth and withdrawals in retirement, and many people make it part of their long-term financial plan. Unfortunately, high-income earners are either limited or ineligible when it comes to Roth contributions. At the moment, that means single individuals with incomes greater than $139,000 and couples with incomes greater than $206,000 in the year 2020 can’t take advantage of Roth IRAs the way those under these thresholds can.

Fortunately, there are a few ways around this. A Backdoor Roth lets you convert a traditional IRA to a Roth – even if your income precludes you from contributing directly to a Roth – through what amounts to some intricate paperwork. We help clients do this carefully and make sure that they report them properly on the tax returns.  The option I’ll discuss below, however, is a different type of tax-advantaged investment altogether. It’s called the Rich Person Roth and, though it’s not for everyone, it can be incredibly valuable for some high earners.

The novel Coronavirus has brought with it a lot of tragedy, devastation, and chaos; many are losing loved ones, finding themselves in financial peril, and questioning their job security. However, it also brought with it a lot of quality life lessons and a significant pause which provides a rare opportunity to turn inward and focus on what you want for your financial future. Normally, people wait until the end of the year to set out short- and long-term goals, but right now is ripe with potential for those who choose to take advantage.

One of the biggest lessons we’re learning is how fragile and short life can be; for those of us who are lucky to be healthy and safe, it’s important that we do what we can to make the most out of what we’ve been given and where we are at. It’s time to think about what you want your life to look like five, ten, twenty years from now – specifically, where you will be in your financial journey. One way to do this is to start a decade into the future – and work backward to understand how you’ll achieve your goals.

The following tips offer a roadmap to follow as you begin planning for a financially successful decade ahead.

If you’ve been thinking about retirement planning, you’ve undoubtedly considered how much investment risk is appropriate for your financial goals – and your comfort level.

Every investment has risks.  The usual pattern is that when the stock market goes up, the bond market goes down (usually due to the Federal Reserve Bank increasing interest rates), but market cycles can be very strange indeed.  In 2018, both the stock and bond markets lost money.  This is precisely why everyone needs a solid education in investment planning, whether working alone or with an advisor, in order to determine risk tolerance and, on that basis, the right asset allocation to maximize after-tax risk-adjusted return.

Many investors fear volatility in the market because they worry a market downturn would erase their hard-earned savings, but there is no need to fear volatility.  Yes, it represents risk in the short-term, but it also creates opportunities for investors with a long-term horizon to get into the market at attractive price levels. 

Let’s take a look at a few sample investments and what they have returned over time:

Oh, the dichotomy of money discussions. They’re so important to have, yet they are often uncomfortable and, therefore, avoided at all costs. Couple that with the fact that money disagreements are a leading cause of divorce,[i] and it’s no surprise most married couples aren’t properly communicating about financial habits and money values.

[i] https://www.cnbc.com/2015/02/04/money-is-the-leading-cause-of-stress-in-relationships.html

We are pleased to announce that Echo Huang, CFA, CFP®, CPA was interviewed by Maddie Swenson from Winona State University recently and is featured today in the “This is WSU” campaign: