Our daily roundup of retirement news your clients may be thinking about.
Retirement savers are advised to protect their portfolios from downturns by reducing their exposure to the stock market, writes a certified financial planner for Kiplinger. They should also stay disciplined, calculate possible losses from a market correction and consider the worst-case scenario, writes the expert. "By taking these cautious steps and working with your advisor, you can help ensure the safety and security everyone wants in their retirement years."
As investors face low fixed-income returns because of low interest rates, and bonds become a riskier investment option because of dwindling prices, clients should consider pass-through securities for better outcome, writes an expert on MarketWatch. These investments "are required to pay out almost all their earnings in cash distributions," explains the expert. "As a result, pass-through entities don’t pay corporate taxes and can pass along to investors their earnings before taxes, avoiding double taxation."
One solution for the federal government to fix Social Security's financial woes is to boost revenue by subjecting all wages to payroll taxes, according to this article on CBS Moneywatch. The government may also reduce retirement benefits to close the program's actuarial deficit. The government may also combine both revenue enhancements and benefit adjustments as a way to solve Social Security's looming insolvency.
Clients are advised to be mindful of the hidden fees in their retirement accounts to minimize their losses to these costs, according to this article on CNBC. Although the fees may appear to be small, they can compound over time and reduce their overall returns. To determine these hidden fees, clients should check the fee disclosure and the expense ratios on their mutual fund investments. Opting for a lower-fee mutual fund in 401(k) plans is a strategy to lower their losses from fees, says a personal finance expert with Morningstar.
