Dear Friends, I just wanted to send some great news. Effective tomorrow, we will be transitioning to a new and better business structure. For the last nine years, we have been affiliated with a company out of California where we shared resources, systems and marketing. Because of the economy and other factors, we have mutually [...]
As part of their quarterly goal process, Entrust Freedom set a new goal last quarter based on client compliments. For this past quarter, the goal was to score at least 15 in the category of Client Service. For every compliment we received from a client or colleague, Entrust would give itself 1 point. For every [...]
Understanding and following the rules of Roth IRA’s is complicated enough in its own right, trying to keep up with the yearly changes makes it even more difficult. Although there weren’t too many changes to IRA rules for 2011 there are a few significant ones that should be noted.
In our changing economic times, it is more important than ever to focus on our retirement planning and financial futures. For most of us, we have never seen the wild ride that the financial markets have shown us the last few years. Just as we check our calories, blood pressure and weight on a regular [...]
So what are you doing now with regards to your Financial Life Plan? As Americans, we are terrible planners. Let me give you some statistics. Twenty percent of pre-retirees have spent no time actively planning for retirement. Sixty percent of pre-retirees have spent the same amount of time or more time on home improvement vs. financial planning. Thirty one percent said they would rather clean their bathroom or pay bills than plan for retirement. These statistics are from the Financial Planning Association.
There has never been a better time to plan for retirement and open a Self-Directed IRA with Entrust. A Self-Directed IRA gives you the option to invest your IRA in Real Estate, Private Stock, LLC’s, Notes, Mortgages, Precious Metals, Gold, Tax Certificates, Futures, Forex, and more. Between the opportunities and tax advantages, there is no reason not to.
Did you know that you can trade in the Futures markets using your IRA? Most investors are unaware that this is an option because your Financial Advisor does not sell these types of investments. In fact, you can use your IRA funds to invest in the following types of Futures accounts: Self-Directed, broker-assisted, and CTA managed. Using a “Self-Directed” IRA, you can direct a portion of your retirement funds to invest in a Futures Trading Account.
For sports fans in America, Soccer is odd. Someone you know has played and depending on your age, you either spend a lot of time cutting oranges and driving in the van, or ran in the cloud of little munchkins until you were big enough to strap on the shoulder pads. Either way, there is [...]
At the beginning of the year, all we could talk about were the new Roth Conversion rules. Well, six months later we are still talking about the new rules, but we have learned quite a bit. For taxpayers with a Traditional IRA that have a lower basis (on assets currently owned) compounded with the three year deferral on the tax payments, the Roth 2010 rules are a great opportunity.
An IRA beneficiary is a specific person or entity (like a charity) that is designated on the IRA application to inherit your IRA, should you meet your demise. Most investment vehicles like IRAs will allow multiple beneficiaries or specific allocation of assets to certain heirs. By not naming a beneficiary, typically, the state probate court will step in and determine who your estate beneficiaries are. While usually not intentional, not naming a beneficiary can cause big problems for any estate.