Month: February 2023

The Federal Reserve raised the target federal funds rate for the eighth time in a row on Wednesday, in its continued effort to tame persistent inflation. At its latest meeting, the central bank approved a more modest 0.25 percentage point increase after recent signs that inflationary pressures have started to cool. “The easing of inflation pressures
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SECURE 2.0 was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. It introduces a significant number of changes to retirement preparation including, contributions, simplicity of participation, and the date for beginning Required Minimum Distributions (RMD). There is a significant new provision for the surviving spouse of a deceased participant in an employer retirement plan.
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Allison Michael Orenstein | Getty Images As the tax season kicks off, seniors may be facing new questions this year. A record 5.9% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment last year likely pushed up their income. Meanwhile, other income, such as required minimum distributions, other retirement account withdrawals or part- or full-time work may make filing more
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Moyo Studio | E+ | Getty Images The first Social Security check was issued 83 years ago. The check, for $22.54, went to retired legal secretary Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont. Today, in 2023, the average retirement benefit is $1,827 per month, according to the Social Security Administration. The maximum Social Security benefit for
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Five Key Considerations With two exceptions, my wife and I have owned at least one dog throughout our 44 years of marriage. The first exception was some thirty years ago when we still had two cats. The second exception is now. Our beloved border collie, Skye, crossed over the rainbow bridge this past summer and
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As of January 2023, the annual gift tax exclusion amount has increased to $17,000. That is the amount you can gift to any one person each year free of any tax implications. For years the amount was set at $10,000, but since 2002 it has been slowly increasing. Making annual exclusion gifts allows you to
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A salesperson showing the limited edition launched by Emporio Armani to welcome the Year of the Tiger at a duty-free store in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, January 15, 2022. Zhou Huimin | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images Stocks of many luxury fashion houses reliant on Chinese consumers rallied on China’s reopening, but those
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