Deadline Fast Approaching for 2016 IRA Contributions
The deadline for 2016 IRA contributions is Tuesday, April 18, 2017. The contribution limit is $6,500 if you were 50 or older during 2016 or $5,500 if you are under age 50. (The limits stay the same for 2017.)
The two main types of IRA’s are Traditional IRA's and Roth IRA's. read more
Is your Financial Adviser a Fiduciary? If you Work with Golden Trail Advisers, Yes!
The Department of Labor (DOL) FiduciaryRule is a new ruling currently scheduled to be phased in April 10, 2017 – January 1, 2018. This rule will expand the “investment advice fiduciary” definition under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
This rule is important because if you engage a financial adviser to help you with your retirement planning and assets, the adviser is required to act in your best interest, avoid conflicts of interest when possible, and be transparent with you about compensation and fees. Many people are surprised to learn that not all financial advisers are currently required to do this. A study done by the Council of Economic Advisers estimated that those working in a non-fiduciary capacity cost Americans $17 billion each year.
Here at Golden Trail Advisers, we have always served our clients in a fiduciary capacity. We strongly believe that all advisers should be held to a fiduciary standard and be required to have a legal and ethical obligation to put their clients’ interests first and to make decisions that are in clients’ best interest. We will continue to do that and feel this is a positive step for the industry as a whole.
We will keep you posted as more information becomes available on this rule and its implementation.
Glass Half Full?
Despite some recent bumps in the road, it appears that investors have taken a “glass-half-full” point of view, focusing on the positive aspects of the economy. As evidence, the most recent University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey for March was at a multi-year high. This is one of the leading economic indicators that has been shown to correlate positively with economic activity. However, because of the large difference in optimism between Republicans and Democrats, the survey suggests positive, but uneven economic gains in the near term.
