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1 week ago | 
sg.finance.yahoo.com | Brandon Renfro
Brandon Renfro, CFP®, RICP, EA Mon, 14 April 2025 at 8:00 am GMT-4 6 min read My wife is currently working and has a traditional IRA with approximately $350,000 to $400,000. She is almost 65 but not looking to retire anytime soon. Should she roll over her IRA and take a tax hit and open a Roth IRA? I’m not sure if this is a smart move at this time in her life. Any suggestions will be helpful. – Ed That's a great question, and definitely something worth thinking about.
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2 weeks ago | 
erienewsnow.com | Brandon Renfro
By Brandon Renfro, CFP®, RICP, EAMy total investment value is approximately $650,000, mostly in stocks. Should I keep a percentage of my portfolio in precious metals? Investing a portion of a portfolio in precious metals is a common practice. If you keep the allocation modest — around 5% — I think it’s okay to use precious metals for peace of mind. That said, they’re not a necessity. It’s worth exploring why you’re drawn to precious metals in the first place.
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3 weeks ago | 
yahoo.com | Brandon Renfro
SmartAsset and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. I am a healthy, active 69-year-old with $370,000 in equities but I’m getting nervous that stocks are overvalued. My portfolio has no bonds. I am interviewing financial planners but due to a negative experience with a firm a few years ago, I am having a hard time trusting anyone else with my hard-won savings. What is the best DIY way to create a bucket strategy using index funds?
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1 month ago | 
sg.finance.yahoo.com | Brandon Renfro
Brandon Renfro, CFP®, RICP, EA Mon, 24 March 2025 at 7:00 am GMT-5 6 min read Financial advisor and columnist Brandon Renfro SmartAsset and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. I am 76 and I have been receiving my benefit since age 62-four years before my full retirement age (FRA). My wife is now 61 and will retire at age 65-two years before her FRA.
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1 month ago | 
annuity.org | Brandon Renfro |Hannah Alberstadt
Annuity.org has provided reliable, accurate financial information to consumers since 2013. We adhere to ethical journalism practices, including presenting honest, unbiased information that follows Associated Press style guidelines and reporting facts from reliable, attributed sources. Our objective is to deliver the most comprehensive explanation of annuities and financial literacy topics using plain, straightforward language.
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1 month ago | 
sg.finance.yahoo.com | Brandon Renfro
Brandon Renfro, CFP®, RICP, EA Mon, 10 March 2025 at 7:00 am GMT-5 5 min read Financial advisor and columnist Brandon Renfro SmartAsset and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. I have about $500,000 in a 403(b) account. I am writing my will and I do not know whether the money in my 403(b) will be subject to taxes when it is distributed to those I list in my will. Or, will the money just pass directly to those whom I have named?
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1 month ago | 
ca.finance.yahoo.com | Brandon Renfro
SmartAsset and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. My advisor is recommending putting over 50% of my portfolio in annuities. What say you? – Georgia As with most personal finance decisions, a lot hinges on the specific details of your situation. Fifty percent would likely be on the high side for most people, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be the right amount for you. Some may even want or need a larger portion of their portfolio in an annuity.
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1 month ago | 
sg.finance.yahoo.com | Brandon Renfro
Brandon Renfro, CFP®, RICP, EA Mon, 3 Mar 2025, 8:00 am 6 min read I sold an investment property which made my income very high for that year. Medicare Part B premiums increased to $591.90 for both me and my wife. Is there any way to avoid that increase? Our Part D premiums increased as well. -Fred First off, congratulations on selling your investment property. Unfortunately, there likely isn't anything you can do at this point to avoid the increase in your Medicare premiums.
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1 month ago | 
aol.com | Brandon Renfro
I inherited a non-qualified annuity from my mom. I am on SSDI and I receive $1,800 per month. The annuity is worth $100,000. I am trying to decide whether to take monthly payments for the rest of my life, which should be about $450 a month, or take the lump sum (between $80,000 and $90,000 after taxes) and put the money into my high-yield savings account. The interest rate for my account is about 4%, which would give me around $300 extra per month. I am 54 years old and single.
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2 months ago | 
finance.yahoo.com | Brandon Renfro
How much can I afford to pay for a home and still maintain a comfortable retirement without worrying about running out of money? I'm 66 and I have about $1.78 million in a taxable investment account, $1.5 million in IRAs, $309,000 in a Roth and $115,000 in a deferred compensation plan. I also have a long-term care insurance policy and $60,000 in an HSA. I'm waiting until age 70 to begin taking Social Security, which will be about $4,600 per month. I do not currently own a home or any real estate.
