If you're a high-income earner looking to maximize your retirement savings, the Backdoor Roth IRA strategy may hold the key to unlocking significant benefits. In this blog post, we'll explore what the Backdoor Roth IRA strategy entails, outline its advantages, and provide a step-by-step guide on how to implement it.

What is the Backdoor Roth IRA Strategy? The Backdoor Roth IRA strategy is a technique that allows individuals to contribute to a Roth IRA, regardless of their income level. It involves making a non-deductible contribution to a Traditional IRA and subsequently converting it to a Roth IRA. This strategy enables high-income earners to take advantage of the tax-free growth and withdrawals offered by Roth IRAs.

The S&P 500 ended the second quarter and first half of 2023 at a 14-month high and most major stock indices logged solid gains in the second quarter following a pause in the Fed’s rate hike campaign, stronger-than-expected corporate earnings (especially in the tech sector) and the relatively drama-free resolution of the debt ceiling. 

The world of investing can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to understanding the various stock market indices. Four prominent indices that often grab headlines are the S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), and Russell 2000. In this blog post, we will unravel the distinctions between these major stock indices, shedding light on their composition, purpose, and significance in the financial world.

The S&P 500 ended the first quarter of 2023 with a solid gain as hopes for an economic “soft landing” and the Fed signaling that their historic rate hike campaign is coming to an end helped offset two rate increases and the biggest bank failures since the financial crisis.

Easing inflation pressures and a resolution of the fiscal turmoil in the United Kingdom fueled a strong rally in stocks and bonds early in the fourth quarter, but hawkish Fed guidance, disappointing economic data, and rising global bond yields weighed on markets in December and the S&P 500 finished the fourth quarter with only modest gains that capped the worst year for the index since 2008.

There are many December 31st deadlines, so don’t wait too long to plan! Consider these financial opportunities and deadlines before 2023 arrives.

Global markets declined again in the third quarter as inflation remained near multi-decade highs, geopolitical tensions escalated further, and the Federal Reserve continued to aggressively hike interest rates signaling future rate increases will be larger than previously expected.

Growth or value—what’s your style? Growth investors look for stocks that will grow at a high rate for a relatively short period of time or index funds that focus on growth stocks. Value investors look for stocks that are currently undervalued and are expected to increase to their true value over a longer time horizon or index funds that focus on value stocks.

Kelly and Bob regularly set aside a small portion of their budget for charitable donations. In addition to feeling good about supporting a number of worthy causes, they’ve been able to deduct the value of their charitable gifts from their Federal income tax return. Now, the couple thinks it is time to make a larger charitable contribution. Their intention is to donate some stock they purchased years ago for $1,000 that has since increased in value to $50,000.