Integras Insights

Insightful, Curated Articles to Help You Make Sound Financial Decisions

Will Rising Interest Rates Cause a Recession?

Will Rising Interest Rates Cause a Recession?

August, September, and October are historically the worst three months for market performance and 2023 was no different. Everything but cash, oil and short-term treasuries had negative 3rd quarter returns. The S&P 500 lost 3.25%, small caps fell 5%, international markets dropped 3.5%, and long-term treasuries lost an astounding 8%.

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Why Target Date Funds May Miss the Mark

Why Target Date Funds May Miss the Mark

Most 401(k) and other retirement plans now offer Target Date Funds (TDFs), which are intended to align investment risk with your anticipated retirement date.  They have become increasingly popular for a few good reasons but are rarely the best solution once your accounts achieve some size.  

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Should I Opt-Out or Take the Company Pension?

Should I Opt-Out or Take the Company Pension?

Do I want to rely on the company’s future financial strength? How long will I live? What will inflation do to my pension income over time? What happens if I die? Should I take a lower amount to protect my spouse? What happens if they die? Do I have a choice to take a lump sum and control how and when I spend the money?

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Gift Mandated Retirement Distributions Tax-Free

Gift Mandated Retirement Distributions Tax-Free

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) take effect the year an IRA owner turns 73, so the government can start collecting taxes. This is payback for making tax-deductible retirement contributions while working. A few years ago, Congress enabled retirees to give any...

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You Can Have Peace of Mind about Your Retirement

You Can Have Peace of Mind about Your Retirement

In an ongoing University of Michigan survey, older Americans recently expressed less confidence about having a comfortable retirement.[1]  Inflation is the likely driver of this worry (both inflation itself and the affect it has had on the stock market). To top...

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Finding Value in Overlooked Sectors

Finding Value in Overlooked Sectors

The big question for investors now is where to be invested going forward. With the overall market trading at 20x earnings and first half gains concentrated into only a select few stocks, most of the market has been left behind. With the valuations of the high-fliers...

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On the Other Hand…

On the Other Hand…

The S&P 500® Index (S&P) is up 16% YTD after posting back-to-back 8% quarterly returns. In the face of a deteriorating economic backdrop and expectations for even higher interest rates, this exceeded even the most optimistic expectations.  However, not...

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Why Systematic Retirement Distributions Fail

Why Systematic Retirement Distributions Fail

There is a flawed assumption that 4% portfolio distributions are sustainable throughout retirement. Unfortunately, this has proven to be unreliable for too many retirees. The problem doesn’t lie in the math of a withdrawal rate but with the structure of the...

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