Insights - Gertsema Wealth

Blog

Should You Rethink Your Retirement Income Strategy?

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor Most people work their entire lives saving money in their 401(k) plans or other employer retirement plans with the goal of having enough to retire comfortably. The goal is to replace their net take-home pay with Social Security, pensions and the income and growth off of their retirement investments. If they can live comfortably throughout retirement off the income and growth from investments, they want to leave something to their loved ones as their legacy. Sounds logical and obtainable for most people, so what is there to rethink? New Legislation In the past...read the full article

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Markets See Huge Boost as Optimism Outweighs Slowed Reopening

The S&P 500 wrapped up its best quarter since 1998, gaining 20.5%, amid a strong employment report and continued concerns as the United States and the world posted a record number of coronavirus cases.

Monthly Newsletters

Paying Off Debt: As You Work Toward Debt Freedom, is the Snowball or Avalanche Method Right for You?

Debt consolidation and repayment takes up a lot of America’s bandwidth. You can’t watch TV, especially daytime TV, without seeing at least one advertisement promising you freedom from debt – call now! These gimmicks are hit-and-usually-miss, but the sheer ubiquity of this conversation tells us it’s on everyone’s mind.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: S&P 500 Dips as COVID-19 Cases Surge

The daily total for new virus cases topped 40,000 as a resurgence in the South and Southwest pushed new cases to an all-time-record high. Some states are reporting record hospitalizations and pausing or reversing reopenings. Initial unemployment claims, as shown in Figure 1, remain close to 1.5 million.

Videos

Tax Planning in 2020: What to Expect This Year and Beyond

With all the questions surrounding tax filing for 2020 and beyond, learn what you need to know about funding retirement accounts before July 15 and how retirees should handle the changes from new legislation. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Blog

Why Estate Planning isn’t a One-and-Done Scenario

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor Death and taxes are life’s two great “unavoidables,” so why do we always avoid discussing them? I was looking at our estate planning infographic that indicated that 42% of all adults have a will or living trust in place. The breakdown of that statistic was: 81% of adults 72 or older 36% of Gen Xers 22% of Millennials I guess the older we get, the more we feel the urgency to get our affairs in order. However, when we sit down and meet with clients to discuss their estate plan, we often sense...read the full article

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Retail Sales Jump as States Loosen Restrictions

Retail sales and food services jumped 17.7% in May, beating estimates of 8% growth. The strong rebound follows sharp declines the previous month created by social distancing. Even with the increase, sales are still 6.1% below where they were one year ago.

Blog

6 Planning Opportunities for 401(k)s in Light of the SECURE Act

By the very name, the SECURE Act – or Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act – is designed to enhance retirement savings. There are several provisions in the new law to help accomplish this goal.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Fed Committed to Near-Zero Rates, S&P Dips

The S&P 500 dropped 4.7% last week on concerns the uptick in new coronavirus cases would persist and slow the economic rally. The surprising job growth reported two weeks ago suggested the economy was rallying more quickly than expected and boosted investor optimism. But the recent uptick in cases and hospitalizations in some states caused investors to ratchet back their expectations for how fast the economy will recover.

Videos

How Social Security Fits into Your Retirement Plan

There are a lot of factors that play into when to claim Social Security benefits. How long should you wait? How is your health? What other retirement income do you have? What are the tax consequences? Click Here to Watch the Webinar