Recent Insights
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Mega Backdoor Roth Strategy
Have you ever wondered if your Retirement Plan could do more for you? It’s not uncommon for high-earning professionals to hit the $23,000 annual contribution limit and still seek avenues to elevate their retirement savings, especially ones that can maximize tax-free growth.
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How to Enjoy September
Flipping the calendar to September often seems to engender the feeling of a fresh start. A new school year, a new football season, and (usually) a welcome break from the hot, humid dog days of August.
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Election Anxiety? What We’re Watching and What to Do
Election season can be overwhelming. With non-stop news and specialists shouting about the “most important election in history,” it’s easy to feel stressed. But what’s really at risk when it comes to your family’s wealth and long-term financial goals? In our newest blog, we cut through the noise and offer practical steps you can take to protect your finances no matter who wins.
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What History Teaches Us About Markets and Elections
Election years can bring added stress and uncertainty to many aspects of life, and this election cycle is certainly no exception. Elections are important, and their outcomes can affect the lives of millions, if not billions, around the globe. But how important are they for investors? Every cycle is different, and investors’ focus is always changing, but history suggests that the party in the White House is just one of many factors.
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Roth 401(k) or Traditional 401(k)?
With the increasing availability of Roth 401(k) options in many employer plans, the decision on tax deferred vs. after tax contributions has added another layer of complexity to the retirement savings calculus. In short, investors and savers are now faced with the question of if they should elect a Roth option and how much of their hard-earned retirement savings dollars should be put into a traditional tax deferred savings plan (i.e. tax deferred 401(k), 403(b), etc.) versus a Roth (after-tax) plan?
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Second Quarter 2024 Newsletter
The market’s reaction to the current economic data resembles jamais vu. The term is taken from the French for meaning “never seen,” and refers to the experience of feeling as though an event or experience is brand new despite experiencing it numerous times in the past. This concept of jamais vu resonates with investor psychology, particularly regarding the most dangerous four words in finance: “this time is different.”
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Important Update Regarding Corporate Transparency Act
We want to alert you to a new law tthat may impact our clients who are owners of various types of business entities. In 2021, the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) was enacted. The CTA created new requirements for certain entities to report to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) starting on January 1, 2024.
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2024 Patrick Chong Memorial Scholarship Recipients Awarded
Jason Jackman, CFA, Chief Executive Officer of Johnson Investment Counsel, presented the Patrick Chong Memorial Scholarship to two outstanding students, Sydney Richard and Robert Grimaldi.
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Mega Backdoor Roth Strategy: Unlock Maximum Retirement Savings
The Mega Backdoor Roth is more than an excess savings strategy; it is a potential pathway to greater financial flexibility in retirement. By harnessing the power of after-tax contributions and strategic conversions, you can greatly accelerate your retirement timeline and reduce your tax burden in retirement.
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The Security of Social Security
Social Security is a bedrock of retirement planning, and a key planning assumption in almost every wealth planning scenario. The important 270-page was released on May 6th with headlines indicating the projected year for “insolvency” for the Social Security Trust Fund is now 2035 as the downward trend in the ratio of workers to beneficiaries continues unabated.
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First Quarter 2024 Newsletter
We are at a historically vulnerable point in the economic cycle, where restrictive policy leaves the economy susceptible to unexpected shocks. Current data are encouraging and suggest a return to normalcy may be on the horizon. However, the market's optimism presents heightened risks if future data disappoint. Inflation, a key variable for policy decisions, remains higher than desired. We remain in an extended state of limbo.
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How to Design a “Paycheck” for Retirement
To help smooth out the friction associated with this transition from working to retirement, one technique can be very helpful for a multitude of reasons: designing a “paycheck” for retirement.
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Defining Quality and Its Benefits for SMID Cap Stocks
A focus on investing in quality companies sounds good, but what does that actually mean in practice? In this paper, Managing Director of Research & Senior Portfolio Manager Brian Kute, CFA, Lead PM on Johnson’s SMID Cap Core strategy and the Johnson Opportunity Fund (JOPPX), defines what quality means for Johnson Asset Management and explains how our research team identifies high-quality companies in the SMID Cap space. He also demonstrates that a focus on high-quality stocks has historically provided long-term outperformance with downside protection and reduced volatility.
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Reconsidering Retirement Distributions
As the 2023 holiday season fades into memory, February ushers in tax preparation season. For retirees, managing federal and state income taxes becomes crucial as it often becomes a major yearly expense. Managing taxes effectively can give retirees more confidence in the sustainability and consistency of their retirement cash flow over what is usually a multi-decade retirement timeframe.
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