Category: Wealth Management

How CapSouth Advisors are Responding to the Bear Market & Recent Legislation – April 13, 2020

You can tell a lot about your broker or advisor from the actions they take (or don’t take) in market disruptions. The current period, with steep market declines, extreme volatility, pandemic fear, and emergency legislation packages certainly qualifies as a market disruption. We believe good advisors and brokers excel in communicating with clients regarding the markets, financial plans, and legislative effects in such periods.

The current period offers many topics, and even opportunities, that should be discussed. These include:

1. Basic Communication

• Touching base with clients to determine their mindset. Is the current environment causing fear or is it looked upon as an opportunity to purchase assets at a reduced price? Each client will have a unique perspective, and it is important for your advisor or broker to understand your view. Any appropriate action will vary based on your circumstances and perspective.

2. Focus on Goals

• It is extremely important that any action be consistent with long term goals and an established financial plan. Often emotional and hasty decisions made in times of market turmoil are harmful to the ability to achieve a long-term plan.

3. Put Cash to Work or Increase Risk

• If you see investment opportunity when markets fall, this is a great opportunity to discuss investing extra cash or increasing risk in accounts.

4. Roth IRA Contributions and Conversions

• Consider making 2020 contributions and conversions while markets are lower.

5. Tax Considerations of the Market Decline

• If you have investments with a low cost basis that you have held to avoid taking the gains, these positions will likely have lower gains or no gains at this point. This may be a good time to discuss reducing or getting out of such positions.

• Gains on investments made in non-retirement accounts will be subject to long-term capital gains rates if held for twelve months or longer

• For some clients a partial or full conversion from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA should be considered. Funds in a traditional IRA have not been taxed. By converting, taxes will likely be owed. Because balances in most traditional IRAs are presently lower, the associated taxes owed may also be lower. As an added bonus, if the markets bounce back in the next couple years, the growth on any converted money will occur in the Roth IRA and should not be taxable in the future.

6. Periodic Withdrawals

• If you have consistent withdrawals, monthly or quarterly for example, from investment accounts, you may want to discuss funding the withdrawals from any cash or fixed income investments that are available. This will keep you from selling equities at a reduced price.Legislative Updates

7. Legislative Updates

• Filing deadline – For most people, 2020 tax filings are not due until July 15^th (instead of the normal deadline of April 15^th).

• Federal quarterly estimated tax for April 15^th has been extended to July 15^th; second quarter estimated tax payment has also been extended to July 15^th.

• Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) – If you are normally required to take an RMD from any type of IRA or from your workplace retirement plan, you will not have to do so in 2020.

• IRA Withdrawals and 401k Loans – the CARES Act relaxes some of the rules regarding these items. Your advisor or broker should be able to discuss this in more detail should you have a need.

• Charitable Contributions – for 2020 there is no limit on the amount of a cash gift you can donate to a charity and subsequently receive an offsetting deduction, in the amount of the gift, from your income. If you’ve ever considered a large gift to a charity, you should discuss with your advisor if 2020 is the appropriate year. This change does not apply to donations to donor advised funds.

CapSouth advisors are prepared to discuss all these topics with clients and prospects, and they have been actively doing so over the last few weeks. If your current advisor or broker is not discussing them with you or you have no current advisor, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you and to potentially begin a new relationship.

To speak to a CapSouth advisor about these topics, contact our office at 800.929.1001 or visit our website at www.capsouthwm.com

Investment advisory services offered through CapSouth Partners, Inc., an independent Registered Investment Advisor, dba CapSouth Wealth Management. CapSouth Partners does not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor prior to making decisions which may have tax or legal consequences. Information contained herein is believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed as such by CapSouth. Nothing contained herein should be construed as individual investment advice; all commentary is of a general nature. This commentary contains opinions; any opinions presented should not be construed as fact and are not in any way a guarantee of future events, returns, or outcomes.