Tag: Savings

Fighting Rising Inflation

June 27, 2022
Budgeting, Life, News, Timely Events, Wisdom

Four Ways to Protect Your Financial Life: Everywhere we turn right now, it seems we are spending more. I notice it most at the gas pump and at the grocery store, but for savvy shoppers, I bet you’ve noticed that almost all the items you purchase regularly are creeping up in price. Chances are you can’t make it through the day without seeing or hearing a story about the dreaded 9 letter word – inflation. For a while, we heard the term “transitory inflation” which meant it was supposed to be temporary. Not since the late 1970s and early 80s has the U.S. seen the inflation rates we are currently experiencing which means anyone under the age of 50 has little experience on protecting their financial life during periods of rising inflation.

What exactly is inflation? Webster’s dictionary defines inflation as “a continuing rise in the general price level usually attributed to an increase in the volume of money and credit relative to available goods and services”. We could debate until we are blue in the face on the “how we got here” portion of the definition. So instead, let’s focus on the first part of the definition, “a continuing rise in the general price level.” Our dollars aren’t going to buy as much as they once did because things cost more. Our cash flow can get tighter even if we take steps to cut down on discretionary spending. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics utilizes the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to measure the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. On May 11, 2022, the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics released their most recent numbers and reported that over the last 12 months, the all-items index increased 8.3 percent before seasonal adjustment. So, when faced with rising inflation, what are a few basic steps we can do to protect our financial life?

Brush Up on Your Budget: The first way to protect your financial life during rising inflation is to utilize a budget. Whether you are an avid user of a budget or absolutely hate the thought of building a budget, it’s time to pay closer attention to the dollars we are spending. What areas of your cash flow aren’t discretionary? Are they impacted by inflation? Fixed interest rate payments such as mortgages aren’t impacted. However, variable debt payments often aren’t discretionary, and they can be impacted by inflation. As the Fed raises interest rates to combat rising inflation, your variable payments are likely to increase as well. Feeding your family isn’t discretionary. Whether it’s cooking at home or eating out, the cost of feeding them has gone up. Prioritize the non-discretionary items in your budget first. Then take an inventory of the discretionary areas of your remaining cash flow. It stands to reason that almost every item is impacted by inflation. Travel and home renovation projects are two key areas to review. Can you shave off some costs? Can you postpone the project or trip? We put a long-planned deck remodel on hold for now due to the rapidly rising costs of building materials because it was something we wanted but not something we absolutely had to have right now. However, we prioritized travel because it’s important to us, and we’ve budgeted more than normal for items like air fare, rental car gas and eating out. It’s important to acknowledge that trade-offs may be necessary. Employers aren’t raising wages at the same rate of inflation, and if you are retired, your sources of retirement income are also impacted by inflation.

Seek Out Savings After you’ve checked your budget and reprioritized as needed, it’s time to go on the hunt for savings in order to fight inflation. Consider changing up your normal grocery shopping routine to find the best deals. Buying in bulk at wholesale clubs, while potentially more expensive upfront, can save you money over the long term. For our family, we used to shop at a local grocery store and then would fill in the gaps at Costco. Now we have completely flipped our buying habits. We can get fruits and veggies either in double the quantity for the same price or less at Costco, so we start there and then buy smaller perishable items at the local grocery store. Our local grocery store also has a program called Fuel Points which allows us to save money when filling up our vehicles. Sometimes this is even more advantageous than buying gas at a wholesale club.

Rising inflation can also impact your monthly energy bills. Recently on social media platforms, published summer recommendations for air conditioning from the U.S. Department of Energy began to circulate. They suggest that the thermostat be set to 82 F when sleeping and 85 F when out of the house for maximum savings. The backlash was swift and most of the commentators stated they would never be comfortable. As a woman who grew up in Georgia, I can’t even fathom trying to sleep in a house set at 82! Even if you don’t agree with the recommendation, you can be mindful of settings and usage. A smart thermostat such as Ecobee or Nest can do much of the work for you by allowing you to input routine settings and detecting if no one is home and adjusting the temperature appropriately.

Another area to shop for savings impacts the cash you may hold. Rising interest rates may have negatively impacted areas of your financial life, but one area where they are having a positive impact is the savings rates. CDs and Money Market funds are on the rise, and it’s time to review. While these rates aren’t likely to keep up with rising inflation, they can help close the gap for the cash in your portfolio.

Conduct an Insurance Review Do you own a home, car, boat or other recreational vehicle? I bet you answered yes to at least one of these so it’s time to conduct an insurance review. When was the last time you checked your Homeowner’s policy for your home’s replacement value? If you are like me, it has been too long. We are keenly aware that the cost of buying a home, or a car is on the rise, but if you aren’t in the market to buy a home or car you may think you aren’t impacted. What would happen though if your home sustained fire or wind damage? What would happen if your car was totaled? For example, let’s consider you have a home that you purchased 8 years ago for $500,000. At the time the cost to replace that home may have been similar to the purchase price. However, with some building materials costing 300% more than they did two years ago, $500,000 could be well short of what it would take to build your exact home now. While we may not think a tragedy would happen to us, they do occur, and you need to consider the financial implications.

The cost to repair or replace the large ticket items has gone up, and it can be complex when the item is typically considered a depreciating asset. Cars, boats and RVs are examples of depreciating assets that require financial consideration particularly if you have an outstanding loan balance. No one wants to be “upside down” (where you owe more than the item is worth) on a loan. Rising inflation and supply chain issues make this a real possibility. Review your insurance policies to verify your coverages, particularly your replacement cost coverage. Won’t my insurance rates go up you may ask? They may. You must determine if you are willing to handle the risk of not paying the increased premium. Could you absorb the cost difference to replace or rebuild an asset if there is a shortfall? There is no “one size fits all” answer here so consider your personal financial situation and risk tolerance.

Invest for the Long Term The fourth way to fight rising inflation is to review your investment allocation. Historically, the equity market outpaces inflation. I recognize that the recent decline and volatility of the equity market has many nervous, and if that’s you, please know that CapSouth’s advisors understand how you are feeling and will not be dismissive. Investing overall right now can seem daunting. Rising interest rates are impacting a portion of the bond market negatively. The equity market is bouncing all over the place and terms like “cash is trash” are being used by television news pundits. Nothing feels “safe”. So, we turn to the past to learn how to manage for the future.

If you are still working with a long-time horizon, you may consider increasing contributions to your retirement savings via your workplace retirement plan (if you are not already maxing out) or via a taxable investment account if you have the discretionary income to do so. In a recent CNBC article [https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/22/why-high-inflation-makes-investing-in-the-stock-market-a-smart-move-.html], Ed Slott, a nationally recognized IRA distribution expert, professional speaker, television personality, and best-selling author, was quoted as saying, “If you keep contributing to your retirement savings, you’ll always have more,” He also recommended additional investment strategies such as dollar-cost averaging which he said, “smooths out your contributions over time, so the impact of volatility is much less.”

If you are no longer contributing to your investment assets due to retirement or other reasons, it’s still wise to reevaluate your holdings and your risk tolerance. Were you overly aggressive when the market was on its historic march up and perhaps underestimated how you would feel in a down market? It’s okay if you answered yes, and you wouldn’t be the only one. It’s important that you share how you are feeling with your advisor so they can help navigate both your financial and emotional wellbeing. Diversifying and rebalancing are additional strategies your CapSouth advisor may utilize to help round out your portfolio to fight rising inflation.

Final Thoughts on Fighting Inflation Fighting rising inflation has become top of mind for many of us. We can’t seem to get away from the impacts of rising inflation or the stories about it. As a former journalism student who worked at a major television station in college, some of the best advice I can give you is this – tune out the noise. This may mean turning off the television or radio channel. Perhaps it means taking a break from social media when things get to be overwhelming. Try to remember that periods of sustained inflation have been rare for the U.S. Instead of focusing on the news or trying to figure out things on your own, it may be time to engage with a financial advisor if you have never done so. CapSouth advisors are well equipped to discuss your personal inflation impact and to help you adjust accordingly. They will apply financial planning techniques to your specific situation which will ultimately be more beneficial to you than trying to listen to media personas or trying to figure it out yourself. We take great pride in being the voice of reason and calm in a sea of chaos. We always have your best interest in mind, and that extends to helping you fight inflation as well. If rising inflation is adding anxiety to your financial life, we’d love to help.

To discuss this article further or to learn more about CapSouth Wealth Management, visit our website at www.capsouthwm.com or call 800.929.1001 to schedule an appointment to speak with an advisor.

By: Jennifer Fensley, CFP®, CRPS® | Wealth Advisor

Investment advisory services are offered through CapSouth Partners, Inc, dba CapSouth Wealth Management, an independent registered Investment Advisory firm. Information provided by sources deemed to be reliable. CapSouth does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information. CapSouth does not offer tax, accounting, or legal advice. Consult your tax or legal advisors for all issues that may have tax or legal consequences. This information has been prepared solely for informational purposes, is general in nature and is not intended as specific advice. Any performance data quoted represents past performance; past performance is no guarantee of future results. This article contains external links to third party content (content hosted on sites unaffiliated with CapSouth Partners). CapSouth makes no representations whatsoever regarding any third party content/sites that are accessible in this article. Linking to these third-party sites in no way implies an endorsement or affiliation of any kind between CapSouth and any third party, including legal authorization to use any trademark, trade name, logo, or copyrighted materials belonging to either entity.

Understanding IRAs

May 11, 2022
Investing, IRA

An individual retirement arrangement (IRA) is a personal savings plan that offers specific tax benefits. IRAs are one of the most powerful retirement savings tools available to you. Even if you’re contributing to a 401(k) or other plan at work, you might also consider investing in an IRA.

What types of IRAs are available?

The two major types of IRAs are traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. Both allow you to contribute as much as $6,000 in 2022 (unchanged from 2021). You must have at least as much taxable compensation as the amount of your IRA contribution. But if you are married filing jointly, your spouse can also contribute to an IRA, even if he or she has little or no taxable compensation, as long as your combined compensation is at least equal to your total contributions. The law also allows taxpayers age 50 and older to make additional “catch-up” contributions. These folks can contribute up to $7,000 in 2022.

Both traditional and Roth IRAs feature tax-sheltered growth of earnings. And both give you a wide range of investment choices. However, there are important differences between these two types of IRAs. You must understand these differences before you can choose the type of IRA that’s best for you.

Note: Special rules apply to certain reservists and national guardsmen called to active duty after September 11, 2001.

Learn the rules for traditional IRAs

Practically anyone can open and contribute to a traditional IRA. You can contribute the maximum allowed each year as long as your taxable compensation for the year is at least that amount. If your taxable compensation for the year is below the maximum contribution allowed, you can contribute only up to the amount that you earned.

Your contributions to a traditional IRA may be tax deductible on your federal income tax return. This is important because tax-deductible (pre-tax) contributions lower your taxable income for the year, saving you money in taxes. If neither you nor your spouse is covered by a 401(k) or other employer-sponsored plan, you can generally deduct the full amount of your annual contribution. If one of you is covered by such a plan, your ability to deduct your contributions depends on your annual income (modified adjusted gross income, or MAGI) and your income tax filing status:

For 2022, if you are covered by a retirement plan at work, and:

Your filing status is single or head of household, and your MAGI is $68,000 or less, your traditional IRA contribution is fully deductible. Your deduction is reduced if your MAGI is more than $68,000 and less than $78,000, and you can’t deduct your contribution at all if your MAGI is $78,000 or more.
Your filing status is married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er), and your MAGI is $109,000 or less, your traditional IRA contribution is fully deductible. Your deduction is reduced if your MAGI is more than $109,000 and less than $129,000, and you can’t deduct your contribution at all if your MAGI is $129,000 or more.
Your filing status is married filing separately, your traditional IRA deduction is reduced if your MAGI is less than $10,000, and you can’t deduct your contribution at all if your MAGI is $10,000 or more.

For 2022, if you are not covered by a retirement plan at work, but your spouse is, and you file a joint tax return, your traditional IRA contribution is fully deductible if your MAGI is $204,000 or less. Your deduction is reduced if your MAGI is more than $204,000 and less than $214,000, and you can’t deduct your contribution at all if your MAGI is $214,000 or more.

What happens when you start taking money from your traditional IRA? Any portion of a distribution that represents deductible contributions is subject to income tax because those contributions were not taxed when you made them. Any portion that represents investment earnings is also subject to income tax because those earnings were not previously taxed either. Only the portion that represents nondeductible, after-tax contributions (if any) is not subject to income tax. In addition to income tax, you may have to pay a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you’re under age 59½, unless you meet one of the exceptions. You must aggregate all of your traditional IRAs — other than inherited IRAs — when calculating the tax consequences of a distribution.

If you wish to defer taxes, you can leave your funds in the traditional IRA, but only until April 1 of the year following the year you reach age 72. That’s when you have to take your first required minimum distribution (RMD) from the IRA.¹ After that, you must take an RMD by the end of every calendar year until you die or your funds are exhausted. The annual distribution amounts are based on a standard life expectancy table. You can always withdraw more than you’re required to in any year. However, if you withdraw less, you’ll be hit with a 50% penalty on the difference between the required minimum and the amount you actually withdraw.

Learn the rules for Roth IRAs

Not everyone can set up a Roth IRA. Even if you can, you may not qualify to take full advantage of it. The first requirement is that you must have taxable compensation. If your taxable compensation in 2022 is at least $6,000, you may be able to contribute the full amount. But it gets more complicated. Your ability to contribute to a Roth IRA in any year depends on your MAGI and your income tax filing status:

If your filing status is single or head of household, and your MAGI for 2022 is $129,000 or less, you can make a full contribution to your Roth IRA. Your Roth IRA contribution is reduced if your MAGI is more than $129,000 and less than $144,000, and you can’t contribute to a Roth IRA at all if your MAGI is $144,000 or more.
If your filing status is married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er), and your MAGI for 2022 is $204,000 or less, you can make a full contribution to your Roth IRA. Your Roth IRA contribution is reduced if your MAGI is more than $204,000 and less than $214,000, and you can’t contribute to a Roth IRA at all if your MAGI is $214,000 or more.
If your filing status is married filing separately, your Roth IRA contribution is reduced if your MAGI is less than $10,000, and you can’t contribute to a Roth IRA at all if your MAGI is $10,000 or more.

Your contributions to a Roth IRA are not tax deductible. You can invest only after-tax dollars in a Roth IRA. The good news is that if you meet certain conditions, your withdrawals from a Roth IRA will be completely income tax free, including both contributions and investment earnings. To be eligible for these qualifying distributions, you must meet a five-year holding period requirement. In addition, one of the following must apply:

You have reached age 59½ by the time of the withdrawal
The withdrawal is made because of disability
The withdrawal is made to pay first-time home-buyer expenses ($10,000 lifetime limit)
The withdrawal is made by your beneficiary or estate after your death

Qualified distributions will also avoid the 10% early withdrawal penalty. This ability to withdraw your funds with no taxes or penalties is a key strength of the Roth IRA. And remember, even nonqualified distributions will be taxed (and possibly penalized) only on the investment earnings portion of the distribution, and then only to the extent that your distribution exceeds the total amount of all contributions that you have made. You must aggregate all of your Roth IRAs — other than inherited Roth IRAs — when calculating the tax consequences of a distribution.

Another advantage of the Roth IRA is that there are no required distributions. You can put off taking distributions until you really need the income. Or, you can leave the entire balance to your beneficiary without ever taking a single distribution.

Choose the right IRA for you

Assuming you qualify to use both, which type of IRA is best for you? Sometimes the choice is easy. The Roth IRA will probably be a more effective tool if you don’t qualify for tax-deductible contributions to a traditional IRA. However, if you can deduct your traditional IRA contributions, the choice is more difficult. The Roth IRA may very well make more sense if you want to minimize taxes during retirement and preserve assets for your beneficiaries. But a traditional deductible IRA may be a better tool if you want to lower your yearly tax bill while you’re still working (and probably in a higher tax bracket than you’ll be in after you retire). A financial professional or tax advisor can help you pick the right type of IRA for you.

Note: You can have both a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA, but your total annual contribution to all of the IRAs that you own cannot be more than $6,000 for 2022 ($7,000 if you’re age 50 or older).

Know your options for transferring your funds

You can move funds from an IRA to the same type of IRA with a different institution (e.g., traditional to traditional, Roth to Roth). No taxes or penalty will be imposed if you arrange for the old IRA trustee to transfer your funds directly to the new IRA trustee. The other option is to have your funds distributed to you first and then roll them over to the new IRA trustee yourself. You’ll still avoid taxes and the penalty as long as you complete the rollover within 60 days from the date you receive the funds.

You may also be able to convert funds from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. This decision is complicated, however, so be sure to consult a tax advisor. He or she can help you weigh the benefits of shifting funds against the tax consequences and other drawbacks.

Note: The IRS has the authority to waive the 60-day rule for rollovers under certain limited circumstances, such as proven hardship.

¹If you reached age 72 before July 1, 2021, you will need to take an RMD by December 31, 2021.

To discuss this article further or to learn more about CapSouth Wealth Management, visit our website at www.capsouthwm.com or call 800.929.1001 to schedule an appointment to speak with an advisor.

The Nuts & Bolts of Wealth Accumulation

January 11, 2022
Uncategorized

Wealth accumulation is the act of increasing your net worth over time.

The modern approach to Wealth accumulation relies on increasing accumulation during the earning years and the draw-down of accumulated wealth during the retirement years.

The accumulation phase tends to take place during our 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. The preservation stage begins once we begin approaching retirement age. This will lead us to entering the distribution or draw-down phase during retirement.

Wealth Accumulation Strategies:

Lower Expenses

One of the first steps in a successful Wealth accumulation strategy is lowering expenses. Lowering expenses may be easy enough to say but following through can be the hardest part. Creating a budget can be one of the best ways to start lowering your expenses.

You could begin the process by identifying your total monthly expenses. Figure out how much you’re spending each month vs the amount of income you are receiving. Once you have the expenses nailed down, you can proceed with creating trade-offs. These trade-offs may come in the form of cooking meals instead of dining out or pouring that cup of coffee before your leave home vs. stopping at Starbucks. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statics, pre-pandemic housing, transportation and food costs make up more than 60% of U.S. Consumer spending. (Consumer expenditures report 2019, 2020)

These tradeoffs may seem small, but small is where most of us need to start. This small start can help us use excess income to pay down high interest debt, which will ultimately lead to the accumulation of wealth.

Increase Income

We have already discussed lowering expenses. Now we can talk a little bit about increasing your income. You may be thinking, “If I knew how to increase my income, I wouldn’t need to read this article”. In some ways this thought may be accurate, however increasing your income will not help with the accumulation of wealth if your expenses continue to inflate at the same rate.

People tend to earn higher wages by means of a promotion or career change. The area of concern we face revolves around the inherent nature of humans to buy the big new house or brand-new car. I’m not saying that buying a bigger house or brand-new car is bad, but I will put caution around this action until your budget can support the increased debt while continuing to accumulate wealth. This means that you may need to focus on eliminating other debt before embarking on the new lifestyle.

What if you can’t seem to get that promotion or land that new career? You may want to consider working more hours. Working additional hours may help increase temporary wages long enough to pay down debt. Once this debt reduction has taken place, you may be able to reduce working hours while still accumulating wealth.

Keep in mind, we would want to create that emergency fund, based off budgetary needs. This Emergency fund should be in place before trying to advance to the last strategy that I have listed in this article.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

We have now arrived. Our journey started by lowering expenses and creating a budget. We have also increased our income, which led us to accumulating excess cash and creating our emergency fund. Now, the fun begins. We are ready to invest our accumulated cash in a variety of ways. Let’s talk for a moment about growing our accumulated wealth. There are many ways to grow wealth, but we will focus on the following three: investment accounts, entrepreneurship, and real-estate.

Investment accounts can include a tax advantaged IRA, 401k, 403b, Roth IRA (to name a few) or retail non-tax advantaged investment accounts. Tax deferred investment accounts can be a great way to grow wealth without the growth being hindered by taxes today. Sure, you will have to pay taxes on this growth eventually, however the tax advantage today can help that wealth grow faster. The Roth IRA can help you guarantee the taxes paid, at today’s rates, without hindering the future growth. You may be asking yourself, which one of these accounts should I use? The answer to that question would be, “It Depends”. It depends on the growth strategy that you may currently be using, your current position within the wealth accumulation process, or the need for current tax relief. The best way to decide an answer may be to make an appointment with a Certified Financial Planner or other fiduciary planner.

Entrepreneurship can be defined several different ways. The Entrepreneurial spirit is full of endless opportunities, but what does it really mean? Entrepreneurial is defined as “taking financial risks in the hope of profit, enterprising.” This can be done by starting a business, investing in an established business, or buying a business. It is important to do your homework on this strategy, as it can be a risky but rewarding endeavor.

Real-Estate

The last strategy that I will mention in this article revolves around real-estate. Real-estate can create several avenues for growing wealth. You could be looking to buy commercial buildings in hope of creating a fixed income stream while also allowing for property appreciation. Alternately, you may be looking to buy a piece of property with the intent of improving it to sell. Which option is for me you may ask? Well, it depends on the goal you are trying to achieve. This goal could be limiting taxable income by creating a passive income stream, or it could be rapid capital appreciation achieved from buying and selling properties. Either way, real-estate investments can help a person grow their accumulated wealth with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Conclusion.

We have discussed several great strategies for accumulating and growing wealth. All previously mentioned strategies tend to build on one another while developing an over-arching portfolio of growth assets. We all need a starting point; whether this means creating a budget to lower expenses or increasing income to accumulate excess cash. Everyone has an opportunity to build wealth, and sometimes building wealth can come with trade-offs. Our responsibility revolves around deciding on a solid path and understanding the trade-off’s required to achieve our goals. Many people measure wealth by the amount of money you have, or the cars in your garage, however accurately measuring wealth goes much deeper than a bank account balance.

I will leave you with this thought. What is the difference between being Rich and being Wealthy?

Anyone can have a large income, or hefty bank account to support a windfall of debt. Wealth on the other hand, is about learning how to make your money grow for you and sustain your future. Identifying and defining what type of life you want to live is one of the most important aspects of truly being wealthy. Our goal at CapSouth Wealth Management it to help you identify, define, and live your One Best Financial Life.

To learn more about CapSouth Wealth Management visit our website at www.CapSouthWM.com

If you would like to further discuss wealth accumulation strategies, request an appointment at www.CapSouthWM.com/conta ct or contact our office at 800.929.1001.

Article by: Wes Hayes, CapSouth Wealth Manager

CapSouth Partners, Inc., dba CapSouth Wealth Management, is an independent registered Investment Advisory firm. This material has been prepared for planning purposes only and is not intended as specific advice. CapSouth does not offer tax, accounting or legal advice. Consult your tax or legal advisors for all issues that may have tax or legal consequences.