Insights
Roth IRA Conversion for the Business Owner
By Beth Lynch | Jul 01 2010 | Wealth Management
We have all heard about the change in the tax law for 2010 that now allows individuals with annual income levels above $100,000 to do a Roth IRA conversion. ...
401(k) Fee Disclosure Is Long Overdue
By Karl Kunkle | May 24 2010 | Wealth Management
On May 18, 2010, Putnam Investments became one of the first national providers to announce what it termed a “revolutionary” new 401(k) platform ...
How Will Greece's Debt Crisis Impact the U.S. Stock Market?
By Patrick Fisher | May 17 2010 | Wealth Management
It appears to be the consensus that the ongoing debt crisis in Greece is having a significant impact on the U.S. stock market the past couple of weeks. Patrick Fisher provides some explanation....
Is Your 401(k) Plan Still the Benefit It Was Intended to Be?
By Kyle Zeller | Apr 21 2010 | Wealth Management
As employers continue to battle through tough economic times, and dollars and staffs are stretched to the limit, having talented and hard working employees has never been more important to companies than it is right now. Trying to attract new employees can be a struggle as well, and employers need to make sure they are ahead of the curve in the benefits offered....
SEC Looking Closely at Collect Investment Trust (CIF) Investments
By Karl Kunkle | Apr 21 2010 | Wealth Management
The SEC has announced that it is taking a close look at collect investment trust (CIF) investments as they are not subject to SEC regulation. Karl Kunkle, from Schneider Downs Wealth Management Advisors, explains....
Participation Rate Rises Slightly
By Jeffery Acheson | Mar 31 2010 | Wealth Management
The average participation rate in 401(k) plans was 82.7% at the end of 2008, according to the 52nd Annual Survey of Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plans by the Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America. That is a very small increase over the previous year’s rate of 81.9%. Pre-tax participant deferrals averaged 5.5% of pay for non-highly compensated employees and 6.6% for highly compensated employees....
What can the United States' Olympic Performance Tell Us About the Future of the Economy?
By Nancy Skeans | Feb 26 2010 | Wealth Management
Let’s face it, the naysayers are not going to go away when it comes to their negative prognostications about the U.S. economy. According to some, ...
529 College Savings Plans and Investment Strategies
By Kyle Zeller | Feb 22 2010 | Wealth Management
College costs have been on a steady increase for the last decade resulting in a near doubling of the total outlay for a four-year undergraduate degree from just ten years ago. As a result, student loans have become a virtual necessity for most families as they plan for college costs. Unfortunately, an escalating number of college students are graduating buried in student loan debt....
Did the Steelers' Super Bowl Win in 2009 Impact Market Returns?
By Beth Lynch | Jan 08 2010 | Wealth Management
First, let’s start by taking a look back to January 30, 2009, as hard as that may be. The S&P 500 Index was down 106 points for the month and ...
Asset Allocation in a Changing Economic Environment
By Jeffery Acheson | Dec 17 2009 | Wealth Management
We here at Schneider Downs Wealth Management Advisors, LP have long held that the recipe (asset allocation) is as or more important than the ingredients (utilized funds). As any great chef will tell you, a bag of the best ingredients in the world doesn’t ensure a tasty dish without the right recipe that has most likely been developed over time....
Dow Hits 10,000: What's the Big Deal?
By Patrick Fisher | Oct 16 2009 | Wealth Management
As the Dow Jones Industrial Average snuck above the 10,000 level this week for the first time in more than a year, Patrick Fisher ponders the question, "What's the big deal?"...
401(k) Participants Benefit From "Bottom-Up" Service and Attention
By Kyle Zeller | Sep 17 2009 | Wealth Management
As the federal government threatens to rain down more retirement plan regulations, plan sponsors would be well advised to take preemptive action regarding ...
Is The 'Great Recession' Over?
By Nancy Skeans | Sep 11 2009 | Wealth Management
Wow, what a concept. Over? It was just one year ago this week that the U.S. government took control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Within a few days, Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy and the government seized AIG. The world equity markets recoiled at the horror of it all, and credit markets practically stopped functioning. ...
Should You Convert Your Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA?
By Beth Lynch | Jul 10 2009 | Wealth Management
There are many factors to consider before converting a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA....
Annuities - Bane or Benefit to Retirement Planning?
By Carrie Schaffer | Jun 05 2009 | Wealth Management
Principal protection, availability of guaranteed interest rates, and optional lifetime guaranteed income riders are some of the advantages inherent in a competitive annuity product from a financially strong insurance company. Is it time to take another look?...
Measuring the Economy
By Patrick Fisher | Apr 09 2009 | Wealth Management
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) provides perhaps the broadest reading on the strength of the economy. This measurement estimates the value of all goods and services produced within the United States. One month after each quarter ends, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (the Bureau) (www.bea.gov) releases its first GDP estimate for that quarter. Patrick Fisher explains why this is important. ...
Do You Have a Financial Plan?
By Beth Lynch | Mar 20 2009 | Wealth Management
Investors are nervous and for good reason. We are experiencing a financial crisis the likes of which most of us have never seen before. It has been marked ...
What Do We Make Of This Economy?
By Jeffery Acheson | Feb 14 2009 | Wealth Management
2008 is now behind us. To say that it has been a challenging year for all of us would be a dramatic understatement. I would like to apologize in advance ...
2008 could not end soon enough for investors. Is there any hope for 2009?
By Nancy Skeans | Jan 16 2009 | Wealth Management
Although we do not expect the onslaught of negative economic news to end anytime soon, there are positive factors underlying the current environment that ...
A New Year's Resolution that Makes "Cents"
By Carrie Schaffer | Jan 08 2009 | Wealth Management
Now that the challenges of 2008 are behind us, let’s look forward to a fresh, new start. Consider a New Year’s resolution that will make a ...
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December 31, 1969