The New SECURE Act Goes Live As we alluded to in our October 2019 post, the SECURE Act has been passed into law as of January 1st, 2020. The Act makes some significant changes to required minimum distribution (RMD) rules as well as a number of changes to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), qualified retirement plans, …
Best (and Worst) College Planning Ideas
Rising college costs frequently weigh heavy on the minds of families with teenage kids. We often hear feedback like, “How are we possibly going to afford to pay the equivalent of another mortgage for my child to attend college?” We’ve compiled a few of the best (and worst) ideas and strategies to consider as you …
2019 Ronald McDonald Donation Drive
Announcing our 7th Annual Ronald McDonald Donation Drive! Sterling is a proud supporter of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Upper Midwest which helps to “keep families together when their worlds unravel”, and starting now through Monday, December 2nd we are hosting a drive to collect items on the Ronald McDonald House Wish List (below). From everyday basics …
Potential Retirement Impacts from Capitol Hill
The “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019” (SECURE Act) was passed in the House of Representatives on May 23rd, 2019. The bill was received by the Senate on June 3rd, 2019, however, it has stalled thus far and has yet to be brought up for a vote. The SECURE Act, if …
On Sibling Rivalries, Fire Alarms, and Bubble Wrap
If you are having trouble keeping up with the rapid-fire economic news updates lately, we can’t blame you! The barrage of news headlines and tweets over the last few months has us pretty annoyed. If you were to only read the headlines, you might guess that the market is in a major correction with no …
Welcome, Luke!
Please join Steve, Megan, and the Sterling team in welcoming our newest member, Luke Strom! Luke joined Sterling in March of 2019 after spending 8 years at a Fortune 500 insurance company – most recently as the in-house financial advisor serving over 2,000 internal employees while building his own financial planning business. He is a …
Portfolio Enemy No. 1
What’s the biggest risk to your long-term portfolio today? Think about the headlines in the last few months. Is it trade tension? A global slowdown? Political gridlock? While these events affect markets in the short-term, history tells us that the real risk is not any of those things, or any other headline around the corner. …
2018 Ronald McDonald Donation Drive
Announcing our 6th Annual Ronald McDonald Donation Drive! Sterling is a proud supporter of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Upper Midwest which helps to “keep families together when their worlds unravel”, and starting now through Friday, December 7th we are hosting a drive to collect items on the Ronald McDonald House Wish List (below). From everyday basics …
The “Unremarkable” Remarkable 2017
It ended just a few months ago, but do you remember what your portfolio did in 2017? Do you remember the widespread fears that sent ripples through the markets, and how that felt? If you said “no”, you’re not alone. It wasn’t a challenge to earn a positive investment return last year; nearly every major …
Evaluating Social Security Strategies
This article first appeared in the Mar./Apr. 2018 issue of Live Play AAA, the Official Publication of AAA Minneapolis. Be aware of the latest changes. Whether you are married, divorced, widowed, remarried or single, it is now more important than ever to evaluate how to maximize Social Security benefits by claiming at the appropriate …