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INDUSTRY NEWS |
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IRA Planning |
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Americans Now Have Much More Money in IRAs than 401(k)s. Why That Leaves Workers More VulnerableThe most extraordinary development in the U.S. private sector retirement system is not the shift away from old-fashioned defined benefit plans, which began around 1980 and is virtually complete today, but rather the movement away from 401(k) plans, which replaced the defined benefit plans, to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Total IRA assets now exceed the money in 401(k)s by $7 trillion. (Alicia H. Munnell, Ph.D., Columnist, MarketWatch, Inc., 02/10/2026) |
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Inherited Roth IRAs and Successor BeneficiariesSuccessor beneficiaries (the beneficiary of a beneficiary) do NOT get to use any of their own personal information or status to dictate the payout structure of an inherited IRA. It does NOT matter who the successor beneficiary is or what the successor’s relationship to the first beneficiary is. It does NOT matter if the successor is a spouse, disabled or a minor child. The successor’s status as either an eligible designated beneficiary (EDB) or a non-eligible designated beneficiary (NEDB) plays NO role in determining the required payout of the inherited IRA. The successor simply “steps into the shoes” of the previous beneficiary and follows the exact same payout program that applied to the original Roth IRA beneficiary, with one exception. (Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF®, IRA Analyst, Ed Slott and Company LLC, 01/19/2026) |
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Life Insurance Planning |
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Insurance Professionals Comment on Kyle Busch CaseSeveral insurance professionals shared their views on the indexed universal life (IUL) policies that are at the center of the complaint filed by Kyle and Samantha Busch against Pacific Life Insurance Company and insurance agent Rodney A. Smith in U.S. District Court in North Carolina. (Editorial Staff, RIJ Publishing LLC., 02/03/2026) |
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Medicare & Medicaid Planning |
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Medicare Surcharges Can Hit Affluent Clients Hard, Firm WarnsThe extra charges that high-income retirees pay for Medicare can have a big impact on lifetime spending. Analysts at HealthView Services show the numbers in a new report on how the Medicare “income-related monthly adjustment amount” charges, or IRMAA surcharges, might affect hypothetical couples’ post-retirement health care spending. (Allison Bell, Senior Reporter, ThinkAdvisor and BenefitsPRO, 02/05/2026) |
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Retirement Planning |
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Record U.S. Life Expectancy Raises Bar for Retirement ReadinessNew CDC data shows average 65-year-old retiree will reach 85; accurate longevity risk assumptions vital to effective retirement planning. Life expectancy at birth for the U.S. population increased to 79.0 years in 2024, its highest level ever, and an uptick of 0.6 year from 2023, according to final death data featured in two new reports released Jan. 29 from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). (Brian Anderson, Managing Editor, 401(k) Specialist, 02/03/2026) |
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Seventh Circuit Reinstates Ex-Spouse as Beneficiary After Failed Attempt to Update ERISA PlanIn Packaging Corp. of Am. Thrift Plan for Hourly Emps. v. Langdon, No. 25-1859, — F.4th—–. 2026 WL 262954 (7th Cir. Feb. 2, 2026), the Seventh Circuit reversed a district court’s sua sponte summary judgment ruling and held that a plan participant did not effectively remove his ex-spouse as the primary beneficiary of an ERISA-governed retirement plan where he failed to comply—substantially or otherwise—with the plan’s prescribed beneficiary-change procedures. (Michelle L. Roberts, ERISA Litigation Attorney, Roberts Disability Law, P.C., 02/03/2026) |
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Tax Planning |
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You’ll Need to Report Certain IRA and Retirement Plan Distributions Differently on This Year’s Form 1040With all the tax changes made by the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), it’s no surprise that the IRS has made significant changes to the 2025 Form 1040 and supporting schedules and forms. Near the beginning of each year’s 1040 instructions, the IRS includes a section titled “What’s New” that summarizes the tax changes in effect for that year and how they are reflected on the 1040. The “What’s New” section in the 2025 instructions contains 25 items. (Ian Berger, JD, IRA Analyst, Ed Slott and Company LLC, 02/04/2026) |
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What are the Risks of a 72(t) Payment Plan?“Booming stock markets. Job dissatisfaction. The explosion of 401(k)s since the 1980s. The itch to travel. The desire not to worry about Monday morning. We may be on the threshold of an early retirement boom. Many potential early retirees will find the lion’s share of their financial assets are in a traditional 401(k) or traditional 401(k)s. The concern becomes the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty.” This 38 page article explores the risks of a 72(t) payment plan. (Sean Mullaney, Financial Planner and President, Mullaney Financial & Tax. Inc., 02/10/2026) |
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Practice Management |
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CFP Board to Increase CE Requirements in 2027The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards has announced that its board plans to increase continuing education requirements for CFPs and has added the Certified Investment Management Analyst, or CIMA, certification as an approved academic degree and professional credential. The board will also clarify that competency is not measured by the CFP exam alone. The changes are part of updates to the organization’s Competency Standards. (Melanie Waddell, Senior Editor and Washington Bureau Chief, ThinkAdvisor, 01/28/2026) |
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SEC Approves FINRA Gift Limit Boost to $300The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s plan to increase the value limit on gifts by a registered person to $300 from $100 per recipient per year. (Melanie Waddell, Senior Editor and Washington bureau Chief, ThinkAdvisor, 02/18/2026) |
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US Wealth Management in 2035: A Transformative Decade BeginsAccording to McKinsey & Company, over the next decade, the convergence of AI, demographic change, and evolving client trust will challenge wealth managers to reinvent how they compete and serve clients. Given this unique confluence of trends, the time seems right for a forward-looking perspective on how they will impact the industry in the years ahead. In this article, they build on their previously published perspectives on convergence in the wealth management industry. (Jimmy Zhao, Partner, Vlad Golyk, Partner, with Joanna Si, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company, 01/29/2026) |
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ASSUMED FEDERAL RATES (AFRs) |
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§7520 Rate for March is: 4.80% |
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ADVISOR TOOLS |
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Free 2026 Federal Income Tax and
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Financial / Insurance Calculators & WebsitesDiscover a wealth of online calculators and informational websites tailored to your needs. Our extensive resources cover essential areas such as financial planning, retirement calculations, investment analysis, and insurance needs assessment, empowering you to provide comprehensive guidance and services to your clients. |
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FEATURED COURSE(S) |
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CE Credits
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B.E.S.T. CE PROGRAMS |
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CFP® Ethics CE WebinarJoin Us for Our Upcoming 2-Hour Live Webinar and
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Webinar Consists of the Following2-hour live presentation: CFP Ethics A Practical Application of CFP Board’s Code and Standards (Course#: 277681) - No exam required. This
presentation is approved by the Certified Financial Planner
Board of Standards, Inc. and fulfills the requirement
for CFP Board approved Ethics CE. It is designed to
educate CFP® professionals on CFP Board’s new Code of
Ethics and Standards of Conduct. |
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Pricing Options
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NOTE: Additional fee includes CFP Board fee of $1.25 per credit hour/per student. If you add IAR CE credits, there is also an additional IAR’s governing board filing fee of $3.00 per credit hour/per student. (IAR CE credits are approved in the states that have adopted the NASAA Model Regulations.) Registering includes the following three web pages: (each may open in a separate window)
NOTE: Do not close any of your web pages / browsers |
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CFP®: This webinar is approved by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and fulfills the requirement for CFP Board approved Ethics CE. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP®, and CFP® in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. IWI: Investments & Wealth Institute® (IWI) has accepted this CFP® Ethics webinar for 2 hours of CE credit towards the IWI certifications. (CIMA®, CPWA® and RMA®) NASAA (IAR) Disclaimer: “NASAA does not endorse any particular provider of CE courses. The content of the course and any views expressed are my/our own and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASAA or any of its member jurisdictions.” |
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IAR Ethics Virtual Super CE ProgramJoin Us for Our Upcoming 1-Hour Live Webinar and
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Program Consists of the Following:
The Ethical Practices and Professional Responsibility presentation is designed to present financial and insurance professionals with the ethical practices and standards required when conducting business in their state. (No CE credit.) Ethics for Financial and Insurance Professionals (Course #: C27297) is designed to meet the mandatory 6-hour CE credit requirement under the Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Investment Adviser Representatives (IARs). Requires you to spend six (6) hours of reading and reviewing the self-study course material PRIOR to taking the exam. The 60-question exam requires an invite code that is given to all attendees during the live webinar presentation. To receive CE credit, advisors must obtain a passing grade of 70% or higher. If the exam is not passed on the first attempt, students have two (2) additional retakes for a maximum of three (3) attempts. |
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Pricing Options
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NOTE: Additional fee includes IAR’s governing board filing fee of $3.00 per credit hour/per student. If you add CFP CE credits, there is also an additional CFP Board fee of $1.25 per credit hour/per student. (IAR CE credits are only available for states that have adopted the NASAA Model Regulations.) NASAA (IAR) Disclaimer: “NASAA does not endorse any particular provider of CE courses. The content of the course and any views expressed are my/our own and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASAA or any of its member jurisdictions.” |
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