How will the increasing U.S.-Iran tensions affect the markets? Will it turn bulls into bears? William Watts compares the effect of past Middle East conflicts to the present to offer investors perspective. The SECURE act of 2019 calls for new strategies for estate planning. There are ways for the affluent to minimize income taxes for non-spouse beneficiaries, as Evan T. Beach explains. Retirees should prepare for rule changes in 2020. From retirement savings to Social Security to Medicare, Lorie Konish of CNBC summarizes what to expect.

What Stock Market Investors Need To Know About Intensifying U.S.-Iran Tensions — Stock market investors shouldn’t panic, but intensifying U.S.-Iran tensions bring home the potential for geopolitical turmoil to make for more volatile price action in 2020 after a blockbuster 2019 rally, investors, analysts and economists said. Read more…

4 Estate Strategies For Affluent Retirees Under The SECURE Act — Estate tax law has changed considerably over the last decade. In fact, less than 0.1% of the people who died in 2018 owed estate taxes. So now the worry about that obligation has shifted from minimizing estate taxes to minimizing headaches, capital gains taxes and income taxes for the next generation. The 2019 SECURE act calls for new strategies for the affluent.  Read more…

Retirement Savings, Social Security And Medicare: These Are The Changes Coming In 2020 — You will be able to save even more in your retirement accounts this year, thanks to higher limits from the IRS.  Meanwhile, individuals who are already in retirement could see a slight bump to their Social Security benefits. On the other hand, they also need to be prepared for potentially higher Medicare costs. Read more…

John R. Day, Bill Ennis, Stephanie Hall, and Matt Heller

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