Whether you dream of a travel-filled retirement or would prefer to relax and enjoy spending more time at home, you’re probably wondering what you can do to make your golden years as stress-free as possible. For many who have spent the last several decades in wealth-accumulation mode, withdrawing savings can trigger anxieties about the future. Some of the choices you make during the earliest years of retirement can significantly reduce—or accelerate—the speed with which you spend down your retirement savings. Moving to a State with No (or Low) Income Taxes As of 2020, seven states do not levy an individual income tax—Texas, Florida, Nevada, Alaska, Washington State, Wyoming, and South Dakota.1 Retiring in one of these states can save you up to 13 percent on each 401(k) or IRA withdrawal you make. There are certainly trade-offs to this approach, as low-income-tax states tend to have higher property taxes or fewer public services than high-tax areas; however, for those looking to preserve their nest egg, it’s worth looking into. In some cases, it can make sense to plan a move to a no-tax state shortly before you begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs), as these RMDs will then be subject only to federal income taxes. And even if you’d prefer not to uproot your life to live in a new state year-round, you may want to investigate your options to see how many nights a year you’d need to spend in a no-tax state to claim residency. Deciding When to Take Social Security Benefits Another important factor in preserving your retirement savings involves when to take Social Security benefits. The earlier you claim, the less you’ll receive per month; waiting until age 70 to claim can mean maximizing your benefits.

The recent correction in the S&P 500 Index’s technology sector presents a unique challenge to markets following a historic stretch of outperformance as technology’s share of the market has ballooned in size. Despite September weakness in this sector that has dragged the broader market lower, we expect technology leadership to continue given supportive underlying fundamental and technical conditions. A September to Forget During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has played a curious role in mitigating downside during bouts of volatility, while also posting considerable outperformance when markets rebounded, as many viewed the sector as relatively well insulated from the economic effects of the virus. After a “melt-up” environment for tech during the month of August, the sector so far has corrected more than 12% from its prior high in September, a historically weak month for the S&P 500. Investors are asking if the weakness will continue. Fundamentals are Supportive The question of whether technology’s strong performance since March has put it in bubble territory has received a lot of attention in the financial media as well as with investors. Although we acknowledge that some of the better-performing technology and technology-related stocks have been on an upward trajectory similar to that of the late 1990s until the recent sell-off, we don’t believe technology is in a bubble. We would first point out how strong fundamentals are right now. Earnings estimates for the sector have already moved above their pre-pandemic highs. While there is risk that these expectations may not be achieved, the gap between technology sector earnings and earnings from the entire S&P 500—which includes technology—is impressive [Figure 1]. During the second quarter of 2020, technology was one of only three sectors to

As the end of the year approaches, it’s time to consider strategies that could help you reduce your tax bill. But most tax tips, suggestions, and strategies are of little practical help without a good understanding of your current tax situation. This is particularly true for year-end planning. You can’t know where to go next if you don’t know where you are now. So take a break from the usual fall chores and pull out last year’s tax return, along with your current pay stubs and account statements. Doing a few quick projections will help you estimate your present tax situation and identify any glaring issues you’ll need to address while there’s still time. When it comes to withholding, don’t shortchange yourself If you project that you’ll owe a substantial amount when you file this year’s income tax return, ask your employer to increase your federal income tax withholding amounts. If you have both wage and consulting income and are making estimated tax payments, there’s an added benefit to doing this: Even though the additional withholding may need to come from your last few paychecks, it’s generally treated as having been withheld evenly throughout the year. This may help you avoid paying an estimated tax penalty due to underwithholding. Of course, if you’ve significantly overpaid your taxes and estimate you’ll be receiving a large refund, you can reduce your withholding accordingly, putting money back in your pocket this year instead of waiting for your refund check to come next year. Will you suffer the alternative? Originally intended to prevent the very rich from using “loopholes” to avoid paying taxes, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) now reaches further into the ranks