Join Wealth Distribution Strategies for our second annual charity event. This year we will be raising funds  to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison. This event will take place on Friday, April 26th. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m, festivities beginning at 6:15 p.m. and the event will end around 10:00 p.m. To learn more  click here to go to this years event page. If you are interested in attending this event, please contact Ashley or … [Read more...]

Join Wealth Distribution Strategies for an educational event on “2019 Global Market Outlook” featuring Garret Siperko, Vice President Regional Investment Consultant with T.Rowe Price. The event will be held on Wednesday, April 3rd at 6:00 p.m. To learn more about this events topics and location please, click here. Contact Ashley or Desiree if you would like to attend. 608.848.2389 aseffens@wdstrategies.com dhendrickson@wdstrategies.com … [Read more...]

A LOTS OF SENIORS By the year 2050, approximately a generation from today, 330 million Chinese will be over the age of 65. By comparison, there are 328 million Americans alive today. (Source: Census Bureau) EVERY DAY An estimated 10,400 Americans will turn 65 years old each day this year (2019). This group represents the 9th year of 19 years of “Baby Boomers” turning 65. An estimated 11,500 Americans will turn 65 years old each day in the year 2029. (Source: Government Accountability … [Read more...]

LESS FOREIGN BUYERS Foreign investors, led by China and Japan, held $6.2 trillion of US Treasury securities as of November 2018, just under 40% of total US Treasury debt. That’s the lowest percentage held by foreign investors in the last 15 years. (Source: Treasury Department) THE RICHEST FIVE PERCENT The top 5% of US taxpayers in the tax year 2016 (the latest year for which tax data has been released) made at least $197,651 of adjusted gross income (AGI), received 35% of all AGI nationwide … [Read more...]

STUDENT LOAN DEBT Americans 60 years or older owe $86 billion in student loan debt and because of this, in 2015, 40,000 of those over the age of 65 had funds garnished from their Social Security checks. (Source: The Wall Street Journal, February 2, 2019) NOT STOPPING 48% of working Americans surveyed in 2018 anticipate working past age 65, up from just 16% of workers who felt that way 30 years earlier. (Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute) ANOTHER OIL RECORD US field production of … [Read more...]

SOME MAKE A LOT 5% of the 150.3 million tax returns filed for tax year 2016 reported adjusted gross income (AGI) of at least $200,000, received 35% of all AGI and paid 58% of all federal income tax. (Source: IRS) ESTATE TAXES An estimated 2.8 million Americans died in 2018. Of the 2.8 million deaths, an estimated 4,000 of those deceased individuals (i.e., 1 in every 700 deaths) died with an estate worth more $11.2 million, the minimum dollar amount that can be passed estate tax-free per … [Read more...]

GOTTA GIVE TO GET 8 states have applied for and received government approval to add work requirements for some of the people enrolled in Medicaid. Of the 8 states (Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire and Wisconsin) only 2 states (Arkansas and Indiana) have implemented the work requirement. The most common work requirement – 80 hours a month (source: Kaiser Family Foundation). CRAZY HIGH For the 13 consecutive years from 1951-1963, the top individual marginal … [Read more...]

RED AND BLUE PROBLEM The national debt increased +86% during George W. Bush’s 8 years as president, reaching$10.63 trillion as of 1/20/09. The national debt increased +88% during Barack Obama’s 8 years as president, reaching $19.95 trillion as of 1/20/17. The national debt has increased +10% during Donald Trump’s first 2 years in the White House, reaching $21.95 trillion as of 1/20/19 (Source: Treasury Department). SALES PRICE The median sales price of existing homes sold in the United States … [Read more...]

FDIC Since the FDIC was founded in 1933, 2018 was only the third time that a calendar year passed without a bank failure. (Source: CNBC, January 12, 2019) ONE DAY I’LL BE RICH 37% of US households (45 million out of 121 million total household) will transfer assets estimated to be worth $68 trillion to family heirs and charities over the next 25 years. The $68 trillion represents 64% of the nation’s total household net worth of $107 trillion. (Source: Cerulli Associates) HEARING … [Read more...]

THEY FORGOT TO PLAN 62% of the 43 million Americans on Social Security receive at least 50% of their retirement income via their monthly Social Security benefit. (Source: Social Security Administration) THREE If the nation’s GDP growth for 2018 that will be reported in 1/30/19 shows an increase of at least +3% for the last year, it will end a record streak of 12 consecutive years of “sub +3%” growth (2006-2017). The next longest streak in history of “sub +3%” growth is the 4 years from … [Read more...]

Registration is open for our February and March Classes! Join us for our Retirement Planning Today Workshop, a financial education course offered through the Dane County UW-Extension  for adults that are between the ages 50-70. Dates: Monday, February 4th & 11th, Wednesday, February 13th & 20th, Thursday, February 21st & 28th or Wednesday, February 27th & March 6th, 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Location: 5201 Fen Oak Dr. Madison, WI 53718       This course offers beneficial … [Read more...]

COST OF OUR DEBT The Congressional Budget Office forecasted in April 2018 that interest paid on our national debt will increase from $390 billion in fiscal year 2019 (i.e., the 12 months ending 9/30/19) to $915 billion in fiscal year 2028 (i.e., the 12 months ending 9/30/28). That’s a projected increase of +9.9% per year for the next 9 fiscal years of our nation’s net interest costs. (Source: Congressional Budget Office) FOUR MONTHS AWAY The United Kingdom is scheduled to exit the European … [Read more...]

BIG CITY PEOPLE 50% of the US population lives in just 143 counties in the USA, i.e., just 4.6% of the 3,142 counties throughout the nation are home to half our citizens. (Source: Census Bureau) DISCRETIONARY  VS. MANDATORY Over the next decade (fiscal years 2019-2028), estimated discretionary spending by the US government is $14.1 trillion, an amount that is dwarfed by the government’s $35.9 trillion of projected mandatory spending. (Source: Department of Labor) MORE OUT THAN IN The total … [Read more...]

UP vs. DOWN The split between “up” and “down” trading days for the S&P 500 over the last 50 years (i.e., 1969-2018, encompassing a total of 12,611 trading days) is 53% “up” and 47% “down.” The split during calendar year 2018 (there were 251 trading days last year) was also 53/47. (Source: BTN Research) TEN-YEAR NOTE The yield on the 10-year Treasury note ended 2018 at 2.68%, up 0.27 percentage points from the 2.41% it finished at on 12/31/17. The 10-year note yield was 2.57% on 08/05/11, … [Read more...]

THAT WOULD HURT Individual income taxes paid by American taxpayers would have to increase by +46% in order to eliminate our $779 billion deficit from fiscal year 2018. (Source: Treasury Department) PRODUCING MORE, IMPORTING LESS As of the end of October 2016, the USA was producing 8.5 billion barrels of crude oil per day while we were importing 9.0 million barrels. As of the end of October 2018, the USA was producing 11.2 million barrels of crude oil per day while we were importing 7.3 … [Read more...]

TRILLIONS The size of the US bond market is $42 trillion. The size of the US stock market is $32 trillion. The size of the US economy is $20 trillion. The size of Chinese economy is $12 trillion. (Source: BTN Research) THERE FOR THE TAKING 60% of American workers have access to an employer-sponsored defined contribution plan, e.g., 401(k) plan. 26% of American workers have access to an employer-funded defined benefit pension plan. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics) HOSPITAL STAY A day in … [Read more...]

SHIFTING THE RISK Between 1975 and 2014, the number of defined benefit pension plans in the private sector fell by 57% while the number of defined contribution plans increased by +208%. (Source: DOL) NOT A PENNY 39% of Millennials have accumulated no funds for their eventual retirement. Millennials were born between 1981-97 and are age 21-37 in 2018. (Source: Personal Capital) STATUS To be in the top 1% worldwide, you need a net worth of $871,320 in U.S. dollars. To be among the top 10%, a … [Read more...]

START SAVING NOW A child born in 2018 that begins kindergarten in the fall of 2023 would attend college between the years of 2036 and 2040. If that child attended an average public in-state 4-year college and if the annual price increases for public colleges experienced over the last 30 years (+5.4% per year) continued into the future, the aggregate 4-year cost of the child’s college education (including tuition, fees, room & board) would be $237,262 or $59,315 per year. (Source: College … [Read more...]

IF IT HAPPENED TODAY When the S&P 500 fell 58 points on “Black Monday” (10/19/87), the tumble represented a fall of 20.5%. A 20.5% decline on last Friday’s (10/19/18) closing index value of 2768 would equate to a fall of 567 points. The largest drop for the index this year has been 113 points. (Source: BTN Research) JUT FIVE SURPLUS YEARS The budget deficit for the United State in fiscal year 2018 (i.e., the 12 months that ended 9/30/18) was $799 billion. The USA has run a budget deficit … [Read more...]

WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MATE For Americans who got married in 2017 for the first time, the median age for men was 29.5 years old and the median age for women was 27.4 years old. (Source: Census Bureau) LOSE In the first three months of 2018, 83% of initial public offerings were companies that lost money in the 12 months leading up to the IPO- the highest level in history. (Source: Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2018) HOLIDAY SPENDING It is expected that this year will be the first … [Read more...]