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Sierra Pacific Financial Advisors Blog. If you see anything that sparks interest or questions, feel free to contact us for discussing.    

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

It's happened! The transition from TD Ameritrade to Charles Schwab is complete. SPFA has teamed with Schwab to broadcast a Schwab Alliance Tutorial Webinar to our clients. A video recording of the webcast is now available in this blog.

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

As transition weekend approaches and your TD Ameritrade accounts are converted to Charles Schwab accounts, you're going to want to make sure your ducks are in a row to ensure a seamless transition. "Conversion weekend," as they say, is this

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Many professionals in the bay area have amassed significant personal wealth through an equity compensation structure, Employee Stock Purchase Plan or other employer granted stock. This often results in a high concentration of assets in...

Monday, March 20, 2023

Congress passed the SECURE Act 2.0 late in December of 2022.  The Act built upon the foundation laid by the 2019 SECURE Act which was also passed in December of that year.  The 2022 act has over 90 changes to how retirement...

Friday, February 3, 2023

As of 2/1/23 Meta, Google and Amazon have already laid off or have announced plans to lay off 41,000 employees. What are things you can do if you think your job might be in jeopardy?Look at increasing your cash emergency fund....

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Tuesday, January 17, 2023

The Federal Reserve Board next meets at the end of January (1/31-2/1).  The Fed is expected to raise the key federal funds rate to 5.1% in 2023.  This is a 0.75% increase from where we are today.  The most likely course...

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

The recent enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) makes changes to 401(k) loan repayment options, which should prompt plan sponsors and plan administrators to re-evaluate their existing loan program, processes and procedures.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Choosing mutual funds for your retirement plan’s investment lineup can feel like wading through a sea of alphabet soup. Fund companies typically offer multiple share classes, each sporting its own unique letter.

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

IRS has raised the limits for 2023 retirement contributions. Due to inflation, the 2023 contribution limits have increased to much higher amounts that haven’t been seen in the previous years. The high contribution limits present...

Friday, November 4, 2022

We all know how difficult it is to start and then commit to good habits.  All we need do is think about the various new year’s resolutions we have made (go to the gym, get on a diet, go to bed earlier etc.).  We start...

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Most cash balance plans are designed for the primary benefit of owners or executives of a company. Some candidates include professional practices (doctors, lawyers, accountants, architects, agencies, family owned businesses, to name a few e

Friday, October 14, 2022

Equity compensation comes in many forms. At Sierra Pacific Financial Advisors we specialize in helping clients understand their stock option grants. We help them to reduce taxes and enhance their income generation.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

There are a great many and varied ways employers use equity as part of an employee’s compensation.  They include: phantom stock to stock appreciate rights and Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPP) just to name a few. ...

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

We discuss how they work, their advantages and disadvantages, and how an investor might use them in a hybrid strategy.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Participant-driven lawsuits are on the rise, and employers are facing heightened scrutiny of the way they manage their retirement plans.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

On June 21, 2018 the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the requirements of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Conflict of Interest Rule—more commonly referred to as the “DOL Fiduciary Rule”—thus killing the rule entirely. 

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

While plan sponsors accidently self-dealing will happen from time to time, many plan sponsors have heeded the lessons from these lawsuits and have addressed any outstanding issues.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Last week the Bureau of Economic Activity reported Gross Domestic Product fell 0.9% in the second quarter. Naturally, many people began to wonder if the US had entered a recessionary period

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Daniel's take on inflation, interest rates and the current state of the economy.

Thursday, July 7, 2022

The SECURE Act of 2019 represented the biggest update to retirement law in over a decade. Now, Congress is deliberating on what “SECURE 2.0” legislation might entail.In March, the House passed the Securing a Strong...

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

As you can imagine we have had a lot of conversations with our investment management clients over the past few months.  Most of these conversations have two main themes: (1) have your objectives and risk tolerance changed and (2) losses

Friday, July 1, 2022

It’s natural to think “defense” during a bearish market season. But why not mix in some “offense” with your defense? Here are three moves we can discuss together that may be helpful during the current...

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Alternative investments are those assets that do not fall into the conventional asset classes: Stock, Bond, or Cash. These investments tend to be uncorrelated to the market creating a hedge against broad market declines.

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Alternative investments are currently exceedingly popular as they can function as a buffer against both inflation and a slowing economic environment.

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Recent years have witnessed the mainstreaming of alternative investments for certain accredited investors. In fact, alternative investments are expected to grow from $13.9 trillion in 2020 to $21.1 trillion in 2025.

Friday, April 15, 2022

The best way to weather a downturn could be to stay invested since properly timing the beginning of a new bull market can be challenging. Staying the course, or at least staying in the market, leads to positive returns over the length of t

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Wholesale inflation is likely rising at the fastest pace in 40 years.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Preparing for retirement just got a little more financial wiggle room. This week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced new contribution limits for 2022.Staying put for 2022 are traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)...

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

While it’s still too early to draw any final conclusions, Congress is getting closer to outlining what tax law changes are under consideration to pay for the proposed $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Plan.1For now, it appears...

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

There are a lot of questions about President Biden’s Build Back Better plan and potential tax law changes, including an adjustment to capital gains taxes.One of the proposals Congress is considering sets the top rate for taxing...

Monday, July 19, 2021

On July 6, oil prices reached a six-year high of $76.98 a barrel. This benchmark came as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies failed to reach an agreement regarding an increase in production.1This...

Thursday, June 17, 2021

As our nation continues to recover from the effects of COVID-19, one economic trend has been capturing news attention as of late. Consumer prices are rising amidst economic recovery. In fact, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.8%...

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Everyone loves a winner. If an investment is successful, most people naturally want to stick with it. But is that the best approach? It may sound counterintuitive, but it may be possible to have too much of a good thing. Over time, the...

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Previously, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year had been automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021.1More time for allHowever,...

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Share Class ABCs: Choose Wisely Choosing mutual funds for your retirement plan’s investment lineup can feel like wading through a sea of alphabet soup. Fund companies typically offer multiple share classes, each sporting its own...

Friday, February 12, 2021

By April 19, 2019, 137 million taxpayers had dutifully filed their federal income tax returns.1 And they all made decisions about deductions and credits – whether they realized it. When you take the time to learn more about how...

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

According to Yale University's Crash Confidence Index, only about 27% of investors are confident the stock market will not crash sometime during the next six months.1 But if fear leads investors to avoid the entire investment class,...

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Now that several major news groups have projected Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election—and Congress appears divided with Democrats in control of the House and Republicans the Senate—it’s a good time to...

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Asset Allocation If you live in or have visited a big city, you’ve probably run into street vendors – people who sell everything from hot dogs to umbrellas – on the streets and sidewalks. Many of these entrepreneurs...

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

The SECURE Act The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act is now law. With it, comes some of the biggest changes to retirement savings law in recent years. While the new rules don’t appear to amount to...

Friday, April 17, 2020

Coping with Coronavirus

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

When Will I Receive My Stimulus Check?

Monday, April 13, 2020

Quarantine Google Calendar

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Homemade Mask

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

No Flour No Problem

Monday, April 6, 2020

Gratitude

Friday, April 3, 2020

The Senate and House of Representatives have passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The roughly $2 trillion coronavirus response bill is intended to keep businesses and individuals afloat during this...

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Monday, March 16, 2020

Healthy Sleep Habits in the Time of COVID-19

Friday, February 7, 2020

A break down of the Treasury/IRS notice of proposed rule-making for Multiple Employer Plans https://401kspecialistmag.com/irs-one-bad-apple-cant-spoil-a-401k-mep-bunch/

Friday, January 10, 2020

The Secure Act

Monday, December 2, 2019

SECURE Act Changes

Sunday, November 3, 2019

DC Re-balance

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Savings by way of Income

Friday, September 6, 2019

Employer Plan Administration

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Plan Sponsor Guidance

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

The use of auto features in 401(k) plans has continued to climb in popularity over the past decade. In fact, auto features such as automatic enrollment and auto escalation are considered best practices in 401(k) plan design as ways to...

Friday, June 7, 2019

If you want to sell your C-suite on paying for an employee financial wellness program, you’ll probably hear this question from your CFO: What’s the ROI? It’s natural for a chief financial officer to ask about the...

Sunday, May 19, 2019

ESG, or environmental, social and governance funds, can be appealing to many investors, including millennials. These funds may be viewed as a proactive way to encourage reluctant and under-prepared millennials to save for retirement....

Friday, May 3, 2019

You may have heard about a “cash balance plan” and wondered whether it would be something advantageous for your business. A cash balance plan operates differently from other types of traditional retirement plans in that it...

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Choosing mutual funds for your retirement plan’s investment lineup can feel like wading through a sea of alphabet soup. Fund companies typically offer multiple share classes, each sporting its own unique letter. A shares, C...

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

458 Tuning Your Social Security Benefit

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

As many employees look ahead to retirement, 47% of workers feel somewhat confident that they’ll have enough money saved to retire on time and then live comfortably.1 However, forward-thinking employers have the ability to help...

Friday, February 1, 2019

Risky Business: Why Plan Governance Matters Participant-driven lawsuits are on the rise, and employers are facing heightened scrutiny of the way they manage their retirement plans. In today’s continually-evolving regulatory and...

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Hacked! Is Your Retirement Plan at Risk for a Cyber Attack? Cyber-crime is on the rise worldwide. As a result, growing numbers of organizations are taking critical steps to protect their valuable electronic data from hackers and other...

Friday, November 2, 2018

Plan Sponsor Guide: Understanding 401(k) Loans The recent enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) makes changes to 401(k) loan repayment options, which should prompt plan sponsors and plan administrators to re-evaluate...

Monday, October 1, 2018

The DOL Rule is Dead On June 21, 2018 the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the requirements of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Conflict of Interest Rule—more commonly referred to as the “DOL Fiduciary...

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Locating missing plan participants can be a headache for any employer, but simply ignoring them is not an effective solution. Regulatory agencies in previous years have published guidance on this topic relating to missing...