Timely, in-depth analysis written by Shepherd Financial's credentialed advisors. From IRS cost-of-living adjustments and ERISA court rulings to personal tax strategies, explore our complete library.
Explore articles addressing employee benefit trends, fiduciary case law, college financing, and behavioral economics.
In-depth breakdown of the new federal RAP framework rolling out July 1. We compare RAP against SAVE and traditional IDR programs, evaluating AGI calculation formulas, 30-year forgiveness schedules, and student loan consolidation dynamics.
Understanding the rare "Triple Tax Advantage": pre-tax contributions, tax-deferred earnings growth, and tax-free medical withdrawals. How HSAs can function as a secondary, highly flexible retirement vehicle after age 65.
Guidance for IRA owners aged 70½ and older. How utilizing Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) up to $105,000 directly satisfies Required Minimum Distributions without increasing Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or triggering Medicare IRMAA surcharges.
Examining recent Department of Labor scrutiny regarding how corporate committees allocate non-vested forfeited accounts: offsetting ongoing employer matching contributions versus reducing participant-borne administrative fees.
An executive analysis of the DOL's 12-point cybersecurity protocol. Practical measures for fiduciaries to vet recordkeeper security posture, require multi-factor authentication (MFA), and protect participant accounts from wire fraud.
Why automated online legal templates frequently trigger statutory probate disputes, accidental disinheritance, or unintended tax burdens. The necessity of coordinating beneficiary designations with revocable living trusts.
A transparent breakdown of how credit scoring models evaluate financial behavior: payment history (35%), credit utilization (30%), length of credit history (15%), credit mix (10%), and new credit inquiries (10%).
Historical market evidence illustrates the devastating portfolio penalty of attempting to time market downturns. Examining the historical return disparity when an investor misses just the 10 best trading days over a 20-year cycle.
Evaluating recent trends in ERISA 401(k) fee litigation. Why having low fees is not enough without documented procedural prudence, periodic vendor fee RFPs, and an updated Investment Policy Statement (IPS).
The Department of Labor continues to penalize corporate plans with uncashed checks and uncommunicative terminated employees. We outline the DOL-recommended protocol for locating participants and executing automatic rollover IRAs.
An engaging behavioral finance perspective on minor recurring expenses and subscription creep that invisibly erode long-term compounding growth, and how automated micro-saving bridges the gap.
Drawing tactical parallels between horse racing strategies and long-term financial discipline: avoiding long-shot speculation, managing stamina through market cycles, and steady pacing through retirement distribution.
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