The Interest Rate Cycle, Government Crowding Out & Secure Act 2.0

In this episode of the Planned Solutions Incorporated Podcast, Central banks have increased interest rates around the globe in an effort to bring down inflation. Now the Federal Reserve may be at the end, or getting close to the end, of its interest rate hiking cycle. However, the impact of higher long-term interest rates is not fully reflected in the financial or economic data, which will only occur when low-interest rate debt must be paid off or rolled over at higher interest rates. This impact will depend on debt management at the business and household level and the future path of interest rates. Also, Long-term interest rates have moved up recently as investors fear that large government deficits will require significant borrowing in the coming months. When government borrowing increases it often pushes up interest rates as the government must offer to pay higher rates to attract the funds it needs to borrow. This can also push out private borrowers as they are unable to compete with the government for funds or are unable to match the high-interest rates that the government will pay. New rules take effect in 2024 that will impact high-income earners who are age 50 or older and making catch-up retirement contributions. Effective January 1st, people who earned more than $145,000 in the prior year will be required to make retirement catch-up contributions to a Roth 401k. This may be an issue if the employer 401k does not offer a Roth option as it would disallow the catch-up contributions. In addition, Roth contributions are not tax deductible so it could lead to an increased tax bill. Plus a look at the Planned Solutions Incorporated Office Bulletin Board- The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) recently issued a nationwide alert regarding a surge in check fraud schemes targeting the US. Check fraud has increased by 84% so far in 2023 despite a decrease in check usage. In many cases, checks are stolen from the US mail and are altered to change the dollar amount and the recipient. It is official, We recently sent out the registration forms for our annual charity golf tournament. We are busy ordering the giveaways for the tournament and gathering donations for the silent auction. We hope you will be able to attend (either golf or attend the dinner) or donate to a cancer charity to support our efforts. The Planned Solutions Cancer Memorial Charity Golf Tournament Date: October 13, 2023 Location: Rancho Murieta Country Club – North Course 7000 Alameda Drive Rancho Murieta, CA 95683 Time: 1:00 pm shotgun start, 5:30 pm dinner All profits go to cancer research and education. You can help by attending the tournament or donating. Not golfing? Bring friends and attend the dinner. Chase Armer's book- Financial Planning Insights is now available at: https://www.amazon.com/Financial-Planning-Insights-Decades-Planner/dp/1098306279?ref_=ast_author_mpb To subscribe to the Personal Finance Review (the written form of all the content we discuss on the podcast) please e-mail Katie@PlannedSolutions.com The Personal Finance Review is published and distributed biweekly by Planned Solutions, Inc. for informational purposes only. Please seek the advice of a qualified financial planner before taking any action. Planned Solutions, Inc.