Here is SMI's Money Roundup for a mid-November day.
This is why you need a plan (Ben Carlson, A Wealth of Common Sense). "This is the kind of market where the only way to keep your sanity is to have a plan."
Retirees: 5 Reasons to consider index funds and ETFs (Christine Benz, Morningstar). Most of the reasons relate to low costs and relative simplicity, along the lines of SMI's Just-the-Basics strategy.
Roth conversions (Adam Grossman, Humble Dollar). "If your marginal rate is in one of the middle brackets — either 22% or 24% — that's when the conversion decision doesn't have an easy 'yes' or 'no' answer."
Claiming the standard deduction? 11 Tax breaks for single filers (Kiplinger). Not all of these will apply to every individual filer, but some could prove helpful.
401(k) limit increases to $25,500 for 2027, IRA limit remains $7,500 (IRS news release). The 2027 401(k) limit will be $1,000 higher than the '26 limit.
How much you can make in 2027 and still pay 0% capital gains tax (CNBC). "One of the most overlooked strategies for tax-free income."
Ranked: Government debt by country in 2026 (Visual Capitalist). Related: 52 cents of every dollar the U.S. government spent last month was borrowed (E.J. Antoni via X).
3 states reject gambling measures despite record lobbyist, ad spending (The Washington Stand). Election-related news you may not have heard.
King County residents scammed out of $4.6 million in gold bar schemes (Seattle Times). That happened in Washington State. A similar scam occurred in Gainesville, Fla.: DHS Task Force investigation leads to multi-defendant indictment for gold bar scheme to defraud elderly victims (Alachua Chronicle).
In a world of more, we need a theology of enough (Andrew Lisi, The Gospel Coalition). A "theology of enough" starts with worshiping God as the all-sufficient One.
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