Finances

The Many Benefits of a Roth Conversion

The Many Benefits of a Roth Conversion 1200 1800 Donna Skeels Cygan

This article appeared in the Albuquerque Journal on July 6, 2025. Roth IRAs are tax-free. Traditional IRAs are tax-deferred. Understanding the ramifications of tax-free versus tax-deferred in your retirement plan…

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Ten Reasons NOT to Do a Roth Conversion

Ten Reasons NOT to Do a Roth Conversion 900 675 Donna Skeels Cygan

This article appeared in the Albuquerque Journal on June 8, 2025. See end of article for editor’s note. The History Let’s start with some basics. Traditional IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts)…

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Investing Impacts Emotions

Investing Impacts Emotions 2000 1333 Donna Skeels Cygan

This article appeared in the Albuquerque Journal on May 4, 2025. On April 3rd and 4th the S&P 500 index declined over 10%. Since then, the stock market has had…

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What Elephants are in Your Room?

What Elephants are in Your Room? 2000 1230 Donna Skeels Cygan

This article appeared in the Albuquerque Journal on April 6, 2025. As we age, we face challenges. Some are predictable; some are not. Some potential risks feel like major upheavals…

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Investors Need to Prepare for Chaos

Investors Need to Prepare for Chaos 2000 1500 Donna Skeels Cygan

 This article appeared in the Albuquerque Journal on March 2, 2025. Uncertainty is always present. It impacts our health, our family and friends, and our investments. We can control many…

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That Darn IRMAA!

That Darn IRMAA! 1456 1048 Donna Skeels Cygan

This article appeared in the Albuquerque Journal on February 9, 2025 There is an old saying for investors that states “Don’t let the tax tail wag the investment dog.” For…

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One Financial Task for January 2025

One Financial Task for January 2025 2000 1333 Donna Skeels Cygan

 This article appeared in the Albuquerque Journal on January 6, 2025. Managing your investments gets complicated. Sometimes it seems overwhelming. My recommendation for 2025 is to simplify your finances. The…

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Have You Bear-Proofed Your Finances?

Have You Bear-Proofed Your Finances? 2000 1333 Donna Skeels Cygan

This article appeared in the Albuquerque Journal on December 16, 2024.  The U.S. stock market has been in a bull market during 2023 and 2024. A bull market (loosely defined…

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Snuggle up to uncertainty

Snuggle up to uncertainty 800 646 Donna Skeels Cygan

Sociologist Brené Brown said we should “snuggle up to uncertainty” during one of her lectures a few years ago. She has written numerous bestsellers and is an expert on vulnerability,…

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Spending money wisely can make you happier

Spending money wisely can make you happier 2560 1707 Donna Skeels Cygan

Can money buy happiness? My view focuses on semantics, and specifically the word “buy.” I’ve known many people with enormous amounts of money who are very unhappy, so I don’t…

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