War, private credit crash, our upcoming Roth conversion webinar, and Social Security tax changes.

Hi Reader,

Welcome to the March edition of our newsletter! As we move into spring and the busiest stretch of tax season, we wanted to share a few timely updates on what's happening in the markets and strategies worth keeping on your radar.

In this issue, you'll find updates on:

• Our Next Webinar: Join us for a deep dive into Roth conversion planning.
• Timely Update: What you need to know about your portfolio in light of Mideast events and private credit fund headlines.
• From the Blog: How is your Social Security taxed now?
• In the Press: Balancing retirement plan confidence with family gifting

As a reminder, if there are other topics you’d like to see covered in a future newsletter this year, or if we can help you implement any of these topics in your financial plan, simply reply to this email and we’ll be in touch.

Regards,

The Arnold & Mote Team

March Webinar: Advanced Strategies for Roth Conversions

We know Roth conversions can be a powerful tool for many retirees to save taxes on their retirement income. There are some advanced strategies for Roth conversions that add to their effectiveness and can make other parts of your financial plan more successful in retirement.

In this webinar, we’ll cover:

• Why timing a Roth conversion late in the calendar year is almost always your best tactic, and why ignoring market timing for Roth conversions makes sense for all investors,
• When selling funds/ETFs in your IRA makes more sense than transferring shares to your Roth,
• How you can use an RMD 'trick' to help pay the taxes on a Roth conversion.

Join us for the live broadcast at noon Central Time on Friday March 27th, streamed on our YouTube channel here:

Want a reminder before we go live? Click the button above and subscribe to our channel to be notified as the webinar begins:

If you can't attend live, a replay of the webinar will be accessible immediately after and available alongside recordings of all previous webinars on our YouTube channel.

If there are questions you'd like to have answered, simply reply to this email and let us know!

Timely Update - Iran War and Private Credit Panic

The recent headlines around the geopolitical events in the Mideast are unsettling. However, you should know that this is exactly the kind of environment your financial plan was built to withstand.

Diversified portfolios anchored in low-cost index funds don't just own risky U.S. tech stocks. They hold stocks and bonds from thousands of companies across sectors and geographies. Even shocks this significant can be weathered by a well-constructed investment plan.

History bears this out: markets posted double-digit gains within months of the onset of hostilities during both Gulf Wars. Investors who stayed the course were rewarded.

This chart below highlights past notable events, and the corresponding growth of $1 in the MSCI World Index (net of dividends), between 1970 and 2025.

You may have also seen alarming headlines about major private credit funds, including those managed by BlackRock, Morgan Stanley, and Blackstone, restricting investor withdrawals after a surge in redemption requests. We do not invest clients in private credit funds, and never have.

Your investments with Arnold & Mote have no direct private credit fund or private equity fund exposure. Several companies whose businesses focus on managing these funds are publicly traded and included in certain indexes. The largest of which are Blackstone, KKR, and Apollo Global Management, which combine to make up about 0.35% of the S&P 500 index. And of course, the S&P 500 is just one of your equity investments. After factoring in small cap investments, international investments, and value-focused investments, any direct exposure to these funds through publicly traded companies is a very, very small part of your investment portfolio.

Years ago, these high-risk, highly leveraged, illiquid, and high-fee investments (with total fees as high as 8%-10% per year!) had stellar returns. They were then aggressively sold to institutions and retail investors. Now, those investors who didn't fully understand the risks are paying the price.

It's a good reminder of why we stick to liquid, publicly traded, low-cost index funds. When you need your money, it's there. There are no "gates" or waiting periods required.

Public markets may feel less exciting than the higher yields private credit promised, but moments like this are exactly when that simplicity proves its worth.

Whether it's the headlines around the war, private credit, or anything else — know that your withdrawal plan, tax strategy, and bond and cash reserves were designed so that you never have to sell into a significant short term downturn. The planning we have been doing with you for years matters more right now than any short term market move or analyst prediction.

If you're feeling uneasy, that's completely normal. Reach out and let's talk through your specific situation together.

Latest Video From Arnold & Mote

​Is Social Security Still Taxed?​

If you followed the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, you may have heard claims that Social Security payments would no longer be taxed. Social Security is still taxed, but there were new deductions that will reduce some retirees tax liability - whether they have started their Social Security benefits or not.

In our latest video, Quinn reviews the changes to the tax laws related to Social Security, and outlines what you need to know about Social Security and taxes for 2026.

For More: Arnold and Mote's Matt Hylland was quoted in this Yahoo Finance article related to this topic: Why More Retirees Could Owe Taxes on Social Security in 2026​

Arnold & Mote Featured in the Press

Kiplinger: Should we fund a 529 plan for grandkids or focus on our retirement?​

Weighing different priorities is hard for any retiree, especially those new to retirement. Helping out future generations is high on many people's list, but the fear of putting your own plan at risk causes many to hesitate and limit family gifting early on.
In this article for Kiplinger, we were interviewed to provide some advice for a family considering ways to set money aside for their grandchildren, without putting their retirement at risk.

See our other recent press mentions on our Press Page.

Looking for Something From a Prior Newsletter?

As a reminder, you can now find the last 12 months of our newsletters here:

Whether you’re new and want to browse newsletters you missed or are trying to follow up on a topic from a few months ago, we’re now publishing all newsletters at the link above. We'll also keep this link at the bottom of all future newsletters.

Quinn and the Arnold & Mote Wealth Management Team

(319) 393-4020

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The information herein was obtained from various sources. Arnold & Mote Wealth Management does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information provided by third parties. The information given is as of the date indicated and believed to be reliable. Arnold & Mote Wealth Management assumes no obligation to update this information, or to advise on further developments relating to it. This is for informational purposes only. Investing may involve risk including loss of principal. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.