Meet Michelle Hoppe

May 7, 2018 Heartland Trust

Michelle Hoppe is an administrative associate who primarily supports personal trusts. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Early morning coffee dates are her favorite.

Below she shares a few things about herself.

Tell us about yourself.
I grew up on the Canadian border in Minnesota, near Baudette. I learned about life with my two brothers and two sisters from some pretty amazing parents. I also have a crazy amount of extended family that I am close with, most of whom live near Baudette.

Self-Trustee vs. Corporate Trustee for Your 401(k) Plan

May 7, 2018 Monica Millette, QKA® - VP, Manager -- Retirement Services.

Early in my career, I attended a three-day training in the Twin Cities for 401(k) plan administration. I met my niece one evening for dinner and she was shocked to hear that it took three days to train on 401(k) plans. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I was attending a basic training!

Retirement plans are complicated to administer. As complicated as the laws are, it is challenging to learn the nuances of this industry while staying abreast of the ever-changing regulations and how to interpret them.

How does all of this tie into self-trustee vs. corporate trustee? While others may downplay the importance of having a corporate trustee, we believe it is critical to the well-being of your business and your retirement plan.

Charitable Contributions from IRAs

May 7, 2018 Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions

When planning your IRA withdrawal strategy, you may want to consider supporting a favorite charity with tax-free contributions from your IRA. These contributions are known as qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) or charitable IRA rollovers.

How QCDs Work

You must be 70½ or older in order to make QCDs. You direct your IRA trustee to make a distribution directly from your IRA (other than SEP and SIMPLE IRAs) to a qualified charity. The distribution must be one that would otherwise be taxable to you.

You can exclude up to $100,000 of QCDs from your gross income in 2018. If you file a joint return, your spouse can exclude an additional $100,000 of QCDs in 2018.

Don’t Let Emotions Swing with the Markets

May 7, 2018 Dustin Sobolik - Investment Officer

It’s no secret that investing is an emotional process. Markets swing and news organizations take full advantage to pump their ratings and incite fear, oftentimes without fully understanding the economy or how markets work.

Even veteran investors can act impulsively and lose perspective when markets correct or become volatile.

All of this said, volatility is normal.

That’s why it’s essential for all of us to consider the big picture during periods of market stress. If you’re contemplating a change to your portfolio, there are two important questions you should ask: 1) have my goals changed, and 2) has my time horizon changed?