Retirement Watch Weekly
Cut Your Prescription Medicine Out-of-Pocket Costs
Prescription drugs are the largest medical expense of most retirees, and their cost usually increases faster than inflation. Yet, many seniors know little about how to reduce their out-of-pocket medicine costs, and important changes are coming to Medicare in 2020. Original Medicare doesn’t cover most prescription drugs. You must take out a Part D Prescription […]
Recession: Weighing the Pluses and Minuses in the Data
Will central banks save the economy and markets from the bankers’ mistakes, the global trade conflicts and political events? I’ve said for some time that the greatest risk to the economy and markets is that the Fed might tighten monetary policy too much, and I said in 2018 that the tightening the Fed initiated in […]
How to Slash Your Out-of-Pocket Retirement Medical Costs
Covering the gaps in original Medicare coverage is critical to maintaining your financial security in retirement, and there are some important changes coming in 2020.Many medical expenses aren’t covered by original Medicare, as I’ve discussed in the past, including the September 2019 issue. When you choose original Medicare instead of a Medicare Advantage plan, decide […]
It Can Be Harder Than You Thought to Prove Where You Live
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act slashed deductions for state and local taxes, and that’s causing many higher-income people to move to states with lower tax burdens. The higher-tax states aren’t idly accepting this situation. The residency audit is becoming more frequent. This is when a state tax agency tries to prove that someone still […]
Avoid These Frequent Rollover Mistakes
The rollover is the most frequent IRA transaction. Yet, it is fraught with traps and is the source of many expensive mistakes. You want to avoid the two nasty consequences of rollovers that don’t comply with the fine points of the tax law. An improper rollover usually is included in gross income and taxed as […]
7 Things About Wills You Must Know
Everyone has heard of wills, but many people don’t know some key facts about them. A will is essential to every estate plan and is a very powerful document. Many people are surprised to learn what they can do in a will, but they also are surprised what a will can’t do. First, there are […]
Is the “QTIP Trust” Right for Your Estate Plan? Part II
In last week’s edition of Retirement Watch Weekly, I introduced my readers to Qualified Terminal Interest Property (QTIP) trusts. Today, we’ll examine the most ideal situations in which to use them. 1. At least one spouse has children from a prior marriage, and that spouse wants to ensure that those children get at least a […]
Some Things That Grabbed My Attention This Week
There were some interesting developments affecting your retirement finances in the last week. We might have seen a major turning point in the stock market. If this turns out to be a lasting change, it will have a significant effect on many investors. Since the end of the financial crisis, growth stocks have outperformed value […]
