Retirement Watch Weekly
The Widely Misunderstood Tax Rules for Home Sales
The tax rules for selling a personal residence seem to generate more widespread misunderstanding than most other parts of the tax code. The rules themselves are fairly simple as tax code provisions go. One problem seems to be that many people looking to sell homes don’t realize that the rules were overhauled in 1997. Another […]
Can You Spend More in Retirement Than You’ve Been Told?
Longtime readers know I believe the spending plan is the biggest gap in most retirement plans. The spending plan ensures you won’t run out of money in retirement. It answers the question: What’s the maximum amount I can spend each year and not risk running out of money? The longtime consensus among financial planners is […]
How To Avoid The Traps In Self-Directed IRAs
Your IRA investment universe is greatly expanded when you set up a true self-directed IRA, as we discussed last month. But to reap the benefits, you need to avoid some key pitfalls and traps in the tax law. Also known as the Checkbook IRA, LLC IRA, Super IRA and other names, the true self-directed IRA […]
Estate, Gift, Income Tax Amounts Increased for 2019
The IRS announced the annual inflation increases for various tax provisions as of January 1, 2019.The lifetime estate and gift tax exemption has been increased to $11.4million (from $11.18 million). A couple can jointly exclude $22.8 million. The annual gift tax exclusion remains$15,000 for 2019.The standard deduction for married couples filing jointly is $24,400 (up […]
This is the Best Time of the Year for Giving
The start of the year is the best time forestate plan-motivated gifts. Even if you made gifts late in 2018, consider making your 2019 gifts soon. Estate tax reduction used to be the major incentive for annual giving to family members. Now, only the very wealthy need to make gifts to reduce estate and gift […]
How to Navigate the Post-Peak Phase of the Cycle: Investment and Economic Review December 2018
In my new Retirement Watch Spotlight Series, I’ll share my newest breakthrough strategies for protecting your assets and growing your portfolio, including how to prepare for the next market downturn. Click here now to learn more. […]
Bob’s Journal (12/13/2018)
It is important for investors to ignore the whipsaw actions of the markets during the last few months, because they’ve been caused by short-term news and events. Presidential tweets and rumors about policy changes cause most of the daily fluctuations in the markets. Most of the focus has been on trade conflicts with China, causing […]
Can You Afford these Estate Planning Mistakes?
In Part 1 of this article, we reviewed some classic Estate Planning mistakes that are fairly common among retirees. Today, let’s continue the discussion with four more oversights, so you can evaluate your own estate planning process. Leaving assets outright to adult children. Many people believe trusts are needed only when minor children inherit. […]
