Retirement Watch Weekly
Social Security Shortchanges Widows, Widowers
Not for the first time, the Social Security Inspector General issued a report concluding that the Social Security Administration systematically shortchanges widows and widowers. Here’s how it works. When a spouse dies, a surviving spouse who is younger than age 70 has a choice to file only for a survivor’s benefit now and to later […]
Overcoming a Major Threat to Your IRA: Your Heirs
To increase the odds your IRA will last for a long time, be sure your beneficiaries know what they need to do. Many people have substantial balances in traditional IRAs. Often, a prime goal is for the IRA to help provide for the next generation or two. One way to do so is with a […]
New Estate Exemption Amount Finalized for 2018
The exact amount of the estate and gift tax exemption for 2018 was in limbo until just recently. You know that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act doubled the individual estate and gift tax exemption for 2018. Not everyone realized that the method for inflation indexing the amount also was changed in the law, and […]
Proving Your Residence: More Important after Estate Tax Reform
Some states will go to extraordinary lengths to keep from losing you as a legal resident. Unfortunately, that’s not a good thing. They aren’t going to heap inducements and incentives on you as they do to entice companies to stay. Instead, sometime after you think you’ve moved, they’ll argue that you or your estate still […]
Trade Talk, Actions Roil The Markets
President Trump directed a lot of his attention so far in 2018 at trade policies, and the markets noticed. Trade policies were always a key part of the president’s campaign talking points and agenda, but they were in the background through the first year of the administration. A few modest moves on trade were taken, […]
What’s Happening To Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) ?
Master limited partnerships (MLPs) have done poorly the last few years. The decline during the commodities bear market was somewhat understandable. Then, the industry began some restructuring. At the start of this year, the bad news seemed to be behind it. The restructuring and distribution reductions largely were over, and energy prices were recovering. At […]
Those Stock Valuation Models – The Fed Model and the Shiller CAPE Model
I’ve long argued that stock valuations can be good long-term predictors of returns, but they don’t do much good in the short term. A stock, or an index of stocks, can be extremely undervalued or overvalued for an extended period. This article dives into the details of two models, the Fed Model and the Shiller […]
Digital Currencies and Taxes
It’s hard to tell what causes the price of bitcoin to rise and fall, because there are no fundamentals attached to the currency. This article explores the idea that capital gains taxes are the major reason for bitcoin’s recent decline. It says many bitcoin investors didn’t realize that the IRS will tax their profits as […]
