Retirement Watch Weekly
Planning for Singles’ Social Security Benefits
Most people leave a lot of money on the table when choosing their Social Security retirement benefits. It’s understandable. The rules can be complicated, and there are nuances in them. Plus, there aren’t many people offering advice on how to maximize benefits. Last month and in other visits we detailed different ways married couples can […]
Ensuring the Estate Planning Tax Exemption is Portable
Since 2010, it’s been easier for married couples to maximize the use of each spouse’s Estate Planning tax exemption. Estate planning professionals call this portability, though the word isn’t used in the tax law. It works like this. The estate of the first spouse to pass away is exempt from estate taxes up to $5.25 […]
Estate Planning for Married Couples and the New Estate Tax
Uncertainty about the estate tax is resolved. You don’t have to worry about frequent shifts anymore. Now, it’s time to consider how the new rules affect your Estate Planning and revise your plan. You know that the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption is set at $5 million per person, indexed for inflation. For 2013 […]
Covering the Overlooked Income Risk
At the bottom of the list of insurance policies most people consider is disability insurance. It’s the last policy people buy and the first they cut when cash becomes tight. Yet, disability insurance is essential for a package of complete protection, and at many ages you’re more likely to need it than other types of […]
Using the Overlooked Roth Opportunity
Roth IRAs are one of the most powerful retirement planning tools available. Most people, however, aren’t taking full advantage of the opportunity. Converting traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs is only the tip of the iceberg. We’ve devoted a lot of attention to the conversion decision since 2009, and those discussions are available in the Archive […]
Using a 401(k) Plan’s Investment Window
One of the most frequent questions I receive is: How can I implement your in-vestment recommendations through my 401(k) plan? A related question is whether a reader should keep assets at the 401(k) plan when leaving an employer or roll over the assets to an IRA. The sad fact is that most 401(k) plans aren’t […]
Avoid Becoming One of the IRS’s New Targets
New laws, changing demographics, and a new budget cause the IRS to shift its priorities. Many people who don’t pay attention will fall into the IRS’s snare. The new estate tax law means far fewer estates will be subject to taxes and need to be audited. The IRS plans to move many of its estate […]
How Long Will Your Nest Egg Last?
BlackRock has a useful chart on its web site that can give you a quick and dirty read on whether you’re planning to spend too much in retirement. Choose an estimated investment return, match it to a withdrawal rate from your nest egg, and it shows how long your money will last. It’s interesting to […]
