Retirement Watch Weekly
Investing IRAs and Other Accounts
Investors leave a lot of nickels and dimes on the table, and over time those pennies can total up to quite a few dollars. One way to avoid those leaks from your nest egg is to optimize the benefits of tax-advantaged accounts. An investor might have taxable accounts, traditional IRAs and retirement accounts (such as […]
Updating State and Local Tax Burdens
State tax codes are being shaken up, and that could shake up your retirement plans. State and local taxes are growing in absolute terms and relative to federal taxes. Total taxes paid are among the top three expenses for many retirees, and the share of state and local taxes is rising. We review the state […]
Staying Ahead of the Scam Artists
Scam artists are creative, always changing their schemes to avoid the latest road blocks put in their paths. For example, the Federal Trade Commission reports that identity theft still is the number one consumer scam complaint, but there are some changes from the past. Since the older segment of the population most often is the […]
May 2011
May 25, 2011 10:00 a.m. It’s Not All About Europe The stock indexes are set up for a fourth consecutive day of losses, and gold is trading at a multi-year high. The headlines say this is all caused by the latest episode in the long-running European debt crisis. That debt crisis certainly is a problem, […]
Adjusting Withdrawals to Market Changes
Retirees are learning there’s no magic in the magical 4% Rule. For years financial advisors touted this as the safe rate of withdrawal from retirement funds. For many people, it’s not looking so safe now. Fortunately, there are alternatives that have more reliable results. The 4% Rule states you can withdraw about 4% of your […]
Knowing How Much to Give Away and How to Give It to Optimize Estate Planning
Use it or lose it. That’s what many Estate Planning specialists are saying in the wake of the new estate and gift tax law enacted last December. You should act now, they say, to make large gifts and put other estate planning strategies in place. Give as much away as fast as you can. It’s […]
Finding the Bargains in Long Term Care Insurance
People who should consider buying long-term care insurance often report that they don’t because they believe it’s too expensive. LTCI is more costly than it needs to be because people make two critical mistakes when evaluating it. Avoid those mistakes, and you might find LTCI is more affordable. The first mistake is that people don’t […]
How to Respond to Changes in Annuities
The annuity market is changing rapidly. Investors interested in any type of annuity or that already own annuities need to be aware of the changes. They also need to stay informed of what’s happening in the market, because more changes are likely. One major change is insurers dropping out of annuity markets. Both fixed and […]
