Retirement Watch Weekly
Avoiding the Latest Medicare Scams
The Medicare open season, officially called the Annual Coordinated Election Period, is coming up. From Nov. 15 – Dec. 31 those eligible for Medicare can enroll, disenroll, and switch Medicare plans. Following that is the General Enrollment Period from Jan. 1 – March 31 when anyone eligible for Medicare can enroll. Medicare fraud is around […]
Paying for the Roth IRA Conversion
The obstacle for many people who are thinking of converting their traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs is the cost of the conversion. You have to include the converted amount in gross income as though it were distributed to you. The amount, after deductions, will be taxed at your ordinary income tax rate. As we discussed […]
An Alternative to an IRA Conversion
There’s an alternative to the IRA conversion. It works well for people who are using the IRA mostly for estate planning, don’t plan to take contributions during their lifetimes, and want to give substantial amounts to both charity and their families. When those are your goals, consider a charitable remainder trust instead of an IRA […]
Surging Interest in Stock-Based Annuities
Reader inquiries about equity-indexed annuities (EIAs) are rising. It’s not surprising. Investor interest in EIAs surges during difficult markets, and data show money is pouring into these annuities. As with most insurance products, the question is whether investors are buying these annuities or being sold them by strong presentations. Events are lined up in favor […]
September 2010
September 24, 2010 02:15 p.m. Approaching the Precipice Again The housing data over the last week was very bad. Here’s one of many examples. There is no demand for homes. The government support for the market is withdrawn, and it did not put a floor under prices and lead to the higher demand for homes. […]
Knowing What to Review Your Estate Planning Strategy
Congress still is dithering and debating what the estate tax will be after 2010. That’s no reason for you to procrastinate and delay starting a plan if you don’t have one or taking a look at your existing plan. There could be many dangers and pitfalls other than taxes lurking in your plan, and with […]
Charitable Gifts from IRAs
Senior IRA owners had a special tax rule for charitable contributions the last few years. A transfer directly to a charity from an IRA owned by someone 70½ or older wasn’t included in the owner’s gross income. There was no deduction, either. The provision expired at the end of 2009. Congress plans to extend this […]
How to Choose An Annuity that Works For You
Investors are taking a closer look at annuities. Fed up with the volatility and uncertainty of the stock market and wanting to preserve what they saved for retirement, retirees and near-retirees are taking a fresh look at vehicles that were shunned during the bull market. Industry sources say investors are allocating more to annuities and […]
