Retirement Watch Weekly
Checking the Alternatives to Your Bank
The cost of banking is rising. Banks lost a lot of money the last few years. They are making it back with higher fees and new fees on checking accounts. You easily could be paying a few hundred dollars a year in bank fees. That can work out to a pretty high percentage of your […]
Roth IRAs for Estate Planning
There’s a lot of focus on Roth IRAs these days. Often overlooked is that for some people, however, a Roth IRA’s greatest benefit is as an Estate Planning tool. Before making a decision, consider carefully the potential estate planning effects of the Roth IRA and add those to any income tax benefits. While no estate […]
Why You Must Include Technology in Your Estate Planning
Technology needs to be part of your estate plan. I don’t mean the do-it-yourself tools available on the web to write a will or trust. I mean the technology you use regularly must be incorporated into your plan. The privacy policies and practices at most technology providers you deal with make it difficult for your […]
Knowing When Long Term Care Insurance Will Pay
Will a long-term care insurance policy (LTCI) pay benefits when you need them? Uncertainty about the answer to that question keeps many people from purchasing LTCI. Media reports, rumors, and data also confuse or create uncertainty among potential buyers. In the early days of LTCI reports and anecdotes indicated that insurers made their money by […]
Reviewing the New Medigap Policies
All the hoopla over health care reform overshadowed a change in Medicare Supplement Plans. The biggest changes in years for these plans took effect in June 2010 but have received little notice. Participants in traditional Medicare often buy Medicare Supplement plans, or Medigap policies, to cover some of the costs not covered by Medicare, such […]
Planning for Coming Income Tax Changes
Tax changes are in the works, and you need to take action in 2010 to avoid paying more than you have to this year and in coming years. Strategies in 2010 will be different from past years because of the way the law will change. Consider these unique or overlooked strategies. Consider accelerating income. Tax […]
Knowing How Much of Your Estate to Give and When
The major issues in your estate plan are deciding who should receive your assets and how they should receive them (directly or through trusts, for example). Two other important issues that don’t receive as much attention are: How much wealth should you transfer sooner rather than later, and when should you give it? While these […]
Answering Key IRA Conversion Questions
The critical decision of whether to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA continues to provoke questions and cause some confusion. I thank all of you who sent me your questions, details about your unique circumstances, and responses you’ve received from the IRS and others. Today we review some key points that seem to […]
