Retirement Watch Weekly
Year-End Tax Planning is Different This Year
Year-end tax planning will be unique and tricky this year. The usual year-end strategies are complicated by the potential for significant tax increases over the next couple of years and the lack of details we have today. In addition, the incentive to convert traditional IRAs into Roth IRAs in 2010 provides a fresh wrinkle, which […]
Working While Receiving Social Security
Investment losses and rising costs are driving many Social Security recipients back to the work place. A question to consider is how earning income affects Social Security benefits. One of the original goals of Social Security was to remove people from the work force. Unemployment was high. Social Security would gradually induce older workers to […]
Who Will Benefit from Your IRA?
One of the most important decisions about an IRA is naming the beneficiary or beneficiaries. There are many candidates for the biggest mistake made by IRA owners, and one of the leading contenders is the failure to name a beneficiary or naming the wrong beneficiary. If no beneficiary is named, the estate is the beneficiary. […]
August 2009
August 28, 2009 11:55 p.m. Deflation, Bernanke, China and More The deleveraging process and financial crisis led to falling prices across the globe. This is now reflected in the Consumer Price Index. The CPI shows deflation, rather than usual inflation. One result is there will not be an increase in Social Security retirement benefit payments […]
Changing World of Reverse Mortgages
There have been big changes in reverse mortgages in the last year. Unlike many areas of real estate and home financing, there is some good news. If you are an older homeowner looking for a steady source of income or a lump sum of cash, consider a reverse mortgage. But beware of the potential pitfalls […]
New Use for Reverse Mortgages
Congress snuck a new use of reverse mortgages into the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. Reverse mortgages traditionally are for people who already own homes and want to tap their equity. The new provision, known as HECM for Purchase, lets you use an insured reverse mortgage to buy a home. Here is how […]
A Checklist of Estate Planning Issues to Remember
Estate Planning discussions tend to focus on the big picture, big money issues. Who receives what? Should we use a living trust to avoid probate? If estate taxes are a possibility, the menu of estate tax reduction strategies is considered. There are a host of other issues that often are overlooked. Sometimes the estate planner […]
Roth IRAs for Summer Work
Here is a power-packed way to help your grandchildren or children this summer. It gives them a financial incentive to work, but it also is a long-term incentive that will show them the value of saving and investing. Plus, you will provide them the core of a nest egg with Roth IRAs. The strategy is […]
