Retirement Watch Weekly
Why the Beneficiary Form is Key
One point we emphasize regularly is the importance of the beneficiary designation form for IRAs, pensions, annuities, and a few other assets. The disposition of these assets is not influenced at all by your will or a trust. Only the beneficiary designation form on file with the IRA sponsor or other custodian of the assets […]
Estimated Taxes are Different This Year
The year’s first required estimated tax payment is coming due, and many retirees should re-evaluate how they compute their payments this year. Estimated tax payments are a traditional trap for many retirees. Most were employees during their careers and had income taxes withheld from their paychecks. They never had to deal with the estimated tax […]
February 2009
It Isn’t All Factored in Yet February 27, 2009 09:00 a.m. When the asset declines began in 2007 (and even before that) a number of investors and advisors began saying all the bad news already was factored into market prices. This mantra was repeated during and after each leg down in the markets, and especially […]
Key Estate Planning Questions Every Investor Must Answer
Estate Planning can be confusing and even intimidating to most people. They do not deal with the issues regularly, so the terms and concepts can be confusing. Most estate planners are not helpful, as discussed in our October 2008 visit (available on the web site archive). They are not adept at simplifying and explaining concepts. […]
When to Buy Long-Term Care Insurance
One of the more difficult decisions about long-term care insurance is: At what age should it be purchased? There are a raft of trade offs to consider. The annual premiums of the insurance are lower the younger you are when the policy is purchased. But benefits usually are not claimed until in one’s late seventies […]
RMD Relief for 2009, Not for 2008
Congress and the IRS disappointed investors in late 2008. The steep decline in IRA values caused many investors to ask for a suspension or reduction in required minimum distributions from IRAs and other qualified retirement plans for those over age 70½. Congress did not act, and the IRS said it had no authority to suspend […]
Bernard Madoff and Classic Frauds
Most investment frauds, especially Ponzi schemes, last five years or less and steal relatively modest sums. Two of the many remarkable aspects of the Ponzi scheme of Bernard Madoff are that the fraud apparently persisted for decades and cost investors billions of dollars. Yet, many aspects of the scheme are classic, unremarkable features of run-of-the-mill […]
When Should You Stop Deferring Taxes
Conventional investment advice has been turned on its head by changes in the fundamentals of the economy and markets. Next, fundamental changes in the government, demographics, and the economy will force changes in tax policy and tax planning advice. The age-old advice to defer taxes whenever possible could become a thing of the past, at […]
