Retirement Watch Weekly
Why Triple Tax Benefits Are Not For Everyone
Few tax strategies provide as many benefits as charitable remainder trusts. The trusts generate a current income tax deduction, remove assets from the estate, shelter asset appreciation from capital gains taxes, and provide income for life or a period of years. Yet, CRTs are a paradox. On the one hand, they seem underused. Many people […]
How to Time Social Security Benefits to Help Your Spouse
One of the least understood and most confusing aspects of Social Security benefits are the spousal benefits. Much attention is devoted to the best time for an individual to begin receiving retirement benefits, but how that choice can affect the benefits of a spouse receives much less attention. In this visit we primarily are going […]
Asset Protection for IRAs
IRAs are among the most valuable assets many Americans own, and protecting those assets from creditors and lawsuits can be a concern. This can be a tricky proposition, because IRAs are in a netherworld of asset protection. Protection for IRAs in federal bankruptcy court was improved by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act […]
Housing Slump Can Help Your Estate Planning – The Qualified Personal Resident Trust
A market drop often creates opportunities in Estate Planning. The ongoing decline in housing prices creates such an opportunity. Estate and gift taxes are imposed on the value of property. It follows that a decline in market value means property can be transferred at a lower cost. Those who own estates worth more than $2 […]
Safeguard Your Will and Estate Plan from Legal Challenges
Few events disrupt an estate plan and family harmony more than a will contest or other challenge to the plan. The specific challenges might not be predictable, because they often are triggered more by emotions than finances. But the risk of a contest almost always is present, and estate owners should know that they can […]
How to Avoid Tricks and Traps in Required Minimum Distributions
Required minimum distributions from IRAs and other qualified retirement plans are a source of frequent mistakes. This is an area in which you want to avoid mistakes, because the penalty is steep. The IRS changed the rules for RMDs in 2001 and 2002. There still are a lot of publications and web sites with the […]
Reasons to Consider an In-Service Distribution
Few people know that it is possible to take your money out of a 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan and continue working for the employer. The move clearly is allowed in the tax law, and many employer plans allow it. Some employees should consider taking this step. The action is known by pension experts […]
How to Avoid Unexpected Estate Battles over Personal Items
Few things amaze estate planners more than the property heirs choose to fight over. The worst disputes often seem to occur over items that most outsiders consider trivial. Furniture, personal mementoes, and the like seem to trigger emotional reactions in heirs. Sometimes an heir simply is looking for an excuse to vent a long-held grievance; […]
