Retirement Watch Weekly
How to Make Home Sale Gains Tax Free
The tax rules for selling a home are generous, but not generous enough for many homeowners on the coasts and in resort areas. Many of these homeowners have gains that exceed the tax free amount. Knowing the ins and outs of the rules can boost your tax-exempt gains. Owners of more than one home also […]
Should You Choose a Regular 401 K or Roth 401 K
Many employees have a new retirement-saving option, and many more will have that option over the next year or two. Should you take this option? In addition to regular 401(k) plans, employers now can offer Roth 401(k)s. The rules are very simple. There is no tax break for deferring salary into the Roth 401(k); it […]
Last-Minute Tax Law Extends Deductions
This year more than ever it is advisable to read the instructions carefully and check the IRS’s web site before filing 2006 tax returns. If you use tax preparation software, be sure to download the free updates before completing your returns. Take these precautions because Congress slipped through a new tax law before it adjourned […]
The Basics of Building an Estate Plan
Estate Planning is coming back on radar screens. Uncertainty over the direction of estate taxes and the probability that the estate tax would be eliminated caused many people to ignore their plans the last few years. They did not want to spend time and money on a plan that might be unnecessary or need major […]
On Having Unconventional Investments in IRAs
Many of us have a large percentage of our investment assets in IRAs. We can choose between traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. But most IRAs can be invested only in traditional assets, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. The trend for investors now is to add non-traditional assets to their portfolios. With the right […]
How to Build Your Own Equity-Indexed Annuity
Equity-indexed annuities and other “structured products” have been hot sellers the last few years. Unfortunately, few people who buy or sell them really understand these investments. The investors are surprised that the returns are not as high as expected. The basic pitch of structured investments is a guaranteed return of at least the initial investment […]
Four Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid
Estate Planning and tax reduction will be returning to the front burner for many people. Congress was unable to pass a permanent estate tax reduction in 2006, and the makeup of the new Congress makes permanent repeal of the estate tax unlikely. Any permanent change in the estate tax exclusion could be less generous than […]
Long-Term Care Insurance Policies: Changes and Updates
Insurers are changing long-term care insurance policies to reduce confusion and overcome the objections of many potential buyers. The government also is getting on board with some new rules that favor policy purchases. Two major factors keep many people from purchasing long-term care policies. One factor is that the policies are complicated, with many optional […]
