Retirement Watch Weekly
Get Ready for Medicare’s Drug Option
Medicare members are about to be bombarded with information and sales pitches. You have a decision to make that could have a significant effect on your finances and health. You need to start preparing now. The Medicare prescription drug benefit that was enacted in 2003 takes effect in 2006. November 2005 begins the sign-up period […]
The Latest in Long-Term Care Insurance
Turmoil still roils the long-term care insurance industry. Many consumers probably will continue to see steep premium increases as in recent years, and there will be changes in coverage under new policies. But there also is good news, and buyers can take steps to make long-term care insurance more affordable without giving up coverage they […]
New Rules for Donating Used Cars
Plans need to be revised by taxpayers who intended to reap big tax breaks by donating used cars, boats, or planes to charity. Congress rewrote the law in 2004, and the IRS recently issued rules explaining the new law. Under the old law, a taxpayer could donate a used car to charity and deduct the […]
Are You Putting Enough Money Away?
The biggest planning mistake most people make is not realizing how much retirement will cost and how much money they will need. Fortunately, those who remember a few principles and use today’s low-cost technology can substantially reduce the margin of error. Surveys of future retirees abound. An interesting recent survey from Merrill Lynch found that […]
How to Maximize Returns in Equity Annuities
Investment dollars are pouring into equity index annuities. These annuities come close to producing what retirees and near-retirees want and need: guaranteed income with safety of principal and inflation protection. We covered EIAs in past visits. They are a hybrid of fixed annuities and variable annuities. An investor pays a premium to the insurer to […]
How to Ensure Your Pension Is Safe
The recent termination of the United Airlines pension plan put pension safety on the front burner. The news quickly was followed in Congress by hearings and reports on the underfunding of both corporate pension plans and the government guarantee agency, the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation. Most large companies offer some kind of a guaranteed pension […]
Eight Key Estate Planning Questions
Estate Planning is not about reducing estate taxes. That always was the case, but few people realized the importance of the non-tax factors until the 2001 tax law began the phase out of the estate tax. Every estate plan, regardless of the estate’s size, needs to address certain issues. Ignore these issues, and your heirs […]
Real Estate Bubble – Part 4
Are housing prices in the final blow off stage? Talk of the housing bubble is in at least its third year. Yet, home prices still rise at rapid rates in many areas. The recent drop in interest mortgage rates is likely to support current price levels and even higher home prices. A possible new warning […]
