Retirement Watch Weekly
High Level Asset Protection with a Super IRA
This month we wrap up our sessions on the Super IRA. In the May issue I explained how an IRA can be invested in real estate, private companies, mortgages, and a wide range of other investments. You learned where to find custodians who will allow such investments in IRAs. You also learned how to increase […]
A Medicare Prescription Drug Update
The Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card program now is up and running, producing both benefits and controversy. Seniors could sign up for a program starting May 1 and could begin using the cards June 1. Advertising for the cards by both the government and card sponsors began in May. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid […]
Exemptions to the 60 Day Transfer Rule by IRS
Money can be moved from a retirement plan to an IRA or from one IRA to another. The trick is that the transfer must be completed within 60 days. If the transfer isn’t completed, or the money isn’t returned to the original account, within 60 days the account owner must include the entire amount in […]
Overdue Annuity Abuse Crackdowns
Regulators finally are focusing their efforts on some negative aspects of the variable annuity market that we’ve been discussing for years. Recently, several actions were taken by the National Association of Securities Dealers and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The NASD, which regulates its broker members, in April proposed new rules governing variable annuity marketing. […]
Little-Known Money-Saving Deals
Official figures say inflation is under control, but some of your regular expenses are rising steeply. You can beat many of these cost increases. You also can maximize savings on other expenses by doing some smart comparison shopping. Auto insurance. There is a revolution taking place in automobile insurance, sparked by Progressive Insurance. Instead of […]
The Rising Cost of Retirement
The standard retirement planning advice is to plan on spending 65% to 85% of your pre-retirement income each year of retirement. Unfortunately, that is a fallacy. Following that advice could diminish your retirement. Proof is in the latest Retirement Replacement Ratio Study, sponsored by Aon, a financial services company, and conducted by professors at Georgia […]
Shrewd Family Gift Giving for Estate Planning
Don’t wait until the end of the year to plan gifts to family members. Annual gifts are an important part of many estate plans, but most people don’t handle gifts the best way. Planning gifts now will increase the amount of wealth that is transferred tax-free to your heirs. The goals of gift-giving are to […]
What you Can and Cannot do with a Super IRA
Last month I explained how you can create a Super IRA, also called an LLC IRA. You learned how to find a custodian for a true self-directed IRA, one that allows you to invest the IRA in real estate, private companies, and a host of other assets. Now, let’s look at exactly how to exploit […]
