Retirement Watch Weekly
How to Keep More of your Social Security Benefits
There’s great news from Washington. Repeal of the “earned income limit” on Social Security beneficiaries passed Congress, and President Clinton said he would sign it. The bad news is income taxes still are imposed on Social Security benefits. Under the earned income limit, a beneficiary who receives “too much” income from working loses some of […]
Easy, No-Risk Ways To Boost Dividend Yields
Income investors have had a rough time. Even after the recent run-up in interest rates, yields still are far below what they were a few years ago. Income investors whose investments have matured have had to reinvest to receive lower income. It is understandable that long time income investors don’t want to take the risk […]
Profiting From “Excess” Annuities and Cash Value Life Insurance
Many of you own annuities or cash value life insurance that no longer fit your needs. They were good ideas when you bought them. But times have changed, and so have your needs. Fortunately, there are strategies you can use to enhance the value of these policies to you. Let’s look at a creative strategy […]
How to Get the Most from Bank Fees
You are paying about $200 annually in bank fees, according to recent surveys. There are many different fees. I even got charged an excess account activity fee. Fortunately, the financial services revolution continues. Deregulation, technology, and competition give you a number of ways to reduce these fees or get your money’s worth from them. Here’s […]
Finding The Best Tuition Savings Plan
Retirement Watch readers were among the first to learn about the great estate planning and investment benefits of qualified tuition savings plans (QTSPs), also known as Section 529 plans. Now, there are so many plans available that you can get even more benefits by finding the best plan for you or using several plans at […]
7 Shrewd Insurance-Buying Tips
Insurance mistakes can be among the most expensive financial mistakes. Own too much insurance or the wrong insurance, and each year you’ll pay hundreds or thousands of dollars in premiums that don’t do you much good. Own too little insurance, and you could end up paying for losses that easily and cheaply could have been […]
Smart Ways to Make Gifts
It’s gift giving season, at least it is for those who want to make shrewd income tax and estate planning moves. While most people don’t make annual estate planning gifts at all and those that do make them in December, the first part of the year is the best time to make tax-wise gifts. Making […]
Boosting Retirement Plan Limits
Retirement plans, especially defined benefit plans, used to be a great deal for professionals and small business owners. A successful business owner could sock away large deductible contributions in his account each year. But sharp limits were put all pension plan contributions in the 1980s, and defined benefit plan contributions were targeted for the most […]
