Retirement Watch Weekly
Use Estate Planning to Build a Legacy (Trust)
Trusts aren’t just for the super wealthy anymore. IRS statistics show that the average trust has about $250,000 in it, not exactly Rockefeller territory. That’s because many people have learned that trusts can be useful for even middle class families. One way to use a trust is to build a legacy that will last for […]
More Savings From The Latest Tax Law
In last month’s visit I gave you the main course from the buffett of changes in the latest tax law, enacted in July. There was a lot packed into that law, so here are a few side dishes you should know about. Roth IRAs. Most people are concerned with putting money into Roth IRAs or […]
Roth IRA Updates
Virtually any question you have about Roth IRAs has its answer on the World Wide Web. There are a number of web sites focusing on roth iras. Perhaps your best starting point is www.rothira.com, a site devoted exclusively to Roth IRAs. You’ll find articles on line and references to books and seminars, as well as […]
What Are Variable Annuities?
Variable annuities are a new look. Insurers are cutting expenses and adding investment options to make their products more attractive. As a result, investors continue their decade-long practice of pouring billions of dollars into variable annuities. The lure of annuities is that there is no investment limit, you get to choose how your money is […]
How To Get Ready For The Medicare Overhaul
Medicare recipients are in for a big shock this fall. The 1997 Balanced Budget Act enacted some major changes in Medicare that begin taking effect in 1999. You’ll be expected to make more choices. Yet a recent AARP survey found that only about 11% of Medicare participants know enough to make an informed choice. Perhaps […]
Overlooked Retirement Benefits In Tax Law
The latest tax law beats up on the IRS and gives taxpayers new protections. You know that from the mainstream media. But the media missed some other changes in the tax law that are of immediate importance to many of you. Here’s a summary of the hidden benefits in the law. Lower capital gains taxes. […]
5 Worst Estate Planning Mistakes
When I was growing up in suburban northern Virginia, near our home in the midst of the developing sprawl was a large, untouched tract of land in a prime location. Despite the obvious money to be made in developing the land, it sat for a couple of decades. Throughout northern Virginia, similar tracts could be […]
Estate Planning Strategies for Tax-Wise Funding of Grandchild’s Education
Grandparents and their adult children agree: A critical concern for both is how to pay for the education of the grandchildren. The grandparents, of course, can help. By using the tax law effectively, you can help pay for a grandchild’s schooling with the lowest cash outlay possible. Last year, Congress created the Education IRA. These […]
