Retirement Watch Weekly
Fed Policy Changes Cause Markets and the Economy to React
Will the Federal Reserve and most investors be very wrong two years in a row? Market prices, especially futures prices, indicate most investors join Fed officials in believing the Fed won’t have to do much to dampen inflation and return economic growth to pre-pandemic levels. They also expect high profit margins to continue. They were […]
Forget The Myths About Retirement Spending
Years ago, I took issue with the widespread belief that people could assume they would spend less in retirement than during their working years. Research continues to support my view. The foundation of retirement planning was that once retired, a person would spend 80% or less of pre-retirement income because certain expenditures would be eliminated, […]
Now Is the Time to Plan Charitable Gifts for 2022
Too many people, even financial advisors, wrongly believe charitable gifts are some- thing to consider only near near the end of the year. The benefits of charitable gifts often are maximized when you think about gifts early in the year and throughout the year. Also, consider benefits other than tax deductions, and integrate charitable giving […]
What You Need to Know About IRA Conversions in 2022
In 2022, we mark the 25th anniversary of the Roth IRA amid a surge in its popularity. The Roth IRA was created in the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, and the first Roth IRAs were opened in 1998. The IRA is named after its sponsor, Sen. William Roth, of Delaware. Sen. Roth also co-sponsored the […]
How and When to Use Reverse Estate Planning Strategies
Most estate planning discussions assume assets flow in only one direction, from the older generation to younger generations. That focus neglects some opportunities to increase family after-tax wealth. It is not unusual for adult children to help care for their parents or at least have more wealth than their parents. If the parents won’t use […]
All the Ways You Can Avoid Probate
Avoiding probate often is a major estate planning goal, but most people don’t learn all the strategies available. In probate, a deceased person’s estate is administered and distributed according to state and local law. The process ensures debts are paid and legal title to assets passes as the decedent wanted, or according to state law […]
7 Reasons Life Insurance Should Be in Your Estate Plan
Life insurance used to be an essential element of most estate plans, but it hasn’t been for about 20 years. Important changes, however, make it time for many people to give serious thought to including life insurance in their estate plans. In this article, I’m talking about permanent life insurance, not term life insurance. There’s […]
Bob’s Journal for 1/20/22
Another Pandemic Boom: Fraud and Abuse Against Elders The number of elder-fraud victims increased 55% from 2019 to 2020, according to an FBI report. Compared to previous years, there was an 83.6% increase in abuse against older people in early 2020 when all or most states had stay-at-home orders, according to a study by Yale […]
