Retirement Watch Weekly
Bob’s Journal for 12/23/21
Capture a 7.12% Risk-Free Yield I always warn people that there’s a lot of risk behind headlines such as the one above, but that’s not the case this time. You can capture a 7.12% yield, and it’s guaranteed by the U.S. government. The yield is available through April 2022. You can earn the high yield […]
How Working After 62 Can Change Your Social Security Benefits
Continuing to work after age 62 can affect your level of Social Security retirement benefits, whether you are receiving benefits or not. The effects are important, but few people understand them. Knowing how continuing to work affects benefits, and might not affect them, leads to better decisions about when to claim benefits and whether to […]
Don’t Let Taxes Slash Your Gold Profits
Inflation recently rose to 30-year highs, and that has generated more interest in investing in gold. The interest in gold is likely to continue until after central banks tight- en monetary policy enough to slow economic growth. Political uncertainty and geopolitical tensions also increase interest in gold. A key to investing in gold successfully is […]
The Key IRA Mistakes, Lost Opportunities to Avoid in 2021
Every day, retirement account owners and beneficiaries trigger unnecessary taxes and penalties through mistakes, oversights and missed opportunities. IRAs, 401(k)s and other retirement accounts are among the most valuable assets most people own and also are among the most complicated and misunderstood. The mistakes and oversights can occur at every stage of IRA ownership, and […]
7 Reasons to Consider Returning Life Insurance to Estate Plans
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 plans. I n this article, I’m talking about permanent life insurance, not term life insurance. There’s […]
Tax-Free Investing for 2022: 7 Ways to Tax-Free Assets & Income
Tax increases are most likely coming. Even if Congress doesn’t agree on substantial increases this year, they’re still coming. The 2017 tax law is scheduled to expire after 2025. The pre-2018 tax law will be reinstated automatically unless Congress agrees to something else. Plus, the trillions of dollars added to the national debt the last […]
Bob’s Journal for 12/16/21
Some Notable Events That Grabbed My Attention This Week In case you missed it, consider listening to or viewing my recent appearance on Stan Haithcock’s (Stan the Annuity Man) “Fun with Annuities” podcast. Stan the Annuity Man and I discussed taxes, including proposed tax changes and how to reduce taxes on your retirement income. Click […]
Why You Need a Living Trust & How To Maximize its Benefits
Each year, I become more impressed by the importance of having a living trust as a key element of an estate plan and of properly setting up the trust. A living trust has two significant benefits. The first benefit is that assets owned by the trust avoid probate. Probate is a process under state law […]
