RMD Precautions & Options
An important reminder about mandatory withdrawals from IRAs & other retirement plans...
End-of-the-Year Money Moves
Even if your 2013 has been relatively uneventful, the end of the year is still a good time to get cracking and see where you can plan to save some taxes and/or build a little more wealth.
Annual Financial To-Do List
What financial, business or life priorities do you need to address for 2014? Now is a good time to think about the investing, saving or budgeting methods you could employ toward specific objectives. Some year-end financial moves may prove crucial to the pursuit of those goals as well.
What Women Should Not Retire Without
When our parents retired, living to 75 amounted to a nice long life and Social Security was often supplemented by a pension. How different things are today! The good news is that life expectancy for women – as measured by the Centers for Disease Control – is now 81.1 years. The Social Security Administration estimates that the average 65-year-old woman today will live to age 86. Given these projections, it appears that a retirement of 20 years or longer might be in your future.
The 1995-96 Government Shutdown and Its Impact
In late 1995, the economy had been expanding – similar to today. Stocks were on a tear: a powerful bull market had begun in 1992, and it was far from over. Between 1992 and 2000, the Dow rose about 7,800 points. In fact, it gained almost 3,000 points (about 75%) between January 1995 and March 1997.
What if America Shatters its Debt Ceiling?
During October, America may risk running out of cash. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew recently urged Congress to lift the federal debt limit before October 17. Secretary Lew claims that if nothing is done by that date, the Treasury will have only about $30 billion in available cash to pay down as much as $60 billion in daily net expenditures. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has a slightly different opinion: it believes that the government will run out of free cash sometime between October 22 and November 1 if a stalemate persists on Capitol Hill.
The Government Shutdown
As you have no doubt heard, the United States government shut down at midnight (Eastern) October 1, 2013. There are many questions and concerns about this situation, but here are some basics.
Could Corporate Tax Cuts Mean More Jobs?
Given the possibility of a fall stalemate over federal budget negotiations, it is understandable that President Obama returned to his vision of a grand bargain...
How Much Health Care Reform Will We See by 2014?
President Obama noted the possibility of “glitches and bumps” along the way to the ACA’s full implementation. They are evident now...
The FED Perturbs the Markets
On June 19, the Federal Reserve let investors know that “easing without end” will eventually end, perhaps as early as mid-2014. Wall Street had anticipated such a signal, but investors still reacted emotionally to the news, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ceding all of its May and June gains in less than two market days. (The index fell 206 points on June 19 and 354 points on June 20.) Bears see the air quickly coming out of the rally; bulls think the rally will pause during the turbulence, then resume.
Understanding the Markets
If you stopped most people on the street, you’ll find they have only a hazy understanding of what most financial and economic terms signify or reference. If you’ve ever been left dizzy by the jargon of the financial world, here is a brief article that may help clarify some of the arcana.
Understanding the Gift Tax Exclusion
Most will never face taxes related to money or assets given away.
Charitable IRA Gift
In 2013, you can once again donate up to $100k to a charity tax-free. The possible benefits are threefold...
Ways the Middle Class Can Make a Difference for Charity
If you’re not yet a millionaire or simply a “millionaire next door,” yet want to give, consider the following options which may bring you immediate or future tax deductions.
The Treasury Plan to Issue Floating Rate Notes
Floating rate notes are nothing new – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have issued them for years, along with foreign banks and some corporations. What is new is the U.S. Treasury’s move to offer these bonds. It plans to do so by Q1 2014.
IRA Deadlines are Approaching
Many of us associate April with taxes. We should also associate it with IRAs, for April is the month with the deadlines for IRA contributions and mandatory IRA withdrawals.
Putting Your Tax Refund to Work
According to a TD Ameritrade poll, 47% of U.S. taxpayers expect a refund this year. What do they plan to do with the money? The answers may surprise you...
A Roth IRA's Many Benefits
The key argument for going Roth can be summed up in a sentence: Paying taxes on your retirement contributions today is better than paying taxes on your retirement savings tomorrow.
Who Needs Estate Planning?
You have an estate. It doesn't matter how limited (or unlimited) your means may be, and it doesn't matter if you own a mansion or a motor home.