Retirement Watch Weekly
Bob’s Journal for 1/16
American Airlines Violated 401(k) Plan Rules A federal district court judge ruled that American Airlines violated the employer’s fiduciary duties to plan participants with the investment funds it offered in the plan. At issue was the plan’s choice to offer funds managed by BlackRock as the investment options in the plan. BlackRock publicly stated that […]
7 Key Retirement Finance Actions and Strategies for 2025
In my new Retirement Watch Spotlight Series, I’ll share my newest breakthrough strategies for protecting your assets and growing your portfolio, including how to prepare for the next market downturn. Click here now to learn more. […]
Look for Higher Growth, Risk of Higher Inflation
How much of the good news and higher expectations are already priced into asset prices? November’s election results surprised both political and economic analysts. Investors quickly became more optimistic and repriced assets. Bitcoin had the biggest move. On Nov. 3, its closing price was $67,811. On Dec. 5, it closed above $100,000 for the first […]
The Essential Guide to Aging at Home
Long-term care no longer must mean moving to an assisted living residence, nursing home or continuing care retirement community (CCRC). Most people want to live the rest of their lives in their current homes, according to an AARP survey. But AARP estimates only about 10% of homes are fully prepared for aging in place. Fortunately, […]
The Easiest Way to Increase Investment Returns: Cut Taxes
Investors, especially retired investors, need to know how taxes dilute their investment returns and the actions they can take to optimize investment taxes. Investors on average give up 2.14% of their investment returns to income taxes, according to a study by Russell Investments. But investors in tax-managed investments pay only 0.92% of their returns in […]
Plan QCDs Early in the Year and Before Your RMDs
At the start of a new year, one of the first actions many of my readers should take is to plan the year’s qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) and required minimum distributions (RMDs) from traditional IRAs. QCDs should be considered first, because they can reduce the income taxes on your RMDs. Even if you don’t have […]
The Focus of Estate Planning After the Election
The 2024 elections are over and so is much uncertainty about estate planning. It’s now very likely the current lifetime estate and gift tax exemption amount won’t be allowed to expire after 2025. Estate and gift taxes should remain a concern for fewer than 1% of families. But don’t think that means estate planning isn’t […]
Bob’s Journal 01/08
Why You Should Obtain an IP PIN from the IRS To prevent having a false income tax return filed in your name and some other types of identity theft, obtain an identity protection personal identification number (IP PIN) from the IRS. IP PINs are free and fairly easy to obtain. An IP PIN is a […]
