Retirement Watch Weekly
All 401(k)s to Become Roths?
Tax reform continues to be discussed behind-the-scenes in Washington. Media reports regularly indicate that one of the changes under discussion is to end upfront tax benefits for 401(k)s and other retirement plans. In effect, all retirement plans would become Roth plans. This article updates the situation and explains how that could affect retirement planning. THe […]
Learning When to Sell Investments
Selling an investment is one of the hardest things investors do. They don’t want to sell losing investments, because they don’t want to give up or admit they’re wrong. Many people often don’t want to sell winning investments, either, for a wide range of reasons. In this article, Ben Hunt explains the importance of selling […]
Athletes Show How to Age Slowly
This article argues that people shouldn’t be focused on increasing “life span” but on increasing “health span.” The health span is the period of time a person lives without the chronic conditions and diseases generally associated with aging. Research with masters, or senior, athletes finds that they age at a slower rate than others. The […]
How to Protect Your IRA from Creditors
How safe is your IRA? Your assets could be at risk… from several directions. There is always the potential for a downturn that reduces cash flow from your job, business, or investments. Creditors could then seek payment from your personal assets. Lawsuits are another risk. Some occupations, such as being a doctor, carry high risks […]
Finding Good News in Slow Growth
Many analysts are misreading the economy because they assume the future will be just like the past. Many analysts say it’s time for a downturn because we’ve had a very long expansion and bull market and the Fed is tightening the money supply. The combination usually leads to a recession and a bear market. Yet, many […]
Tips to Help with Commodities, Gold and Taxes
There are many different vehicles through which to own commodities, including gold, and there are different tax rules for them. Be sure you know the tax consequences of a commodity invest- ment before adding it to your portfolio. There are two basic ways to invest in commodities. (Options contracts are a third potential way, but they are […]
Planning Your Spending Strategy
The spending strategy is one of the most import and yet overlooked parts of a retirement plan. The spending strategy — also called a distribution, drawdown, or withdrawal strategy — reduces the risk of running out of money during retirement by setting the maximum amount you should spend from the nest egg each year. I’ve […]
IRA Pitfalls, Mistakes and Opportunities
Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) become more complicated as balances increase and distributions are taken. It is important to understand some key rules so you won’t trigger additional taxes and penalties or miss some grand opportunities you didn’t know were available. Examples of people making IRA mistakes come my way almost every day in court cases, […]
