Retirement Watch Weekly
Looming Medicare Deadlines
Medicare is the main medical expense insurance plan for retirees, and it’s also among the most complicated programs. Most retirees and pre-retirees don’t know much about the program, which is revealed in many surveys. The enrollment rules trip up many people. Mistakes here trigger extra premiums for the rest of their lives. Others miss the […]
Managing Changes in Long-Term Care Insurance
Changes have roiled the long-term care insurance market the last couple of years. The latest big changes came from the leading LTCI insurer, Genworth. The good news is that unlike other insurers, it plans to stay in the market. Genworth eliminated unlimited lifetime benefits as a policy option and also the choice to fully pay […]
A Primer on Converting to a Roth IRA
Tax rates and taxes on investment income could rise after 2012. There’s the fiscal cliff of expiring tax provisions. Beyond that, there’s the likelihood that spiraling federal budget deficits and tax reform will cause higher tax rates on distributions from traditional IRAs. That’s why in 2012 Roth IRA conversions are on the list of potential […]
Proving Charitable Contributions
Many taxpayers still don’t realize the charitable contribution deduction rules changed a few years ago. Now, you can’t take a deduction unless you have certain paperwork in hand when your tax return is filed. If you don’t have the paperwork, you can’t take the deduction. Consider this recent case. A very successful real estate developer […]
How Financial Crises Start
A number of people saw the problems that culminated in the financial crisis of 2008. They saw the problems clearly and early and predicted that bad things had to happen. Most of these people were way too early. See the book The Big Short by Michael Lewis for details. They predicted a calamity, but things […]
Expanding Medicare Coverage
Medicare coverage is about to expand, perhaps substantially, for people with chronic conditions and disabilities. The rule for a long time has been that skilled nursing and therapy services were covered by Medicare only if there was a likelihood that the care would result in a medical or functional improvement. Care that simply helped people […]
More Gloom About Retirement
The bounceback from the financial crisis of 2008 and recovery in the stock markets hasn’t helped the confidence of many Americans about their retirements. In 2009 only one in four adults was “not confident” about being financially prepared for retirement. The number increased to four in 10 Americans being anxious about their retirements this year, […]
The Risks of Investing in Collectibles
Investors are worried about stocks and bonds as investments. Stocks are volatile and have a negative return after inflation for at least 12 years. Bonds have done well, but their interest rates are low. When rates rise, as they will, bond investors will lose money. That’s why many investors are looking at alternative investments, including […]
