Retirement Watch Weekly
The Importance of Updating Your Trusts for Estate Planning
Trusts are one of the most important Estate Planning tools. They’re not only for the very wealthy, as we’ve discussed in past visits. When everything isn’t done right and kept up-to-date, however, a trust can cause more problems than it overcomes, especially for heirs. Financial advisors are spending a lot of time resolving problems with […]
Reducing 2011 Taxes Reduces 2013 Medicare Premiums
Your 2011 income taxes can affect the level of your 2013 Medicare Part B and Part D premiums, even if you’re not currently a Medicare beneficiary. Higher-income beneficiaries pay higher premiums, with the premiums rising as income rises. Modified adjusted gross income of a Medicare Beneficiary from two years earlier determine their premiums. There are […]
The New Looks in Homeowners’ Policies
Homeowner’s insurance is under-going major changes. You can’t take for granted important details about your homeowner’s insurance policy, and you can expect premium increases soon and probably over the next few years. The good news is you could receive a much higher level of service at little additional cost. Insurers are under a lot of […]
Taking IRA Distributions in 2012
Every IRA owner needs to consider IRA Distributions and changes in 2012, regardless of your age. The tax law and potential changes require everyone to take a hard look at their situation and consider moves to make in 2012 and beyond. Anyone who was age 70½ or older in 2011 needs to take required minimum […]
Income Tax Planning for 2012-2013
It’s time to sharpen your pencils or tighten up your spreadsheets. Income tax planning for 2012 and 2013 is likely to be more important and trickier than in the previous few years. Key provisions expired at the end of 2011. Others expire at the end of 2012. New provisions are kicking in. And Congress could […]
New Tax Rules for Investment Sales
There are new forms and rules for reporting some capital gains and losses in 2011 and following years. For sales of stock purchased after Jan. 1, 2011, on Form 1099-B brokers report the cost basis as well as the sale proceeds. For stock purchased before 2011, only the proceeds are reported. Also reported is whether […]
Worst State for Retirement
It’s easy to find guides to the best places to retire. There are numerous books and articles. But it’s not so easy to find a list of places you shouldn’t retire to. Of course, you could pick up the latest Census report and see which areas are losing population. But the web site TopRetirements.com put […]
Is the ETF Bubble About to Burst?
Exchange-Traded Funds are probably the most successful new product launch in the investment industry as measured by the rate of new money flows into it. But things haven’t been all roses for ETFs. A number of ETFs quietly folded or merged into other ETFs because they couldn’t attract enough assets. Many others still are available […]
