Retirement Watch Weekly
April 2010
April 29, 2010 03:30 p.m. Wild week of headlines and more For many months volatility was declining in the investment markets, and investors were secure in the belief that the economy was solid and asset prices would continue rising. Things have changed a bit. On Tuesday afternoon, the headlines were not to rosy. Here’s what […]
March 2010
March 25, 2010 03:00 p.m. Housing, Health, and U.S. Debt We continue to learn more about that huge health care bill. The latest nugget is that there will be a new government-sponsored long-term care plan. I’m still unearthing the details. What I’ve seen so far is that the plan will be optional, but you have […]
Choosing the Portfolios That Work for You
One of the most frequent requests from readers is for advice about which of my recommended portfolios they should follow. The short answer is that most of you should follow more than one portfolio. Here’s why. Retirement is likely to last a long time for most of you. There will be several phases to your […]
Seizing the Family Loan Opportunity to Minimize Estate Taxes
The door soon will begin closing for the best opportunity ever to exploit a classic estate planning strategy. The strategy enables many families to transfer significant sums to the next generation while incurring few or no estate or gift taxes. Even estates that won’t be subject to estate taxes can use family loans to achieve […]
Dealing With Increases in Long Term Care Insurance Premiums
Increases in premiums on many long-term care insurance (LTCI) policies are coming. Some of you already received notice of them. Others will receive notices soon. You need a plan for dealing with these increases (and likely future increases), and policyholders who don’t face the increases now should learn lessons from them. The increases generally are […]
Knowing When to Reverse an IRA Conversion
IRA owners are presented some rare opportunities with Roth IRA conversions. One opportunity is to create a stream of tax-free income by converting a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. The other opportunity is to reverse the conversion if you decide it was not the best move. Very few tax strategies come with second chances. […]
Examining More Angles to IRA Conversions
Several key factors determine whether it is a good idea to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. We discussed these in recent visits, and they include the difference between your tax rates now and in the future, how you pay the taxes on the conversion, and the rate of return on your IRA. […]
Deducting All Your Medical Expenses
Many taxpayers leave money on the table because they don’t deduct all the medical expenses they are allowed. Medical expense deductions were tightened over the years, leading many people to believe they can’t deduct their expenses. But you can deduct medical payments as itemized expenses, and many people qualify for higher deductions than they realize, […]
