Retirement Watch Weekly
Protecting Lifetime Income from Inflation
Seniors are realizing the advantages annuities can provide for their retirement portfolios. Annuities pay steady income. Investors don’t worry about the volatility of their principal or income or whether to change the investment in volatile markets. Yet, there is a key disadvantage to annuities that keeps more people from using them. In this visit we […]
December 2009
December 31, 2009 10:45 a.m. Happy New Year, and Some Important Items You Might Have Missed I wish all my readers a Happy New Year. We have great plans for Retirement Watch, and the markets and economy promise to provide another interesting year. There also will be changes in the income tax, estate tax, and […]
November 2009
November 27, 2009 11:00 a.m. The Next Shoe? The tricky thing about a financial crisis is you never know what will trigger it or make it worse. Of those who thought the financial crisis was not over, few expressed the thought that a debt default by Dubai World would trigger the next phase of the […]
How to Climb the Estate Planning Ladder – An Estate Planning Checklist
Estate Planning overwhelms many people. Planners use their own language. As estate owner you have to choose from many strategies. The complications lead to procrastination and unfinished plans. One way to break the procrastination and creates a plan is to use an estate planning ladder. The ladder starts with a basic estate plan. You move […]
Examining Part D Prescription Drug Plans
Open enrollment for Medicare’s Part D prescription drug pro-gram is almost here. Marketing has begun, and you can sign up from Nov. 15 – Dec. 31. Only entering its fourth year, enrollment grows each year, and surveys show satisfaction among enrollees. One constant about Part D so far is change. Premiums, other costs, and coverage […]
Updating Medicare Advantage
Earlier this year we told you to expect changes in Medicare Advantage plans, because Congress was reducing reimbursements to insurers and making other changes. The plan offerings for 2010 are in, and you do indeed face changes in Advantage plans. Almost all Medicare beneficiaries have an Advantage plan available to them. But about 7% of […]
More Lowdown on Roth IRA Conversions
The Roth IRA conversion opportunity is getting closer. Last month we discussed the basics of the opportunity and who should consider taking advantage of it. We continue the discussion in this visit with more details about the rules and ways you can enhance the benefits. To review from last month, next year the income limit […]
Returning Unwanted 2009 RMDs
Late in 2008, Congress suspended required minimum distributions for IRAs for 2009. If you are over age 70½, you don’t have to take an RMD for 2009. Some people did not receive word of the suspension before they took their RMDs in early 2009. Others had periodic distributions scheduled, and the distributions could not be […]
