Retirement Watch Weekly
Changing World of Reverse Mortgages
There have been big changes in reverse mortgages in the last year. Unlike many areas of real estate and home financing, there is some good news. If you are an older homeowner looking for a steady source of income or a lump sum of cash, consider a reverse mortgage. But beware of the potential pitfalls […]
New Use for Reverse Mortgages
Congress snuck a new use of reverse mortgages into the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. Reverse mortgages traditionally are for people who already own homes and want to tap their equity. The new provision, known as HECM for Purchase, lets you use an insured reverse mortgage to buy a home. Here is how […]
A Checklist of Estate Planning Issues to Remember
Estate Planning discussions tend to focus on the big picture, big money issues. Who receives what? Should we use a living trust to avoid probate? If estate taxes are a possibility, the menu of estate tax reduction strategies is considered. There are a host of other issues that often are overlooked. Sometimes the estate planner […]
Roth IRAs for Summer Work
Here is a power-packed way to help your grandchildren or children this summer. It gives them a financial incentive to work, but it also is a long-term incentive that will show them the value of saving and investing. Plus, you will provide them the core of a nest egg with Roth IRAs. The strategy is […]
Working While Receiving Social Security
Investment losses and rising costs are driving many Social Security recipients back to the work place. A question to consider is how earning income affects Social Security benefits. One of the original goals of Social Security was to remove people from the work force. Unemployment was high. Social Security would gradually induce older workers to […]
Who Will Benefit from Your IRA?
One of the most important decisions about an IRA is naming the beneficiary or beneficiaries. There are many candidates for the biggest mistake made by IRA owners, and one of the leading contenders is the failure to name a beneficiary or naming the wrong beneficiary. If no beneficiary is named, the estate is the beneficiary. […]
The IRS and Gold ETFs
In last month’s visit we discussed the tax treatment of various gold investments. Investments in bullion and coins are considered collectibles. These assets cannot be held in an IRA. If an IRA purchases a collectible, it will be treated as a distribution of the amount of the purchase. The amount must be included in gross […]
July 2009
July 30, 2009 01:50 p.m. This Week’s Clickable Pages-revised The stock market bulls appear to have the upper hand in the markets this week, but I don’t think they have the better arguments. This week we look at a few analysts who make the case for caution, plus some other interesting writing I have come […]
