Retirement Watch Weekly
Write Offs from Renting a Home
After deciding it makes economic sense to rent your old home or vacation home instead of selling it (see last month’s visit), learn the tax rules. Structure your rental activity so the rental income is at least partially tax sheltered. The amount of your tax deductions depends on how the rental property is used. When […]
May 2009
May 27, 2009 03:45 p.m. Don’t Worry About Missing Out U.S. stock indexes are about 40% above their lows of March 9. Many international markets, especially emerging markets, have returned even more. Many investors are becoming impatient to join the markets and capture whatever is left of the rally. I hope they will refrain from […]
The Four Goals of Legacy Estate Planning
Over the years we stressed to our members that Estate Planning is about much more than taxes. For many decades, people believed estate planning and estate tax planning were the same thing. That was understandable when the lifetime estate tax exemption was $600,000. Many “modest millionaires” who considered themselves middle class would be hit by […]
How to Use the Annuity Ladder for Higher Security
Immediate annuities can enhance retirement financial security. They are not perfect, but some of their disadvantages can be reduced by purchasing annuities using an annuity ladder. When hearing “annuity,” most people think of variable annuities or deferred annuities. The immediate annuity (IA) is a very different vehicle. Regular payments begin soon after the IA is […]
April 2009
April 30, 2009 03:00 p.m. Contracting Less First, for those who are interested in more details about the Bernard Madoff scam, the most details to date have been published by Fortune online. The article indicates Madoff was not acting alone but says there is no evidence is family was involved. You can read the article […]
Be Ready for Big Estate Tax Changes
The estate tax is due to expire after the end of 2009. Control of Congress and the White House have changed since that law was enacted, so it is a safe bet the estate tax won’t be allowed to expire. Congress might be too preoccupied with other matters to agree on the details and extend […]
When It Pays to be a Landlord
The tight economy and housing markets have made a traditionally difficult question more difficult. When you no longer plan to use a house, should that old residence (or second home) be rented or sold? The question traditionally arises when someone decides to retire to a new area or after years of using two houses decides […]
New IRA Strategies for 2009
Congress did IRA owners a favor by suspending most requir-ed minimum distribu-tions for 2009. Yet, the change has confused some IRA owners because there are some exceptions and not all the details are clear. There also are planning opportunities created by the law and by the markets IRA owners should consider. First, we will review […]
