Retirement Watch Weekly
3 Myths About Investment Fees
Myths about investment fees are widespread among investors. The myths include mutual fund management fees. As a result, many investors pursue the wrong investments and earn lower returns than they should. It is easy to understand how investors stray down the wrong path regarding fees and expenses. Of the main elements of investment management – […]
Types of Trusts and Reasons for Using Them
Trusts are not used primarily for reducing taxes any more. And trusts are not only for the wealthy. The non-wealthy are more financially sophisticated and have more wealth than in the past. The non-wealthy turned to trusts in recent years and for reasons other than tax reduction. In this part of the visit, we’ll review […]
Estate Tax Still in Limbo, Estate Planning Might Need Adjusting
Congress still is struggling in its attempts to make some sort of estate tax permanent. The current law will eliminate the estate tax in 2010 but restore the pre-2002 tax law in 2011. Without a change that means in a few years a large number of middle class estates will pay significant estate taxes. Attempts […]
Discount Brokers: Changes and Updates
Changes have been sweeping the world of discount and mutual fund brokers. Just a few years ago the brokers were re-trenching and, in many cases, chasing away customers they considered unprofitable. Higher fees and minimums were the order of the day. Those trends are reversed at most discount brokers, and additional changes are occurring. One […]
How to Put Together a Disaster Recovery Document Kit for your Estate Plan
The 2005 hurricane season caused many people to focus on an issue that had seemed remote. But millions of people realize they are more vulnerable to disasters than they had thought. A surprise to many people is that the potential damage to their persons and property is not the only concern. Personal information and documents […]
Factors to Consider when Using Home Equity as a Retirement Fund
Is home equity the mainstay of your retirement fund? Apparently it is for a number of people. Both anecdotal evidence and some consumer surveys indicate that a number of Baby Boomers plan to “retire on the house.” The plan is especially prevalent along the coasts and in resort areas. These are the areas in which […]
How to Estimate Your Life Insurance Needs
Most people have the wrong amount of life insurance. Some have too much; others have too little. Life insurance coverage often is wrong because most people enter the process believing that they need one life insurance policy. They might consider term and whole life, and perhaps a few of the other types of policies. They […]
Tax Cuts and Tax Increases
A new tax law passed Congress just before Memorial Day. It contains important tax breaks and tax increases for investors and others. We gave the highlights last month. In this month’s visit we will delve into more details of the newly-enacted law, known as Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2006. The major provision […]
