Retirement Watch Weekly
Is a Perpetual Trust for You?
Recent laws are making it easier to use dynasty trusts to make wealth last for multiple generations. Not too long ago creating a dynasty trust that lasted for generations was difficult. Those of us who took Estate & Trusts in law school tried to learn the intricacies of something called the Law Against Perpetuities, complex […]
Setting Up Your Financial Protection Plan – Insurance
Hurricane Katrina has a lot of people thinking about their insurance for homes, autos, belongings, and personal liability. Most people have a lot of their insurance wrong. They have coverage gaps or are paying too much. Don’t wait until you need the coverage to discover there is a problem. Review your insurance every year or […]
Having the Last Word – The Letter of Final Instructions
Most estate plans are missing a key ingredient. Too many estate planners do not recommend it, and it isn’t even mentioned in many estate planning discussions. One reason might be that, despite its importance, the document is not legally binding on anyone. This document can clear up a lot of issues. It can save time […]
When You Don’t Prepare for Estate Planning – The Importance of Documents
Without a letter of instructions and good organization, the heirs are forced to engage in the old-fashioned property and document search. Sometimes it is comical. Sometimes things get ugly. Always a lot of time and effort is wasted. Estate planners tell stories of important documents that never are found and of other documents that are […]
IRAs for Grandkids
Grandparents can give a big boost to the finances of their grandchildren who earned money from summer jobs. They can help make contributions to a Roth IRA and begin building a tax-free nest egg. A contribution to a Roth IRA can be made by anyone who has earned income and whose adjusted gross income is […]
Great Funds Closing Their Doors
Over the years we successfully found great funds early and let them deliver strong profits for us. One of the disadvantages is that after we discover them, the shareholder-friendly funds we favor deliver excellent performance and attract a lot of dollars. Because they are shareholder-friendly, they tend to close their doors to new investors when […]
The 2 Long-Term Care Insurance Mistakes Most Retirees Make
Only about 10% of seniors over age 65 have long-term care insurance. It is easy to understand why. The product is complicated, and costly mistakes are easy to make when buying it. There are two mistakes people make most often when purchasing long-term care insurance. More people would buy the insurance if they knew how […]
The Changing Picture of State Taxes
State and local taxes are a higher portion of retirees’ expenses than in the past. These taxes are a more important factor in people’s decisions of where to live in retirement. Yet, many people are making decisions with the wrong information. If state and local taxes are important to you, do not rely on information […]
