Retirement Watch Weekly
Real Estate Bubble Revisited
Residential home prices in many areas have skyrocketed. One estimate is that average prices nationally rose 40% over the last five years. In a number of areas, however, home prices increased 75% and more, especially on the coasts. In my area some neighborhoods have waiting lists for homes, and brokers say they have more buyers […]
Which Way for Inflation
Is the inflation surge temporary, or is it a longer-term condition that needs strong Federal Reserve action to correct? That question will hover over the markets for at least a year. Until the answer is clear, it is best to invest with balance, diversification, and a solid margin of safety. The one-year inflation rates suddenly […]
More Ways to Prevent ID Theft
Identity theft continues to increase, and older Americans are prime targets of this crime. That’s why we constantly are looking for ways to prevent the crime and to protect your identity and wealth. Here are some new strategies to consider along with the strategies mentioned in past visits. When paying a credit card bill by […]
Exemptions to the 60 Day Transfer Rule by IRS
Money can be moved from a retirement plan to an IRA or from one IRA to another. The trick is that the transfer must be completed within 60 days. If the transfer isn’t completed, or the money isn’t returned to the original account, within 60 days the account owner must include the entire amount in […]
Overdue Annuity Abuse Crackdowns
Regulators finally are focusing their efforts on some negative aspects of the variable annuity market that we’ve been discussing for years. Recently, several actions were taken by the National Association of Securities Dealers and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The NASD, which regulates its broker members, in April proposed new rules governing variable annuity marketing. […]
Cash Flow from Your Home – Reverse Mortgages
The use of reverse mortgages is climbing as more seniors learn how to use them to raise cash from their home equity. The loans are not for every senior American, but they can be a valuable source of cash for strapped homeowners. Fewer than 20,000 reverse mortgages were originated in 2003. That’s a tiny part […]
Estate Planning: New Family Limited Partnership Rulings
Last year a number of estate planners worried that the IRS and the Tax Court nailed shut the door on family limited partnerships. A recent federal appeals court decision recently made clear the door still is open, and it set some guidelines for the successful use of FLPs. Family limited partnerships have been premier estate […]
Estate Planning for Community Property
Estate Planning can be different for married couples who live in the eight community property states. The one-third of Americans who live in those states need to take their state laws into account and make a few adjustments from traditional estate plans. Community property laws say that property acquired before the marriage and inheritances are […]
