Retirement Watch Weekly
How to Reduce Tax on Social Security
Each year more seniors pay taxes on Social Security benefits than did the year before, and those who already were taxed pay more. That is an inevitable result of the way the tax is structured, unless you take action to reverse things. The benefits are taxable when adjusted gross income exceeds certain levels. One big […]
Best Ways to Avoid Estate Planning Mistakes
Avoiding taxes is not the most important part of Estate Planning. In coming years, it will be even less important for many people. A more important part of estate planning often is avoiding family fights and disappointment while passing wealth the way you want. Here are the key issues to resolve to avoid problems. Share […]
Estate Planning Strategy: Roth IRAs For Youngsters
A Roth IRA is one of the best investment and wealth building vehicles for youngsters. That’s right, for youngsters. Establishing a Roth IRA for your children or grandchildren creates a valuable, low-cost legacy for which the youngsters later will be very grateful. A few thousand dollars now could be worth hundreds of thousands of tax […]
Protecting Against ID Theft
Identity theft will be the crime of the millennium. It dominated the news recently when three credit card company employees were arrested for selling the data of 30,000 customers for $100 each. Fraud is perhaps the most common crime, and ID theft is another form of fraud. ID theft is growing rapidly, however, and soon […]
How to Start The Tax Year Off Right
Income tax returns for 2002 will occupy some of your time in the next few months. My advice is to complete the return early, even if you let it sit and don’t mail it for a while. The 2002 return can be a tax planning tool for 2003. Many tax and economic changes make the […]
Beware Of Troubled Insurers
Insurers are under stress. Their stock portfolios lost a bundle in the bear market, and yields on their bond portfolios are way down. Many set low premiums in the 1990s to increase market share, or they promised benefits they cannot deliver today. The result is a number of safety rating downgrades for annuity and life […]
Don’t Forget Estate Planning Gift Tax Returns
Failing to file a gift tax return is a common mistake that fouls up many estate plans. The gift tax return rules are not what most people think, and that leads to many mistakes and penalties. A gift tax return (Form 709) might be due even if no gift taxes are owed. Gifts are tax […]
The Next Bear Market
Is the bond market the next bubble waiting to burst? Investors certainly have been pouring money into bonds and bond funds, just as they bought technology stocks and funds near the top of the market. The new-found attraction for bonds is understandable. They have had a 22-year bull market. As stocks tanked, the most popular […]
