Retirement Watch Weekly
Tips on Handling Uniform Gifts to Minors Account (UGMAs)
I’ve been hearing a lot from parents and grandparents who set up Uniform Gift To Minors Act accounts for the youngsters and now have second thoughts. The problem with these accounts, as I’ve reported in past visits, is that once the child hits age 18 (21 in some states), the account is all his. There’s […]
Buying vs Leasing Your Next Car – Pros and Cons
The peak car-buying season is drawing to a close. That means prices are being cut and incentive deals are being offered for purchasing or leasing many cars. These deals come after most manufacturers actually lowered suggested prices last year. Values abound in the car world, but that’s no reason to leave cash on the table. […]
The Tragedy of Variable Annuities
Variable annuities can be great tax-advantaged investment tools for the right people. But the boom in Variable Annuity sales hasn’t benefited many people. A large percentage of variable annuities are bought by people who won’t benefit from them and might even be taking a step backward. But there is good news on the variable annuity […]
The Tax-Free Life Insurance Trust – An Estate Planning Strategy
There’s a big down-side to the boom in stocks and other financial assets. When the value of the assets you own goes up, so do potential estate and gift taxes. If you don’t take action, the IRS could end up with more of your estate than your loved ones. One easy way to handle the […]
How to Beat the Tax On Your IRA
How much of your IRA will make it to your heirs? If you are like most people, your IRA is your most valuable asset. But by the time it reaches your heirs, it will be worth less than one half what it is now. Estate taxes will take the first chunk out of the IRA. […]
New Keys For Picking Winning Mutual Funds
To keep earning safe, solid investment returns you have to adapt. The investment markets change over time, and you have to recognize and accept those changes. A failure to be flexible, to learn over time, and to accept changes is why most investors and even professional investment advisers pick mutual funds in ways that are […]
Estate Planning For Singles
Not everyone who puts together an estate plan is married. In fact, more and more estates are those of single people. A single person has Estate Planning considerations different from those of a married couple and actually might require more planning. Because the unique planning concerns of singles rarely are discussed, singles often make key […]
Estate Planning to Provide for the Grandchildren
Providing for the grandchildren is one of the top concerns of today’s grandparents, according to surveys. That spurs ideas for setting aside money for grandchildren to use in the future. Let’s take a look at one not-so-good idea and two good ones. One heavily promoted idea is a trust for a grandchild’s retirement. You contribute […]
