Retirement Watch Weekly
Bob’s Journal for 11/11/2021
Last Chance for ‘Mega Qualified Charitable Distribution’ Traditional IRA owners of any age have until December 31, 2021, to use what many advisors call the “Mega Qualified Charitable Distribution.” The strategy takes advantage of a law put in place during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic that increased to 100% of adjusted gross income […]
Beware: Scams Targeting Self-Directed IRAs
Interest in true self-directed IRAs is increasing, and that naturally is increasing the number of scams targeting self-directed IRAs. The scams target primarily retirees and older Americans. A true self-directed IRA is one that essentially can invest in any asset allowed under the tax code. The tax code prohibits an IRA from owning only life […]
Bob’s Journal for 11/4/21
Retirement, Estate Planning Strategies Safe from Change for Now, But for How Long? Key retirement and estate planning strategies are safe from being changed by Congress for at least a little while. Last week, after Congress failed to agree on details of the spending and tax proposals in the “Build Back Better” bill, President Biden […]
Deciding to Let Uncle Sam Get His Share
Sometimes the traditional strategies to reduce estate taxes are not practical or appealing. It might be difficult to give away an asset in increments over the years to make tax-free gifts. Or you might want to retain control of your assets for life. There are a lot of reasons why someone might not want to […]
Bob’s Journal for 10/28
Bitcoin ETF is Off to a Strong Start The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finally approved a Bitcoin-focused exchange-traded fund (ETF), and investors quickly took a liking to it. ProShares Bitcoin Strategy (BITO) debuted on Oct. 18 and gained nearly 5% by the end of the trading day. It rose again on its second day […]
How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer [Part 2]
To follow up on last week’s Retirement Watch Weekly, here are 5 more steps you can take for making a legal will – without having to hire a lawyer. Name Guardians for Your Children When a testator has minor children, the will should designate one or more individuals who will serve as guardians for the […]
The Economy and Stocks Start to Diverge
The tight relationship between the economy and markets might be ending. For some time, economic growth has been accompanied by higher stock prices, and stock indexes faltered when growth slowed or declined. Going forward, it is likely economic growth will continue while the stock indexes remain in a trading range or decline. Growth should continue […]
Find the Best Medicare Supplement for You
When you’re enrolled in original Medicare, you should have a Medicare supplement, or Medigap, policy. You need to find the right policy for you. You want a Medigap policy because, as the nickname says, it will cover many of the gaps in Medicare Part B coverage. ou’ll have higher fixed annual expenses because you’ll pay […]
