Bob Carlson of Retirement Watch on how to manage your taxes and planning strategies to pay less
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Taxes, especially when all types of taxes are added together, are one of the largest expenses of most retirees. State and local taxes are a big portion of the taxes paid, and many people don’t realize the total they’re paying in all those taxes. Of course, some states are considered high-tax states and others are […]
A series of recent IRS rulings shows how important it is to review carefully your IRA beneficiary designations. The rulings show that your will and other documents don’t matter. Only the beneficiary designation form on file with the IRS custodian or trustee matters to the IRS. In the rulings, an IRA owner had IRAs at […]
The IRS announced the inflation-indexing of many tax provisions for 2017. The lifetime estate and gift tax exemption will increase to $5,490,000 from $5,450,000 for the estates of those who pass away in 2017. That gives married couples a potential joint exemption of $10,980,000. The annual gift tax exclusion remains at $14,000 in 2017, where […]
We’re heading into the end of the year. For many people, this is an opportunity to minimize your income taxes for the year, especially capital gains taxes. Actions you take, or don’t take, the rest of the year could have a substantial impact on your 2016 tax bill. Before we dive into the details, keep […]
In my new Retirement Watch Spotlight Series, I’ll share my newest breakthrough strategies for protecting your assets and growing your portfolio, including how to prepare for the next market downturn. Click here now to learn more.
Markets are more volatile after a placid summer, and the economic data are a major cause. The recent economic data has been full of negative surprises, reports that are not as good as investors expected. Early in the summer it appeared that manufacturing had found its low point and might even start recovering. But most […]

The IRS never has liked estate planning strategies that result in what are known as valuation discounts. In August, it issued proposed regulations that would curb many of these strategies. Only a small number of estates will be affected by the new rules, since most estates avoid the federal estate and gift tax. After indexing […]

Contributing to an individual retirement account (IRA) is an action that every account holder should be familiar with and comfortable doing. While, on the surface, contributing may seem like a simple enough part of managing an IRA, it is actually an incredibly important pillar of the retirement finance sector. As an experienced IRA owner can […]
It was a quiet week overall. Most investment markets didn’t move a lot. The economic data was consistent with expectations. The politicians have been wrapped up in their conventions this week and much of the major media joined them. For investors, the big news in my opinion has been in commodities. After a substantial rise […]
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