Bob Carlson of Retirement Watch on how to manage your taxes and planning strategies to pay less
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Does the 2003 tax law change how your retirement account should be invested? Most investors have some of their money in tax-deferred accounts – such as IRAs and 401(k)s – and the rest in taxable accounts. When a portfolio is diversified, the investor has to decide which assets to purchase in a tax-deferred account and […]

Another major tax cut rolled through Congress by the end of May, providing significant benefits to all investors. You might need to change some of your tax and investment strategies to reap the maximum benefits of the new law. There also are a few traps to avoid. Let’s take a look at the basics of […]

The IRS recently made it easier to cash out a principal residence tax free by plugging gaps and uncertainties in the 1997 rules on tax-free gains. The IRS filled the gaps in ways that are generous to taxpayers. Previously, anyone with a deductible home office had to separate the tax basis and sale proceeds of […]

Stocks and second home sales both soared during the 1990s. They parted ways in the 2000s. While stocks turned south, prices of second homes continued to climb. It is no coincidence. More people are turning to second homes as investment alternatives. The National Association of Realtors reports that purchases of second homes for investment purposes […]
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.

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 […]

Many taxpayers don’t take all the deductions to which they are entitled. Some think all the good deductions were eliminated in the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Others are afraid that the IRS will audit them for taking certain deductions. A lack of good records is the problem for a number of taxpayers. For most […]

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 […]

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 […]
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