Category: IRA
“The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act raised the federal estate tax exemption considerably. Before the tax reform law, it was $5.49 million per person for 2017. It’s up to $11.7 million for 2021 ($23.4 million for a married couple).” For the moment, fewer Americans are concerned about the federal estate tax. However, if your goal […]
“Estate planning is a crucial part of any holistic financial plan, and financial advisors often work with estate planning attorneys for guidance in this area.” Everyone wins when estate planning attorneys, financial advisors and accounting professionals work together on a comprehensive estate plan. Each of these professionals can provide their insights when helping you make […]
“Each type of retirement benefit has a different eligibility age. Your age plays a big role in how much you can expect to receive from Social Security and what you need to do to avoid retirement account penalties.” Just as there are many types of retirement benefits, there are many dates to keep in mind […]
“If you are planning to take another walk down the aisle, it is critical to take the time to review and revise your estate plan, especially if meaningful assets and debts are being brought into the marriage.” The assets you and your second spouse bring into the marriage need to be carefully considered when revising […]
“Qualified Charitable Distributions, which allow Individual Retirement Account holders in their 70s and older to divert some of their federally taxable required distributions to charity while reducing their federally taxable income, are back after a 2020 hiatus.” Qualified charitable distributions allow individual retirement holders to divert some of their federally taxable required distributions to charity, […]
“When you’re planning to divide your estate unequally, explain the reasons to your heirs, and remember: They might be hurt anyway.” Leaving an equal amount to adult children works for many families, but equal is not always equitable. In those cases, leaving different amounts to heirs can lead to irreparable breaks within the family. A […]
“By being very selective about who receives which type of money—whether Traditional or Roth IRAs, after-tax brokerage accounts, life insurance, etc.—you can dramatically cut the share that goes to the IRS and increase the amount going to your family.” Not keeping a close eye on tax implications often costs families tens of thousands of dollars […]
“By definition, a Will accounts for a person’s wishes of how their assets and estate should be distributed and handled once they die. It spells out who should get what and who should do what, after the benefactor’s demise.” A last will and testament is used to point out the beneficiaries and trustees and the […]
“Gray divorce issues include weaving through the complications of splitting pensions, 401(k)s and more before the process is complete.” Divorce is different for older couples. They must focus on retirement accounts instead of college savings plans, explains a recent article from Kiplinger titled “Considering Divorce? Beware of Retirement Account Breakups“. After retirement accounts, the marital […]
“If you haven’t reviewed your beneficiary designations recently, you may be setting your heirs and estate up for some unpleasant surprises.” It’s a simple question: do you know who your retirement account beneficiaries are? These tax-deferred accounts are complex, with significant tax implications for heirs that become more challenging if key information is missing on […]
