Category: Tax Planning
In the case of Casey Kasem, no matter what happens, there are no winners here—everyone loses. Don’t let this happen to you. Plan and communicate! Celebrities make the news time and time again, and every so often we can all learn a lesson or two on their mishaps. A recent CNBC.com article, titled “What we […]
For many, the decision to remain single is a matter of money. A partner who remarries stands to lose alimony, Social Security or a survivor’s pension. Many cohabitating couples share assets and expenses informally. Attorneys are constantly on their unmarried clients to draw up agreements specifying which partner is responsible for expenses and who will inherit. These […]
To grasp the importance of planning for the distribution of your worldly goods, consider all the things that influence what happens to them. An Estate Plan is a form of defense for your estate. But you also need to defend that plan against future influences. A recent Kiplinger’s Personal Finance article, titled “Forces That Affect […]
The math gets complicated fast, because there are so many variables. How much to save depends on things like your future wage growth, inflation, longevity, future spending needs, what year you hope to retire, and whether you have a defined pension in addition to Social Security. What does it really take to retire? How much […]
Enlisting the help of a qualified wealth management professional to determine which type of IRA will best support a person’s retirement goals. So you want an IRA, but you aren’t sure if you need a traditional one or a Roth. How do you decide? Let’s explore the Roth IRA a bit further to help your […]
Advocates of prepaid tuition plans call them “peace of mind programs” and say they still offer that comfort … But some programs have run into trouble after investments lost money in the market downturn in 2008-09 and tuition rose faster than expected. Spring graduations are right around the corner! For all of the 2014 grads, […]
Keep an eye on the Obama Administration budget proposals as there are several provisions which may affect estate planning. For example, there is a provision which would reduce the $5 Million federal estate tax exemption to $3.5 Million – the 2009 level. Stay tuned! http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/tax-policy/Documents/General-Explanations-FY2015.pdf
Although the AMT’s original intent was to ensure the wealthiest earners paid some tax, it now ensnares a large number of taxpayers because the income threshold use for calculating the AMT hasn’t kept pace with the growth of income reported by taxpayers. Talking about taxes isn’t exactly glamorous stuff. Discussions about the alternative minimum tax […]
A careful review of the return can point the way to opportunities for decreasing your taxes and increasing after-tax wealth. “Those that ignore history are bound to repeat it.” Translation: learn from mistakes made in the past and avoid repeating them. In other words, you should review what didn’t work in order to guide yourself […]
Future generations of homeowners should remember the frustrations and family struggles that were caused by the housing bubble being burst and exercise sounder judgment when it comes to buying their next home. Were you planning on using your home to fund your retirement? That strategy may not be as sound as it may have been […]
