IRA
Spousal & Non-Spousal IRA Rules
Spousal IRA Rules When a spouse inherits an IRA, he or she has all of the same options as a non-spouse beneficiary, along with some other choices. For example, if a wife is the sole beneficiary, she also has the option to “treat it as her own.” The surviving spouse will need to either transfer…
Read MoreHow to Manage Taxes in Retirement
Here are some tips on how to manage taxes in retirement; To stay within the 15% income tax bracket: maximum annual income = single, $37,950; married filing jointly, $75,900. Investors can harvest capital gains with a zero tax rate as long as their income stays in or below the 15% tax bracket. To help reduce…
Read MoreFacts About IRAs
While an IRA may have a lower annual contribution limit (2017: $5,500; $6,500 age 50 or older) than a workplace-sponsored retirement plan, opening an IRA can provide an opportunity to help diversify your retirement assets. An IRA offers certain benefits that are generally not available in a 401(k), such as: Lower cost Larger spectrum of…
Read MoreTax Strategies for Retirement Portfolios
Tax-deferred financial vehicles are an effective way to accumulate assets while you’re working. However, once retired, individuals should carefully consider how (and when) to position assets to help optimize growth and income while reducing their tax liability. The following are some points to remember about distributions. Taxable Investment Portfolio Short-term capital gains are taxed at…
Read MoreStrategies for Paying for College
Even as college tuition continues to rise, more and more American families are paying less out of pocket than in previous years. During the 2015-16 academic year, grants and scholarships paid the largest portion of college expenses — 34 percent, compared to 30 percent the year before. In addition to grants and scholarships, parent income…
Read MoreRetirement: Spending vs. Income Planning
One common rule of thumb for retirement savings is to replace 80 percent of your pre-retirement income — or an even higher percentage. But what if you currently spend more than you earn? Or what if you spend much less than you earn? Perhaps a better measure would be to base your retirement income on your…
Read MoreThe Old-School Stool
The proverbial “three-legged stool” of retirement funding traditionally comprised Social Security, a company pension and personal savings, but that stool has been wobbly for quite some time. In fact, the traditional pension has been replaced largely by employer-sponsored 401(k) plans. This development firmly places the responsibility of two of the three stool legs on individual…
Read MorePlanning for Tax-Efficient Retirement Income
If you expect to be in a high tax bracket in retirement, you may consider allocating your retirement assets in a variety of different types of financial products to help reduce your tax liability. The growth potential of tax-deferred annuities may be appealing to those who have invested in safe, low-yielding strategies and are concerned…
Read MoreWhy Convert a Roth IRA?
Investing in a traditional IRA while earning a paycheck is a good way to defer income taxes on the money you contribute. Currently, taxpayers who aren’t covered by a retirement plan at work may deduct the full amount of their annual contributions to a traditional IRA. Those who do participate in a work plan may…
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