Mutual Funds

When my son was younger (say around 10 years old) and had money in his pocket, the toy aisle was the most stressful place in the world. Should he get the LEGO set or the Nerf gun? Or the hundreds of other flashy toys in front of him? The risk of wasting his limited resources on a

A party store saleswoman shows us a critical flaw in our retirement planning. getty Suzy rings up another customer in a party supply store. Surrounded by bright, bouncing balloons celebrating everything from anniversaries to birthdays, Suzy scans a bag of blue plastic spoons while speaking to a friend.  Leaning across the checkout counter between bouquets

Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about taking retirement benefits early before switching to spousal benefits at full retirement age, whether or not to notify Social Security about a change in projected income and when widow’s benefits can be started. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder

Yellow paper with text 2021 tax laws,concept getty Plan Now With the results of the Georgia runoff election in the Democrats Control the House, the Senate and the White House. So, the potential for harsh tax legislation increasing taxation of the wealthy, along the lines of prior Democratic proposals, might be likely to happen. What

UNDATED FILE PHOTO: Country singer and songwriter Johnny Paycheck (C) holds a teamsters union sign … [+] while joining a group of striking bookbinders in this photo from 1977. (Photo by Getty Images) Getty Images Do you have enough money to tell your boss, as singer Johnny Paycheck would say, “Take this Job and Shove

A series of strategies for tax-wise investors. Table of Contents. Gig. (Photo:Damian Dovarganes) ASSOCIATED PRESS Moonlighting yields some nice tax dodges. With side income you can: —deduct things you couldn’t from a salary, —grab a 20% “pass-through” freebie, —stuff savings into a Roth account. Say you and your spouse raise Yorkshire terriers. Income from that

Tax-hungry legislators may go after incomes over $400,000. But they will likely leave in place a rich collection of avoidance devices. Here are ways that investors minimize damage from the IRS. Democrats, narrowly in control of Congress, are equipped to undo parts of the 2017 Trump tax cut and, perhaps, to attack some of the

A series of strategies for tax-wise investors. Table of Contents. Annuitant getty A Qualified Longevity Annuity Contract is a contract with an insurance company that (a) pays out a fixed monthly amount beginning at an advanced age and (b) is bought inside an IRA. The most you can put into a QLAC is $135,000 or

WILMINGTON, DE – DECEMBER 23: President-elect Joe Biden announces Miguel Cardona as his nominee for … [+] Education Secretary at the Queen theatre on December 23, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. Cardona, the Connecticut Education Commissioner, will face the urgent task of planning to reopen schools safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Joshua Roberts/Getty Images)

Whole life insurance receives its name because it provides the owner with a death benefit for the whole lifetime. It is a form of permanent life insurance. Whole life also includes an accumulation and savings component through its cash value. Whole life insurance may be viewed as a fixed-income investment vehicle that incorporates a permanent

Now that the 2020 is over, remorse may set in and you may be left wondering if you should have done something different to save taxes. A common question I hear is whether it make sense for retirees to take their required minimum distributions (RMDs) now or if they should save taxes by taking them

getty A note to readers: The main concept of this article was originally published on December 19th, before the ultimate version of this Act was finalized, voted on, and enacted. Now that this Act has been signed into law and we’ve received further guidance from the SBA, I wanted to publish this updated variation to

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE – JANUARY 07: U.S. President-elect Joe Biden delivers remarks before announcing … [+] his choices for attorney general and other leaders of the Justice Department at The Queen theater January 07, 2021 in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden nominated Judge Merrick Garland to be attorney general, Lisa Monaco to be deputy attorney general, Vanita Gupta

Mistakes seniors make with HECM Reverse Mortgages getty FHA insured reverse mortgages, called HECMs, allow seniors to withdraw cash from their home while retaining the right to live there indefinitely. They are a potentially powerful tool for helping seniors live better lives during their retirement years. However, the benefits can also be frittered away, with

For most investors, Target-Date (TDFs) or Lifestyle Funds are a great idea. They reside in your 401(k) as a basket of mutual funds. Professional managers pick them and adjust risk based on your age. The closer you are to retirement — your “target date” — the lower the stock market risk in a TDF portfolio.

Many Households Borrow From Friends and Family In the Current Recession getty Misery loves company or so the saying goes. In the current recession, it is more accurate to say that misery creates company. Millions of households struggle amid the onslaught of rising health care risks, growing childcare costs, and a deep recession with massive

ELLICOTT, MD – NOVEMBER, 20:Regina Peterson, 83y, and Linda Umstead, are delighted while speaking to … [+] Howard County students that deliver food to her and other disadvantaged senior citizens at the Tiber Hudson Apartment Building, (Photo by Evy Mages/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) The Washington Post via Getty Images Workers’ retirement accounts

Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about becoming eligible for spousal benefits after marriage, drawing spousal benefits after taking early retirement benefits and when SSA recomputes benefit amounts to account for continuing income. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic Security Planning, Inc,

By Kerry Hannon, Next Avenue Eldera When S. Jay Olshansky, 66, a professor of public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, virtually met math and science whiz Hyunseung Lee, 11, in May, something “sparked,” he says. “It was special. He just reminded me of myself at that age,” Olshansky adds. Olshansky, a renowned

getty Social Security is an important source of income for most U.S. retirees. On average it accounts for almost 40% of retirement income. Social Security becomes more important the longer a person is retired, often accounting for 50% or more of income for older retirees. Yet, many retirees make decisions that cost them additional lifetime

By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue Editor getty You might not think there’d be much difference between the way members of Generation X (who are 40 to 55) and boomers (56 to 74) feel about money, since they’re age-adjacent. But truth is, survey after survey is showing that Gen Xers are far more financially fragile and

getty Test your hand to see how well you know the December COVID-19 stimulus package. Tis’ the season for economic relief! It looks like Congress was in the giving spirit as they delivered a much needed COVID Stimulus package just in time for the New Year. It took a few months of negotiations but there

Seneca the Younger Universal Images Group via Getty Images Running out of money is an anxiety that keeps even well-prepared potential retirees in jobs that they hate and keeps many fresh retirees in a state of perpetual dread. The ‘what-ifs’ and ‘buts’ of living on savings or a fixed income keeps untold thousands from making

Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about widow’s benefits when a spouse dies before full retirement age, whether continuing income will increase benefits, having worked in the US and a foreign country and the possibility of taking spousal benefits before retirement benefits. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and

Blueberry vendor at Lake Chapala, Mexico Bryan Clark Although you don’t know me, here’s a fun riddle that could apply to lots of people, and maybe even you: “Guess what these four things have in common for the author of this article: blueberries, shrimp, and the services of Raul (my local auto body shop owner)

Social Security is falling short because of persistent wage inequality and political inaction; President-elect Biden has comprehensive plans to strengthen Social Security. A woman with her children walks with a placard reading ‘Social Security, not Global Security’. … [+] Thousands protesters marched again against the ‘Global Security Law’ bill promoted by French President Macron and

Organize a compilation of your 2020 trust planning now! getty So, you created one or more trusts in 2020 with interesting sounding acronyms: SLAT, DAPT, SPAT, etc. And now you are just happy to be done. Well, you are not done yet! You and your advisers should prepare a compilation of the planning documentation you have

FEBRUARY 29, 2020: A set of gold-plated tea cups (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images) Getty Images Most likely you will pay your Social Security taxes all year round. But some high earners will stop paying before their hangover headache hits in the wee hours of New Year’s Day.  Social Security benefits are paid by the

Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about whether continuing to work ensures increased benefits, filing for reduced spousal benefits before a spouse passes away and the differences between restricted applications and filing for and suspending a retirement benefit. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president

Within the last 12 months, we have essentially seen the passage of three major pieces of federal legislation that impact retirement planning. Far and away the biggest retirement planning bill of the three was the SECURE Act, passed at the end of 2019, and mostly going into effect in 2020. However, due to COVID-19 and