A convenient move that could ward off probate on your accounts. TOD, JTWROS...what do these obscure acronyms signify? They are shorthand for transfer on death and joint tenancy with right of ownership – two designations that permit automatic transfer of bank or investment accounts from a deceased spouse to a surviving spouse. This automatic transfer [...]
Do you have a strategy to follow? Have you created a company that someone will want to buy? Your children won’t necessarily want to take over your business, so an exit strategy is essential to getting the outcome you want. You must prepare your firm for the transition – and you must be prepared as [...]
It is only wise to consider what Medicare won’t cover in the future. As you save for retirement, you also recognize the possibility of having to pay major health care costs in the future. Is there some way to plan for these expenses years in advance? Just how great might those expenses be? There’s no [...]
Paying them down, managing their financial impact. Are student loans holding our economy back? Certainly America has recovered from the last recession, but this is an interesting question nonetheless. In a November 2013 address before the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Assistant Director Rohit Chopra expressed that college loan debt [...]
Don't ignore it. Here's why. Here’s the scenario … you get a card in the mail, one of those little reminders that tells you it’s time for your annual financial checkup. Your reaction: I’ll take care of that later. Here’s why you should look forward to it. Why do I need an annual review? Because [...]
This 1990s retirement planning principle seems questionable today. Learn the 4% Rule In 1994, a financial advisor named Bill Bengen published research articulating the “4% rule”,which became a landmark of retirement planning. The 4% rule postulates that a retirement nest egg can last 30 years if a retireewithdraws 4% of it per year [...]
Breaking down the enrollment periods and eligibility. Medicare enrollment is automatic for some. For those receiving Social Security benefits, the coverage starts on the first day of the month you turn 65. Your enrollment is also automatic when you are under 65, disabled, and receiving benefits from Social Security for 24 months. The exception to [...]
Sometimes you can take penalty-free early withdrawals from retirement accounts. Do you need to access your retirement money early? Usually, anyone who takes money out of an IRA or a retirement plan prior to age 59½ faces a 10% early withdrawal penalty on the distribution. That isn’t always the case, however. You may be able [...]
Pay for long term care without paying taxes on an annuity withdrawal. A tax break with an additional benefit. Did you know that, since taking effect in 2010, you are allowed to withdraw money from a certain kind of annuity without paying taxes as long as you use it to pay for qualified long term [...]
Statistics point out the need to save early, save consistently & stay invested. Will you live to be 100? If you’re a woman, your odds of becoming a centenarian are seemingly better than those of men. In the 2010 U.S. Census, over 80% of Americans aged 100 or older were women.1 Will you eventually live [...]
