Four things women should know about Social Security
For more information about Social Security benefits, visit the Social Security Administration website at www.ssa.gov, or call (800) 772-1213 to speak with a representative. You [...]
Implications of the Supreme Court’s 2012 health care decision
On June 28, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a landmark decision, that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the provision [...]
Coming soon to an IRA portfolio near you: Longevity Annuities?
Photo courtesy Margan Zajdowicz. If a significant portion of your retirement assets are held in a retirement account like an IRA, how can you accomplish [...]
New data on the solvency of Social Security and Medicare trust funds (2012)
Reports Show Challenging Financial Outlook for Social Security and MedicareEvery year, the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds release reports to Congress [...]
What’s next with the Estate Tax? (2012)
What is the future of the federal estate tax? All we know for sure is that no one knows anything; it's all speculation. So, let's [...]
Long-term care insurance: companies leaving the marketplace
The Long-Term Care Dilemma: Insurers Leaving, Premiums IncreasingIf you've planned for long-term care, you've done well because there's a pretty good chance you or your [...]
Current tax changes: keeping track of new and expiring provisions (2012)
A number of significant federal income tax provisions expired at the end of 2011, a fact that might be easily overlooked with so much attention [...]
Tax deduction for Long Term Care insurance increased
The Internal Revenue Service has raised the income-tax deduction limit for Long Term Care (LTC) policy premiums that are paid in 2012. As in the [...]
New cost-basis reporting rules being phased in
Calculating Cost Basis Gets Easier This YearBrokers must track and report cost basis to both you and the IRSAnyone who has ever been baffled by [...]
Uncle Sam Knows Asset Allocation?
You might be surprised to hear that the Securities and Exchange Commission has published one of the most helpful articles on asset allocation. As you [...]
Retirement and Tax Planning: 2012
Every year brings some financial change, so here are some relevant changes relating to investment, tax and estate planning for 2012. Retirement plans. 401(k), 403(b) [...]
Overview of Health Savings Plans
Health savings accounts (HSAs), Archer medical savings accounts (MSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), and flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) are all personal health accounts that may [...]
Borrowing from Life Insurance Cash Value
Life Insurance Policy Loans: Tax and Other Implications As the owner of a life insurance policy, you can generally borrow the policy's cash surrender value [...]
Global Stock Market Retrospective: 2011
U.S. STOCKS HELD UP RELATIVELY WELL IN 2011 It was a weak year for equities, but foreign markets had it worse. 2011 had a definite [...]
In-Service Withdrawals: 401k withdrawals while you are still working
You should become familiar with the terms of your employer's 401(k) plan to understand your particular withdrawal rights (more...)
Long-Term Care—Annuity Hybrids: New alternative to long-term care insurance
Long-Term Care Annuities When planning for the potential cost of long-term care, you've probably considered long-term care insurance. But premiums can be expensive and if [...]
All about Self-Directed IRAs
Just because a self-directed IRA allows you to choose certain investments, it doesn't mean that you should. Some investment choices aren't suitable for all investors.Certain [...]
Monte Carlo Simulations
MONTE CARLO SIMULATION Rolling the dice on returns. When someone walks into a casino in Monte Carlo and rolls a pair of dice at the [...]
10 End-of-Year Tax Tips – 2011 Edition
The window of opportunity for many tax-saving moves closes on December 31. So set aside some time to evaluate your tax situation now, while there's [...]
New student debt repayment plan (2011)
On October 26, 2011, President Obama announced a plan that seeks to help college graduates pay back their federal student loans. The plan is an [...]