Required minimum distributions from retirement accounts are generally unavoidable for retirees – unless they want to incur a substantial penalty for not taking them. For those who don’t need the money (or the tax bill), this can lead to resenting RMDs. Today’s article, however, outlines how, rather than being a necessary evil, RMDs can actually serve as an opportunity to…
When it comes to your 2018 taxes, the author of today’s article has some advice: Figure it out now. Why? He explains “I have a feeling the 2018 tax year is going to be a memorable one for many of us. Revisions to the tax code rushed through Congress in the dying days of 2017 have implications for almost everyone.…
Today’s article outlines a screening process whereby the over 7500 companies traded on U.S. exchanges are filtered down to five large-cap, dividend-paying companies currently trading at large discounts that may be especially attractive to investors over age 50 – or any income-seeking investor. Specifically, these five stocks “all have “A-” or better debt-rating, at least 10% dividend growth in the…
“A lifelong, low-cost investment strategy that I believe is likely to produce superior long-term returns without much attention from you” is what the author of today’s article lays out. The strategy in question is comprised of two “building blocks” – a target-date retirement fund at the core and a “booster fund” to generate higher long-term returns with little extra risk.…
High-deductible healthcare plans can be unappealing thanks to that high deductible. However, high-deductible healthcare plans are increasingly being offered along with health savings accounts – which, along with their traditional uses (as short-term vehicles to cover out-of-pocket healthcare costs and as long-term savings vehicles for the “wealthy and healthy”) can be used in other ways that get less attention. Specifically,…
At the recent Boot Camp for Investors, a panel of experts discussed considerations when planning for the new retirement – one that could last 20 to 30 years. For what the panel had to say about income investing, cash flow control, the value of ETFs (“So they’re cheap, they’re diversified all good news, but there are also some potentially nasty…
What does the current amount of your retirement nest egg translate into in terms of future monthly retirement income? In light of the fact that a recent piece of research found that more than half of U.S. workers aged 20 to 79 have difficulty figuring out this conversion, today’s article identifies two ways to estimate that monthly income figure –…
Despite a number of anxiety-inducing market routs, stocks have performed quite nicely this year. That impressive performance, however, brings with it some potential problems for investors, including off-balance portfolios and taxes on gains. As the author of today’s article notes, “a lofty market environment presents a lot of potential tax traps, as the appreciated winners in a portfolio that are…
Given its recent moves, investors have reason to be anxious about the market – and none more so than investors who are at retirement’s doorstep. For those in that group, today’s article outlines a number of strategies to consider, as identified by top financial advisers. First, however, the author advises that “It’s critical that you…draft a retirement-income plan”, noting that…
Whatever your planned retirement age, you’re likely to retire closer to age 61 than you think. This is one of the findings of a recent study of retirement data, which found that “planned and actual retirement ages align at 61, with those planning to retire earlier than that tending to retire later than expected, and those planning to retire after…