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Investors Are Anticipating Goldilocks’ Arrival

February 20, 2023

The markets are ignoring one of the prime investment rules: Don’t fight the Fed. Federal Reserve officials say they will have to maintain tight monetary policy considerably longer to bring inflation to the 2% target, even after the historically aggressive rate increases of 2022. Markets seem to disagree, while anticipating what some call a soft […]

7 Reasons Not to Buy an Annuity

February 20, 2023

Annuity purchases soared the last couple of years, yet only a small percentage of retirees and near-retirees own or consider annuities. That goes against the advice of many economists and actuaries, who say that most people should include annuities in their retirement portfolios. Some financial advisors and media personalities say annuities never should be purchased. […]

Know the Tricks and Traps of the ‘Wash Sale’ Rules

February 20, 2023

Few taxpayers were interested in or needed to know the “wash sale” rules, until recently. When stock prices rose steadily, the wash sale rules didn’t come into play. The rules matter only when investors sell stocks at losses. That’s why the wash sale rules have been more important since 2021. The wash sale rules were […]

The Tax Traps in Delaying IRA Distributions

February 20, 2023

Congress expanded a tax trap for many owners of traditional IRA and 401(k) accounts when the SECURE Act 2.0 was enacted in December 2022. The law delayed the starting age for required minimum distributions (RMDs) to age 73, effective January 1, 2023. The starting age will jump to 75 effective January 1, 2033. If you […]

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There Are Four Ways You Can Make Tax-Free Gifts

February 20, 2023

Gift giving is an essential strategy in many estate plans. When done properly, gifts reduce lifetime income taxes and reduce or eliminate estate and gift taxes. Through gifts, you help loved ones today, and see the benefits of that help, instead of having them wait to inherit. To optimize gifts, know how to minimize gift […]

Bob’s Journal for 2/15/23

February 16, 2023

Key RMD Changes in The SECURE Act 2.0 You Should Know It is hard for people to keep up with the more than 100 changes the SECURE Act 2.0 made in retirement plans and related tax code provisions. Here’s a summary of the key changes in required minimum distributions (RMDs) in the law that was […]

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How Your IRA Could Be Taxed (Even a Roth IRA)

February 12, 2023

Years ago, a pension plan acquired an interest in a spaghetti factory. A consequence of that episode is that your IRA might owe income taxes on some of its investment income. Other spaghetti manufacturers said it wasn’t fair they had to compete with a business owner who was tax-exempt. Eventually, Congress agreed and enacted the […]

What Tom Brady Taught Us About Retirement: Unintentional Lessons from a Superstar

February 10, 2023

It is NFL playoff season, and the Super Bowl is almost here. That makes this a good opportunity to turn to the NFL for some lessons about retirement planning that apply to all of us. The newly-retired quarterback Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner, is a great source of retirement lessons. Over the last […]

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