Taxes in Retirement
Bob Carlson of Retirement Watch on how to manage your taxes and planning strategies to pay less
Found 424 Articles.
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Is It Better to Pay Taxes Now?
Tax planning was turned on its head by the last couple of tax laws. Several key planning rules need revisions for those who want to maximize after-tax wealth. One of the oldest tax planning rules is that it is better to defer a tax whenever possible. Paying taxes tomorrow is better than paying them today. […]
How to Beat the Estimated Tax Hassle
We’re coming up on the day many retirees dread. It arrives four times each year. What many do not realize is that they easily can avoid this day. During their working years, most retirees had income taxes withheld from paychecks. They did not worry about making quarterly estimated tax payments during the year. The only […]
Key IRA Decisions for 2005
It’s another year, and many IRA owners have to focus on required minimum distributions (RMDs). The right strategy for these and other aspects of an IRA can make the account last longer. RMDs are mandatory after an owner is age 70 1/2. The rules apply to all qualified retirement plans, though we’ll focus on IRAs […]
Best Estate Planning Strategies to Help with Education
Numerous vehicles are available to help prepare for education expenses. Parents and grandparents need to compare carefully to choose right vehicle for them. The Section 529 college savings plan gets the most attention. It is open to anyone regardless of income level. The investment earnings compound tax-free and can be withdrawn tax free if used […]
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Tapping Real Estate Equity, Part 2
The rapid real estate appreciation of recent years endowed many families with substantial real estate wealth but not enough cash. Real estate appreciation does not produce cash. But it does result in higher property taxes, and there are maintenance expenses to pay. Some families also are disappointed with having paper wealth that cannot be spent […]
New Estate Planning Danger in State Taxes
Federal estate taxes are shrinking for many estates. That shifts the focus of savvy estate planners to state death taxes. State death taxes now loom prominently over many estates for several reasons. Before the 2001 tax law, there was a credit against federal estates taxes for state death taxes paid. Because of the credit, the […]
Little-Known New Tax Laws
The American Jobs Creation Act is a major tax law enacted quietly just before the elections. While primarily a corporate tax law, several provisions affect individuals and small businesses. Sales tax. In 2004 and 2005, individual taxpayers who itemize deductions have the option of deducting either state and local sales taxes or state and local […]
Tapping that New Real Estate Wealth for Estate Planning
Managing the equity in appreciated homes and second homes has become a pleasant and unexpected challenge for many. Especially on the coasts, residential real estate values soared the last five years. Suddenly owners, especially long-time owners, have properties that are more valuable than they imagined. For many families, real estate wealth exceeds the value of […]
