Taxes in Retirement
Bob Carlson of Retirement Watch on how to manage your taxes and planning strategies to pay less
Found 440 Articles.
Get access to our full article archive by subscribing to Retirement Watch and Retirement Watch Spotlight Series.
Maximizing the Power of Donor-Advised Funds
Thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted in 2017, use of donor-advised funds (DAFs) is soaring. They remain one of the best ways for many people to maximize the tax benefits of charitable giving. Contributions to DAFs increased by 80% from 2015 to 2019, according to the National Philanthropic Trust (NPT). Grantmaking from […]
Tax Court Shows Risks in Self-Directed IRAs & Unconventional Investments
A self-directed IRA is a good way to invest your retirement account in non-traditional investments. But a recent Tax Court decision shows the dangers of taking shortcuts and not setting up and operating the IRA the right way. In the case, the taxpayer had a SEP-IRA (Simplified Employee Pension Individual Retirement Arrangement). The custodian was […]
How to Get Tax Breaks for Helping Relatives [2021 Tax Write-Off Update]
It is common for family members to help other family members, financially. It is also common for these families to leave money on the table by not taking all the tax breaks they could from these situations. Often, adult children provide financial or other support for their parents, though other situations do arise. Sometimes, the […]
How Long Should You Keep Tax Returns?
You probably think you know how long to retain tax returns, because you’ve heard the standard answer. But the standard answer is wrong. You probably learned that you should keep a tax return for at least three years after filing it. The reason is for the three-year answer is that the IRS has up to […]
SUBSCRIBE TO RETIREMENT WATCH
What you don’t know about retirement can hurt you. In fact, just a few wrong decisions in your investments, taxes, or estate planning could completely derail your retirement plans. Worse yet, the rules of the game keep changing, making it harder to keep up. For these reasons, I’ve assembled all the key points – everything you need to know — into one comprehensive report. Click here today for free access.
When to Use an IRA To Fund Your HSA
Health savings accounts (HSAs) are the best retirement planning tool available, and there’s a little-known legal trick that can help fully fund an HSA. An HSA has three powerful tax benefits. Contributions to the account are tax deductible or excluded from gross income, when an employer makes them. The account can be invested, and income […]
How to Take Tax Write-Offs for Helping Relatives
It is very common for family members to help other family members. It also is common for these families to leave money on the table by not taking all the tax breaks they could from these situations.Often, adult children provide financial or other support for their parents, though other situations do arise. Sometimes, the help […]
15+ Tax Strategies That Will Survive the Coming Tax Increases
Tax increases are back on the national agenda. President Joe Biden, and many Democrats, campaigned on promises regarding specific income tax increases and more general promises to raise taxes. A number of tax increases have already been proposed in Congress and serious tax legislation is likely to emerge in late 2021 or early 2022. Fortunately, […]
Retirement Stealth Tax: How To Avoid the ‘Widow’s Penalty’ Part II
It’s one of the Stealth Taxes no one talks about, and it comes at an emotionally vulnerable time. I’m referring to the “widow’s penalty tax.” Last week we discussed the first three potential hits to the surviving spouse: Income is likely to decline. Second, the surviving spouse is pushed into a higher tax bracket. A […]
