Just when you think you’ve thought of everything…
The Feds set up 529 college savings plans for the express purpose of encouraging savings for college by making these accounts tax advantaged.
Nothing wrong with that. It’s the same principle that animates investing in IRA, 401k, and Health Savings Accounts. Not to mention it’s poor cousin, the Coverdell […]
Bet that got your attention…those are two words you hardly ever see linked together.
Much has been written about the stupendous wealth transfer underway as the aging baby boomers prepare to pass their assets to the next generation.
But there is a flip side to this sunny scenario.
What will become of those who become insolvent, whether from […]
The modern portfolio construct of asset allocation has been grievously wounded during the recent market mauling.
There was no shelter from the storm. Virtually all asset classes declined, leaving the experts befuddled.
But there is another tool available to investors that allows them to arbitrage their way through the thicket of the tax burden…and that is asset […]
Step one was making sure that your current designations on your workplace retirement savings accounts were in order.
Step two involves some more sophisticated estate planning…
…a task that takes on an entirely new dimension when you have heirs spanning one or two generations.
Start with the idea that there are two kinds of retirement accounts:
Those that […]
What’s the least favorite topic wealth management clients want to discuss?
Their eventual, inevitable demise.
Predictably…many put their head in the sand and ignore this eventuality.
Which explains the huge percentage of families who have not done the most rudimentary of wills and life insurance protection.
But even for these laggards, your employer’s H.R. department will prod you to […]
Keeping with Christine’s theme of retirement savings…
I’m sure most of you remember “What Color Is Your Parachute?” the career guide written by Richard Bolles years ago, now in its umpteenth edition.
Perhaps the best seller ever in its category.
The newest iteration is “What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement: Planning Now for the Life You Want”, […]
Well….that headline should bump up our subscriber base.
Sorry…it’s not as racy as it sounds.
This is the term of art for a life estate in the family home resale market in Italy. In France, they are known as “en viager” sales.
And all of these would be a variant on the reverse mortgage that we discussed in […]
How’s this for a bummer:
Death and Taxes….all in one package.
It’s proponents call it the estate tax. But call it what you will, it’s not as ubiquitous as it once was.
At the beginning of the decade, all estates over $1 million were subject to this very steep tax, but that limit has steadily risen […]
