Blog
Is Your Home Office Also a Tax Shelter?
March 25, 2021
The pandemic ushered in the age of video meetings, providing a glimpse into many kinds of home workspaces. For many workers, a dedicated home office became more important than ever in 2020, though not everyone will get a tax break for having one. A Perk for Business Owners Only self-employed workers, independent contractors, and partners…
Real Estate for Income and Diversification
March 25, 2021
An estimated 145 million Americans own real estate investment trusts (REITs) in their retirement accounts and other investment funds.1 The primary appeal of REITs is the potential for a consistent income stream and greater portfolio diversification. Of course, like all investments, REITs also have risks and downsides. Pooled Property Investments An equity REIT — the…
Should You Convert Your Term Life to Permanent Life Insurance?
March 25, 2021
Term life insurance provides life insurance coverage for a specific time period (the term). The face amount of the policy is paid if you die during the term of the policy. When you live longer than the term of coverage, nothing is paid, as there is no cash surrender value. Permanent life insurance provides protection…
Due Date Approaches for 2020 Federal Income Tax Returns
February 25, 2021
Tax filing season is here again. If you haven’t done so already, you’ll want to start pulling things together—that includes getting your hands on a copy of your 2019 tax return and gathering W-2s, 1099s, and deduction records. You’ll need these records whether you’re preparing your own return or paying someone else to prepare your…
Tax Filing Information for Coronavirus Distributions
February 25, 2021
In March 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The legislation included a provision that allowed qualified retirement plan participants and IRA account holders to take penalty-free early distributions totaling no more than $100,000 between January 1 and December 31, 2020. If you took advantage of this measure, here’s what…
A Financial Wellness Plan Can Help Pave the Road to Retirement
February 25, 2021
If we’ve learned any lesson over the past year, it’s that no matter how carefully we plan and prepare, we’ll likely encounter unexpected hurdles. While a global pandemic has certainly underscored the need to pay close attention to our physical wellness, it has also revealed the need to shore up our financial wellness. According to…
Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2021
January 26, 2021
Every year, the Internal Revenue Service announces cost-of-living adjustments that affect contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts. Here are a few of the key adjustments for 2021. Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax The annual gift tax exclusion (and annual generation-skipping transfer tax exclusion) for 2021 is…
Sequence Risk: Preparing to Retire in a Down Market
January 26, 2021
“You can’t time the market” is an old maxim, but you also might say, “You can’t always time retirement.” Market losses on the front end of retirement could have an outsize effect on the income you receive from your portfolio by reducing the assets available to pursue growth when the market recovers. The risk of…
Are Value Stocks Poised for a Comeback?
January 26, 2021
Growth stocks have dominated the market for the last decade, led by tech giants and other fast-growing companies. While it’s possible this trend may continue, some analysts think that value stocks may have strong appeal during the economic recovery.1 No one can predict the market, of course. And past results are never a guarantee of…
Estate Planning Strategies in a Low-Interest-Rate Environment
January 12, 2021
The federal government requires the use of certain interest rates (published by the IRS) to value various items used in estate planning, such as an income, annuity, or remainder interest in a trust. The government also has interest rates that a taxpayer may be deemed to use in connection with certain installment sales or intra-family…