Answer: There’s no right time to begin collecting Social Security benefits, but the age at which you begin receiving benefits will affect how much retirement income you have, so you should weigh the consequences carefully. Keep in mind that if you collect Social Security before your full retirement age, your benefit will be permanently reduced.
Answer: Although most of us recognize the importance of sound retirement planning, few of us embrace the nitty-gritty work involved. With thousands of investment possibilities, complex rules governing retirement plans, and so on, most people don’t even know where to begin. Here are some suggestions to help you get started. First, set lifestyle goals for
Answer: Your first step is to take advantage of tax-favored retirement savings tools. If you have access to a 401(k) or other employer-sponsored plan at work, participate and take full advantage of the opportunity. Open an IRA account and contribute as much as you can. Ideally, you’d be able to invest in both an employer
Every year, the Internal Revenue Service announces cost-of-living adjustments that affect contribution limits for retirement plans, thresholds for deductions and credits, and standard deduction and personal exemption amounts. Here are a few of the key adjustments for 2017. Retirement plans Employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), and most 457 plans can defer up to $18,000
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that in 2017, most Medicare beneficiaries (about 70%) will pay $109 per month on average for Medicare Part B. This is up from the $104.90 monthly Part B premium that has been in effect since 2013. If you fall into this group, you face only
Yes. Anyone with earned income who is under age 70½ can open and contribute to a traditional IRA. The contribution limit is $5,500 for 2017 (unchanged from 2016), plus an additional “catch-up” contribution of $1,000 in 2016 and 2017 if you’re 50 or older. However, you may not be able to deduct your IRA contributions
Maybe. It depends on your particular circumstances. You must have earned income during the year (typically, wages or self-employment income). Beyond that, your eligibility for a Roth IRA will hinge on two primary considerations: your adjusted gross income for the year and your income tax filing status. In a given tax year, it’s possible you
Answer: Life insurance has several purposes. Its most important function is to replace the earnings that would cease at the death of the insured. For businesses, life insurance is a way to protect key employees and the business itself. A third purpose is to use life insurance to pay potential estate taxes. If you die
In 2016, the first wave of baby boomers turned 70½, and many more reach that milestone in 2017 and 2018. What’s so special about 70½? That’s the age when you must begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from tax-deferred retirement accounts, including traditional IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SEP IRAs, SARSEPs, and 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b) plans.
Why consider a rollover? When you roll over a distribution from a 401(k), 403(b), or governmental 457(b) plan, you generally don’t pay any taxes until you receive a distribution from the new plan or IRA. If you take a distribution but don’t roll it over, it will be subject to federal (and possibly state) income
