Nearly three quarters of workers and 77% of retirees in a recent survey said they remain at least somewhat confident that they will experience a comfortable retirement, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Nevertheless, a third of workers and a quarter of retirees felt less confident this year due to the economic effects of
$147,000 – Limit on wages subject to Social Security payroll taxes in 2022 (increased annually for inflation). Proposals to address the Social Security funding shortfall include eliminating the wage cap or maintaining the cap and then reinstating the tax at higher income levels. Proposals differ as to whether benefits would be increased commensurate with higher
$12,060,000 – Lifetime limit that can be excluded from gift and estate taxes in 2022. The exclusion amount is adjusted annually for inflation but is scheduled to revert to its pre-2018 level ($5 million adjusted for inflation) after 2025. “Portability” enables a surviving spouse to use the deceased spouse’s unused exclusion amount if the appropriate
The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to a surge in demand for vacation/second homes — mainly spurred by government shutdowns and stay-at-home advisories. Whether working remotely, attending school online, or meeting up with friends and family virtually, people found themselves spending more time than ever at home.1 If you are thinking about
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019 changed the rules for taking distributions from retirement accounts inherited after 2019. The so-called 10-year rule generally requires inherited accounts to be emptied within 10 years of the original owner’s death, with some exceptions. Where an exception applies, the entire account must generally
On April 6, the U.S. Department of Education announced a record sixth extension for federal student loan repayment, interest, and collections, through August 31, 2022.1 The fifth payment pause was set to end on April 30, 2022. The six extensions have postponed federal student loan payments for almost two and a half years — since
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which passed more than 30 years ago, made it illegal to deny job opportunities to people based on their disabilities, mandated “reasonable accommodations” to make buildings accessible, and required most private businesses to offer equal service to disabled customers. About 61 million people in the United States (one in
Probate is the process of proving the validity of a will and supervising the administration of an estate usually in the probate court. State law governs the proceedings in the probate court, so the process can vary from state to state. Supervising the administration of an estate can result in additional expense, unwanted publicity, and
Green bonds are debt instruments that corporations and governments can use exclusively to finance major climate-related or eco-friendly initiatives. Global issuance of green bonds reached a record $523 billion in 2021, and is expected to exceed $775 billion in 2022.1 The growth in green bonds is closely tied to a broader investment trend that gained
After dropping the benchmark federal funds rate to a rock-bottom range of 0%–0.25% early in the pandemic, the Federal Open Market Committee has begun raising the rate toward more typical historical levels in response to high inflation. At its March 2022 meeting, the Committee raised the funds rate to 0.25%–0.50% and projected the equivalent of
