Required Minimum Distribution to be taken by year end
Taxpayers born before July 1, 1948, generally must receive Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) payments from their Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) and workplace retirement plans (including Section 401(k) , 403(b) , and 457(b) plans) by Dec. 31, 2018. A special rule allows those who reached age 70 1/2 during 2018 to wait until as late as […]
Year-end tax and financial to-do list for individuals
With the dawn of 2019 on the near horizon, here’s a quick list of tax and financial to-dos you should address before 2018 ends: Check your FSA balance. If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for health care expenses, you need to incur qualifying expenses by December 31 to use up these funds or […]
Charitable IRA rollovers may be especially beneficial in 2018
If you’re age 70½ or older, you can make direct contributions — up to $100,000 annually — from your IRA to qualified charitable organizations without owing any income tax on the distributions. This break may be especially beneficial now because of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) changes that affect who can benefit from the […]
State and local taxes could impact where you retire
The beach? The mountains? The country? Where is your retirement dream home? Many Americans relocate to another state when they retire. If you’re thinking about such a move, state and local taxes should factor into your decision. Income, property and sales tax Choosing a state that has no personal income tax may appear to be […]
Year-end planning tips to help lower your tax bill
As the end of the year approaches, it is a good time to think of planning moves that will help lower your tax bill for this year and possibly the next. We have compiled a checklist of actions based on current tax rules that may help you save tax dollars if you act before year-end. […]
Financial hardship? Your retirement plan is an option
Employers often offer their employees a retirement plan as a part of their benefits package. Since these funds are to be invested for use upon retirement, they are largely untouchable until later in life. However, sometimes real life gets in the way of a well-laid plan. The IRS does make provisions for early distributions from […]
It’s now easier to look to IRA for college expenses
Imagine buying a new car every year for four – or five or six – years. At a cost of nearly $25,000 per year, that’s exactly what it’s like paying for a child’s college education. According to Collegedata.com, the College Board reports that a moderate college budget for an in-state public college during the 2016-17 […]
Retirement planning: Name those contingents
Making a contingency plan in the event of unforeseen circumstances is a good business practice. The same is true when planning for retirement. All retirement accounts require the owner to name a beneficiary – the person who will assume the assets of the account upon the death of the owner. But what happens if the […]
Defer your income by delaying distributions from IRAs
Sometimes it’s OK to delay the inevitable. Generally, once you reach age 70½ or if you inherit someone else’s IRA or qualified retirement plan account, there are strict rules that require you to begin taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from the account. However, there are various ways to delay or defer the RMDs, thereby allowing […]
Charitable giving from IRA now easier
Giving to charity just became a little easier for those over the age 70. The PATH Act of 2015 made permanent the popular Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), which allows those who are at least 70 ½ at the time of the transaction to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution of up to $100,000 directly from an […]