Market news, retirement advice & planning tips.
Traditional IRAs and most employer-sponsored retirement plans are tax-deferred accounts, which means they are typically funded with pre-tax or tax-deductible dollars. As a result, taxes are not payable until funds…
KenFebruary 12, 2014
Withdrawing funds from a tax-deferred retirement account before age 59½ generally triggers a 10% federal income tax penalty; all distributions are subject to ordinary income tax. However, there are certain…
KenFebruary 12, 2014

“Tax deferral” is a method of postponing the payment of income tax on currently earned investment income until the investor withdraws funds from the account. Tax deferral is encouraged by…
KenFebruary 12, 2014

For many people, tax-advantaged investing is an excellent way to reduce their taxes. And while many of the traditional tax-advantaged strategies have been eliminated, there are still alternatives left that…
KenFebruary 12, 2014

Tax reform measures are enacted frequently by Congress, which makes it hard for U.S. taxpayers to know which deductions are currently available to help lower their tax liability. In fact,…
KenFebruary 12, 2014

A strong savings program is essential for any sound financial strategy. We take Benjamin Franklin’s saying to heart, “A penny saved is a penny earned,” and we save our spare…
KenFebruary 12, 2014

If you receive a distribution from a qualified retirement plan such as a 401(k), you need to consider whether to pay taxes now or to roll over the account to…
KenFebruary 12, 2014

The simple answer to this question is “yes.” There are two main types: (1) municipal bonds and municipal bond mutual funds and (2) tax-free money market funds. Municipal bonds are…
KenFebruary 12, 2014
Provisions in the tax code allow you to pay lower capital gains taxes on the sale of assets held more than one year. The long-term capital gains tax rate is…
KenFebruary 12, 2014

We’ve all heard about the importance of having life insurance, but is it really necessary? Usually, the answer is “yes,” but it depends on your specific situation. If you have…
KenFebruary 12, 2014