For Mark Roberts' Use: The point of your retirement account, whether you have an IRA or an employer-sponsored plan, is to help you save for your retirement years. Most of these plans offer important tax-deferred benefits, so that you don't pay income taxes on the money until you begin taking withdrawals after age 59 ½. This [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: As you're planning for retirement, you will be presented with many different options to provide you with a stream of income in your later years. An annuity is one such option, but these financial vehicles are still somewhat misunderstood among investors. Technically, they are insurance-based products, but an annuity serves to [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: After working hard and saving for retirement all of your life, you will most likely begin to take distributions from your retirement account once you retire from your career. But in some cases, you might prefer to leave your money in the account and allow it to grow, or you might even [...]
You've spent your life building your business, and you want to leave it to your successors when you retire in good health. But since a sudden death, serious illness, or even divorce could spell disaster for your business, it's always better to draft a back-up plan before you ever have need for one. Otherwise, it [...]
It's probably no surprise to you that the structure of the average American family has changed drastically in the past forty years. In 1970, 40 percent of American households consisted of married parents living with children under 18 years old. But by 2012, that description only fit 20 percent of households. Today, there is no [...]
Toward the end of August, we experienced a shocking slump on Wall Street. For those planning for retirement, or beginning to think about investing in a retirement fund, this news might have been discouraging. After all, you've pinned your future on the health of your investment portfolio. For Mark Roberts' Use: On the other hand, [...]
You're looking forward to your retirement, but you may also feel a bit anxious. You might wonder what you will do all day once your career has ended, or whether you will even enjoy retirement. As you continue to prepare for retirement in a financial sense, take the time to mentally prepare yourself by learning [...]
As we all know, Wall Street conditions can be unpredictable. Even in times of relative stability, we all know it won't last forever. It is always best to look ahead to the future and prepare for every situation, particularly when it comes to your retirement fund. Review your asset allocations. Each investor has their own [...]
Donating to charity can be one of the best decisions you ever make, from both a personal and financial perspective. But when you claim your charitable contributions on your income tax return, it’s easy to make mistakes. Since these oversights can trigger an audit, or even cause you to be penalized for unpaid taxes, make [...]
Hopefully, you aren’t too surprised by your tax bill each spring. If you have been unpleasantly shocked in the past, you may be looking for ways to reduce your tax burden in the future. But before you act, keep in mind that things may not work out the way you had hoped. Talk to a [...]