Tax Planning

UPDATE: What the New Budget Means for Your Social Security and Medicare Benefits

Retirement planning for millions of Americans just changed dramatically. Last night, President Obama signed into law the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which has a significant impact on both Medicare Part B participants and those trying to employ savvy planning tactics to get the most of their Social Security benefits. Here’s what you absolutely need to know.

“Obvious” Social Security Decision May Not Be Best One

Social Security is a necessary component of many current and pre-retirees' revenue streams. However, the personal decisions one must make about when to claim the benefit come with tricky formulas and not-so-obvious choices. This example details how the "clear" choice may not always be the right one.

Special Needs Trusts vs. ABLE Accounts – Which is Better?

ABLE (Achieve a Better Living Experience) accounts are a brand new type of tax-favored savings account created to benefit young disabled persons. One of the questions that has been asked with increasing frequency is, “Should I use a special needs trust or an ABLE account to safeguard my money [for my special needs beneficiary]?” We outline 5 key areas to consider, along with a brief description of whether an ABLE account or special needs trust gets the edge in that area.

How You Can Utilize an HSA Now to Save For Retirement

You may be familiar with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). You probably know that these tax-advantaged accounts can be used to pay for medical expenses. However, you may not be aware that these accounts can be valuable retirement savings tools.

Fox Business Channel: Why Your Retirement Is At Risk

Your retirement is at risk - but it's not necessarily because of the reasons you might think. Ed Slott sat down with Fox Business Channel's Mornings with Maria to discuss why taxes are your retirement's public enemy No. 1. Some financial advisors don't know the ever-changing tax rules, others make IRA rollover mistakes that can wipe out a client's life savings and even others don't know how to deal with inherited IRAs and the pitfalls that can befall beneficiaries.

A Retirement Planning Provision Hidden in a Trade Bill

What does a trade bill have to do with retirement accounts? Well, buried deep inside one of the bills was a provision expanding the “Age 50 Exception” to the 10% early distribution penalty, beginning in 2016. Here's what you need to know.

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