Category Archives: Financial

Opportunities in the next two years for tax planning.

The ink on the tax bill is now DRY. And there is reprieve. But, what should you be doing over the next two years? Find out what the tax experts advise…

Future of Aging in America

  1. The biggest retirement gaff is not focusing on the planning needs, rather it is not planning comprehensively. Generally, planning is done in pieces. Financial planning, health planning (or more appropriately, health repair), legal planning and to some extent planning around housing issues. The problem generally is that there is no communication within these various professionals and therefore advice you get is not comprehensive advice. AARP article at least puts all the planning pieces together for you to consider. The next step for you should be reaching out to a planner that addresses all these issues under one roof, if you can find such a person. Some resources to help with planning for your future.
  2. Taxes on your mind? Educate yourself about these tax cutting opportunities for 2010. 
  3. Top 3 concerns in retirement: unable to do things I want to do; not being able to care for my own needs; unable to drive. This and much more on aging issues.
  4. Despite partisan rhetoric – Medicare health in good shape. 
  5. The Fiscal Times reports that some 70% of seniors 65+ will need long term care and some 20% will need the care of others for 5 or more years. Yet, we are simply not prepared as a nation to deal with the situation. The Class Act, being offered as an option, is no more than a ponzi scheme Madoff would have been proud of. The answer lies in taking responsibility to build a tri legged stool: savings, private insurance and public insurance-assistance.
  6. Women need to be better prepared to deal with Alzheimer’s disease related issues. Some 65% of total Alzheimer’s patients are women and majority caregivers (60%) are also women. Without proper advance planning women are truly at the highest risk of falling victims in many different ways.
  7. 500,000 adults in Washington could lose prescription drug benefits. This is just the tip of the icebergs on how the state is planning on dealing with the budget woes.

Traditional IRAs vs. Roth IRAs and 2010

 

I heard something about converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA and how it would be a better way to pass an IRA on to one’s children?

Traditional IRAs are taxable instruments of which when you pass to your children, you are passing the tax ramifications as well to them.  In other words, if you have a traditional IRA with $400,000, when you turn 70, you have to start taking out a minimum required distribution.  All that is considered taxable income.

The issue then becomes, what are my opportunities? We now have something called a Roth IRA, in 2010, there is an opportunity for people to roll their money from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.  The difference is that with a Roth IRA, the withdrawals are totally tax free.  Once you have transferred it out of a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, your children can inherit this without any tax consequences.