What might happen if they went away? The debate is gaining volume. In July, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said that very few taxpayers would be affected if the landmark tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 expired. “I do not believe it will affect growth,” he calmly...
A year? Seven years? It depends. You have probably heard that you should retain copies of your federal tax returns for 7 years. Is that true, or a myth? How long should you keep those quarterly and annual statements you get about your investment accounts? And...
Historically, these events tend to help equities. You may have heard that stocks tend to rally in fall and winter. That has often been the case. In fact, the S&P 500 and the Dow have gained repeatedly after the elections occurring in the third year of...
Resist the temptation. Fight the urge. Fight for your future. Recently, you may have heard about a spike in 401(k) withdrawals. The evidence is not merely anecdotal. Fidelity Investments recently issued its 2010 overview of the 401(k) accounts it administers and found that 22% of participants...
That’s part of the plan. How will you be affected? In 2013, wealthy Americans will pay extra Medicare taxes. Congress, President Obama and the IRS are putting a surcharge on the wealthy to help fund the health care reforms. Beginning in 2013, joint filers with adjusted gross...
Why are retirement plans often created assuming a 4% withdrawal rate? When financial professionals try to estimate just how much money a couple or individual should take out of their savings annually, their model scenarios often assume a 4% annual withdrawal rate. Why is 4% used...
Financial advisers are noticing a shift. A development few have noticed. The recession that started in 2007 quietly brought an economic shift to millions of American families - the woman of the house became the primary wage earner. In June 2010, Labor Department data showed that nearly...
What should you store in one easily accessible place? You might be surprised how many people have financial documents scattered all over the house – on the kitchen table, underneath old newspapers, in the hall closet, in the basement. If this describes your financial “filing system”,...
Much is Hazy About the Dodd-Frank Bill, Even Though it has Passed. Will the goals of the reform bill really be met? On July 15, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act passed 60-39 in the Senate. Next week, President Obama is expected to...