If you’re expecting a bonus check from your employer this year, you may be tempted to blow it all on the latest iPhone or a bigger TV. But before you decide to splurge, first take a look at your overall financial picture to make sure you’re taking the best advantage of that extra cash:
The vast majority of Americans, 78 percent, say they’re “extremely” or “somewhat” concerned about not having enough money for retirement, according to Northwestern Mutual’s 2018 Planning & Progress Study. And for good reason:
Even though tax filing season is well under way, there's still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2018. You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $5,500 for 2018 ($6,500 if you were age 50 or older on December 31, 2018).
Every year, the Internal Revenue Service announces cost-of-living adjustments that affect contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts. Here are a few of the key adjustments for 2019.
Employer retirement plans
There are a number of ways an individual can avoid the 10% early withdrawal penalty from their IRA or employer work plan. Some exceptions apply specifically to IRAs (i.e. higher education; first-time home buyer, etc.) and others pertain only to company plans (for example, the age-55 exception and qualified domestic relations orders, among others).
By definition, estate planning is a process designed to help you manage and preserve your assets while you are alive, and to conserve and control their distribution after your death according to your goals and objectives. But what estate planning means to you specifically depends on who you are.
IRAs have beneficiaries and "designated beneficiaries," and it is important to know the difference. If you wish your heirs to have the opportunity to take full advantage of "stretch" IRAs, and to avoid other possibly costly mistakes, be sure your heirs are designated beneficiaries. Here's the difference and why it matters.
Teachers are on the front lines of our children’s futures, so it’s unsettling to see evidence that their own future is increasingly at risk.
In schools across the country, there are countless teachers working through their lunch breaks trying to keep up with the demands of the day. But what many don’t know is that in the time it takes to eat lunch, they could conduct a retirement savings review with a financial professional.
The window of opportunity for many tax-saving moves closes on December 31, so it's important to evaluate your tax situation now, while there's still time to affect your bottom line for the 2018 tax year.
Timing is everything
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