A taxable account can be an important component of your overall saving strategy. The tax savings can be very useful in the long run.
capital gains
Avoid the Overweight Retirement Plan
While it’s generally a good idea to defer as much income as possible into your available IRAs, 401(k)s and Roth accounts, as with everything else in life, too much of a good thing can be a problem as well. When you have the bulk of your financial assets in retirement plans, you might accidentally expose yourself to some risks that you haven’t thought about… since retirement plan assets are much more likely to be impacted by changes to legislation – as we have seen in the past. In these days when Congress is looking for money just about everywhere, it’s not a stretch to imagine new legislation coming down the pike to tax retirement plan assets (like the excess plan accumulation tax that has been proposed). Other possibilities include accelerating required minimum distributions to achieve a faster payout taxation of the plan and eliminating the “stretch” provisions (this has already […]
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Beyond 401(k) and IRA
You’re contributing as much as you’re allowed to a 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. If your income allows it, you’re also contributing the maximum annual amount to your Roth or traditional IRA. But you still want to set aside more money beyond 401(k) and IRA, to make sure your retirement is everything you hoped for. What options do you have? Here are some things to consider… Before moving beyond – are you really maxing our your 401(k) and IRA? IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s have some real advantages when it comes to saving for your retirement. So, before you go any further, make sure you’re really contributing all you can. In 2020, most individuals can contribute up to $19,500 to a 401(k) plan, and up to $6,000 to a traditional or Roth IRA (subject to income limitations). If you’re age 50 or better, though, you can make […]
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Index Mutual Fund or ETF?
Over the last few years exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have greatly increased in popularity. As of 2016, there was approximately $2.9 trillion held in ETFs globally. Because of their growing popularity with financial advisers and individual investors alike, understanding the nuances of ETFs is critical in order for advisers to be better equipped to meet the ever-changing needs of their customers. ETFs are comprised of a portfolio securities designed to replicate a particular index. Common examples of indices that ETFs replicate are the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index, and Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index. Like many stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, ETFs can also be tracked daily in many financial publications and online. Due to the lack of trading in the portfolio there are very little capital gains distributions in which investors must pay taxes. Because of this low […]
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A Few Upcoming Tax Changes to Keep in Mind
As 2013 draws ever nearer, we need to keep a few potential tax changes in mind. These items are subject to change – they’ve changed in the past at the last minute, so there’s no reason to believe they won’t change again – but if they don’t we should be planning ahead. Flex-Spending Health Accounts If your employer provides you with a Flex-Spending Account for healthcare expenses, there will be some changes coming up in 2013. This is the kind of account where you set aside a sum of money each payday, pre-tax, that can be used throughout the year on deductibles, non-covered medical expenses, and co-pays. Beginning in 2013, these plans will be limited to a total of $2,500 per year in salary deferral. This comes about as a part of the Obama-care legislation. Currently there is no cap on contributions to these plans, although some employers place a […]
Sterling Raskie, MSFS, CFP®, ChFC®
The latest in our Owner’s Manual series, A 401(k) Owner’s Manual, was published in January 2020 and is available on 
A Medicare Owner’s Manual, is updated with 2020 facts and figures. This manual is available on 
Social Security for the Suddenly Single can be found on Amazon at 
Sterling’s first book, Lose Weight Save Money, can be 
An IRA Owner’s Manual, 2nd Edition is available for purchase on Amazon. Click the link to choose the 
Jim’s book – A Social Security Owner’s Manual, is now available on Amazon. Click this link for the 
And if you’ve come here to learn about queuing waterfowl, I apologize for the confusion. You may want to discuss your question with Lester, my loyal watchduck and self-proclaimed “advisor’s advisor”.