Retirement Watch

Independent, objective research on all the financial issues affecting retirement and retirement planning—including investments, estate planning, taxes, IRAs, annuities, insurance, medical expenses, and more.

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Planning Tips for Family Businesses

Business owners have unique concerns in addition to the usual estate and retirement planning issues. Business owners fear their heirs might sell or dismantle the business or the wrong people might run it. Those results can be avoided, but the owner must...

Published 08-28-2008 1:44 PM by Bob Carlson

Filed under: Estate Planning, estates, Estate tax, Carlson, Bob Carlson, income taxes, estate taxes, real estate, retirement plan, retirement, retirement plans, business sales, selling a business, small business
Five Myths of Business Succession

Few small firms survive past the first generation of owners. That is well-known. Most people assume the business failures are due to the inadequacies and mistakes of the owners and managers after the first generation. Yet, at least an equal share of blame...

Published 08-21-2008 8:48 AM by Bob Carlson

Filed under: Estate Planning, estates, Estate tax, tax-free gifts, gifts, Carlson, Bob Carlson, wills, income taxes, estate taxes, retirement plan, retirement, retirement plans, business sales, selling a business, small business
Little-Known IRA Tax Saver

Many people own shares of employer stock through 401(k) or other retirement plans. Few of these workers, or many of their financial advisers, know the tax break that is available slash the tax burden from selling those shares. With a little planning and...

Published 08-14-2008 7:22 PM by Bob Carlson

Filed under: Bob Carson, Estate Planning, IRA Benefits, estates, Carlson, Bob Carlson, iras, ira distributions, retirement plan, retirement, retirement plans, employer stock, nua, stock
Reducing the Mortgage on Your IRA

Most people are busy accumulating large balances in their IRAs and 401(k)s and managing the accounts. They forget that the IRS holds a mortgage on those accounts. You put mostly pre-tax dollars in the accounts and let income and gains compound tax deferred...

Published 08-07-2008 10:45 AM by Bob Carlson

Filed under: Bob Carson, Estate Planning, IRA Benefits, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, estates, Estate tax, Carlson, Bob Carlson, income taxes, iras, ira distributions, estate taxes, retirement plan, retirement, retirement plans, annuities
Overlooked Estate Planning Moves

Most estate planning discussions involve big picture issues, such as taxes, trusts, gifts, and how to handle a business. Too often, however, the success or failure of a plan depends on small details that can seem unimportant. Shortchanging the time and...

Published 08-01-2008 7:58 AM by Bob Carlson
Simple Steps to Shield Assets

Lawsuits, accidents, and other unexpected events can put personal assets at risk of loss. Protecting assets from these and other potential losses is a prime goal of many people. While expensive asset protection packages are available from various finance...

Published 07-25-2008 9:26 AM by Bob Carlson

Filed under: Estate Planning, IRA Benefits, estates, Carlson, Bob Carlson, iras, trusts, real estate, mortgages, retirement plans, insurance, lawsuits, annuities, creditor protection, asset protection
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Your Retirement

Even if you do not own a share of their stock or even have a mortgage, the recent events involving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will affect your retirement—no matter what your age is. I won’t review all the events regarding the two mortgage...

Published 07-16-2008 9:03 AM by Bob Carlson

Filed under: Carlson, Bob Carlson, mortgages, retirement plan, retirement, medical expenses, fannie mae, financial crisis, freddie mac, retiree health care, health care
Time to Help the Grandkids Buy a Home

Home prices are down, and inventories of unsold homes are high in many areas. These are buyer’s markets. That makes this an ideal time to buy a home, or to help a grandchild buy that first home or move up to a larger home. Despite the decline in...

Published 07-11-2008 1:11 PM by Bob Carlson

Filed under: Estate Planning, gifts, homes, estate taxes, grandkids, real estate, annual exclusion, grandchildren
How to Make Family Wealth Last

In the financial and estate planning industry a current rage is The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall, a book that recently was made into a movie. The novel is about a very wealthy man who realized that his wealth could not buy what really matters. Throughout...

Published 07-03-2008 9:09 AM by Bob Carlson
Estate Planning for IRAs

Unique estate planning strategies are required for Individual Retirement Arrangements. Many people focus on how to build their IRA balances and then how much to withdraw from them. The treatment of IRAs in estate planning often is overlooked, and that...

Published 06-27-2008 10:25 AM by Bob Carlson

Filed under: Estate Planning, wills, income taxes, iras, trusts, ira distributions
Planning for Shifts in the Estate Tax Law

Big changes are due in the estate tax law. Some are written into current law. Others are likely to occur because control of Congress changed after the 2006 election and we will have a new President in 2009. No one can be sure what all the changes will...

Published 06-20-2008 11:14 AM by Bob Carlson
Wise Ways to Plan Gifts

The estate tax is scheduled to be eliminated in 2010 and be restored to its 2001 version in 2011. It is probable, however, that the estate tax will be changed after the 2008 elections. The most likely scenario is that a lifetime exemption in the $3 million...

Published 06-19-2008 8:29 AM by Bob Carlson

Filed under: Estate Planning, estates, Estate tax, tax-free gifts, taxable gifts, gifts, Carlson
Planning for New IRA Benefits in 2010

Retirement account owners, especially upper income owners, will receive significant new tax benefits in 2010. These benefits can be maximized if a plan of action is established now and implemented over the next few years. Two tax benefits begin in 2010...

Published 06-06-2008 2:02 PM by Bob Carlson

Filed under: IRA Benefits, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Bob Carlson
Nuts & Bolts of Estate Planning

Most discussions of estate planning, including many in my newsletter, focus on discrete topics and strategies. Once in a while, it is good idea to step back and look at the broader picture or the view from 30,000 feet. There are general concepts and strategies...

Published 05-30-2008 10:12 AM by Bob Carlson

Filed under: Bob Carson, Estate Planning

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Planning Tips for Family Businesses

Five Myths of Business Succession

Little-Known IRA Tax Saver

Reducing the Mortgage on Your IRA

Overlooked Estate Planning Moves

Simple Steps to Shield Assets

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Your Retirement

Time to Help the Grandkids Buy a Home

How to Make Family Wealth Last

Estate Planning for IRAs

Planning for Shifts in the Estate Tax Law

Wise Ways to Plan Gifts

Planning for New IRA Benefits in 2010

Nuts & Bolts of Estate Planning