Posts Tagged ‘tax planning’
Estate Planning: An Introduction
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. Your age, health, wealth, lifestyle, life…
Read MoreTax Planning for the Self-Employed
Self-employment is the opportunity to be your own boss, to come and go as you please, and oh yes, to establish a lifelong bond with your accountant. If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to pay your own FICA taxes and take charge of your own retirement plan, among other things. Here are some planning tips. Understand…
Read MoreFinal Chance to Undo a 2017 Roth IRA Conversion
If you converted a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in 2017 and your Roth IRA has sustained losses, you may want to consider whether it makes sense to undo (recharacterize) your conversion. You have until October 15, 2018, to undo your 2017 conversion.* A recharacterization can help you avoid paying income tax on IRA…
Read MoreSocial Security Retirement Benefits
Social Security was originally intended to provide older Americans with continuing income after retirement. Today, though the scope of Social Security has been widened to include survivor, disability, and other benefits, retirement benefits are still the cornerstone of the program. How do you qualify for retirement benefits? When you work and pay Social Security taxes…
Read MoreCFA Recognized as One of Baltimore’s Top Financial Advisors
We are proud to be recognized by Expertise as one of Baltimore’s Top Financial Advisors! That’s no secret to our clients who have trusted in our fiduciary based services for 20 years. As we celebrate 20 years in business, we are extremely grateful for the trust our clients have placed in us over the years. …
Read More2018 Retirement Plan Contribution Limit Increases
The beginning of the New Year brings increases to the contribution limits for 401k, 403b, and 457 plans. You can now contribute up to $18,500. This is an increase of $500 from 2017. Additionally, if you are over the age of 50, the catch up contribution of $6,000 per year is still allowable which means…
Read MoreHow do I split an IRA in divorce?
When an IRA needs to be split in a divorce it’s best to use a trustee-to-trustee transfer between the spouses IRA and former-spouses IRA. IRAs are split in accordance with the divorce decree so make sure the decree specifies the dollar amount or specific securities in the IRA that should be transferred. Review the process…
Read MoreWhen Must RMDs Be Taken?
Your first required distribution from an IRA or retirement plan is for the year you reach age 70½. However, you have some flexibility as to when you actually have to take this first-year distribution. You can take it during the year you reach age 70½, or you can delay it until April 1 of the…
Read MoreRules of an Inherited Traditional IRA
When inheriting a traditional IRA in a non-spousal relationship, you have different options based on the age of the original account holder of the traditional IRA. If the account holder was under 70 1/2 you have three options: Life Expectancy Method: annual distributions over your life expectancy based on your age in the calendar year following…
Read MoreRetirement Planning (It is never too Early)
Retirement is one of the biggest experiences that you will have in your lifetime. The planning takes many years of hard work and persistence. The headaches and uncertainty can be reduced with homework, investment plan, and a long term commitment. Retirement planning is a continuous process that even goes on in retirement. To get…
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