Blog

RMD Precautions & Options

RMD Precautions & Options A reminder about mandatory withdrawals from IRAs & other retirement plans. Just what is an RMD? After you turn 70½, the IRS requires you to withdraw some of the money in most retirement savings accounts each year. These withdrawals are officially called Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).1  You must take an RMD from a traditional IRAs after you turn 70½, even if you are still working. If you don’t, a severe financial penalty awaits – you may [...]

By |2017-03-28T08:17:28-04:00October 3rd, 2013|Financial Fitness, Income Taxes, Investing, IRA, Personal Finance|Comments Off on RMD Precautions & Options

When Technology Interrupts Trading

When Technology Interrupts Trading Glitches, “flash crashes” & other disturbances are becoming too numerous.                  “Why is this happening?” Those words were undoubtedly spoken on Wall Street Thursday. Perhaps you uttered them, too. At 12:14pm EST, a glitch halted all trading on the NASDAQ for more than three hours. During that time, the New York Stock Exchange suspended trading in all NASDAQ securities and scratched orders; NASDAQ decided not to cancel any open [...]

By |2017-03-28T08:17:28-04:00September 26th, 2013|Business/Economic News, Investing|Comments Off on When Technology Interrupts Trading

Taxes and Charitable Giving

You don’t need to be wealthy to make an impact and get a win-win. Do you have to make a multimillion-dollar gift to a charity to receive immediate or future financial benefits? No. If you’re not yet a millionaire or simply a “millionaire next door,” yet want to give, consider the following options which may bring you immediate or future tax deductions. Partnership gifts. These gifts are made via long-term arrangements between donors and recipient charities or non-profits, usually with [...]

By |2017-03-28T08:17:28-04:00September 18th, 2013|Charitable Giving, Estate Planning, Personal Finance|Comments Off on Taxes and Charitable Giving

Implications of Rising Mortgage Rates

Implications of Rising Mortgage Rates Are they threatening the recovery? Or is their effect overstated? Between early May and mid-July, the average interest rate on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose about 1%. Rates on 30-year FRMs have basically held steady since hitting a peak of 4.51% in Freddie Mac’s July 11 Primary Mortgage Market Survey – in the August 15 edition, they averaged 4.40% – but they could rise dramatically again.1,2 When mortgages become a bit costlier, things can get [...]

By |2017-03-28T08:17:28-04:00September 5th, 2013|Business/Economic News, Personal Finance|Comments Off on Implications of Rising Mortgage Rates

How Much Health Care Reform Will We See By 2014?

How Much Health Care Reform Will We See By 2014? Can the federal government follow through on its ambitions? In 2014, we were supposed to see profound health care reform per the 2011 Affordable Care Act – but how much of that reform will roll out on time? The federal government has already conceded that it can’t enforce the employer mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act by 2014. On July 2, the Obama administration gave businesses with 50 or [...]

By |2017-03-28T08:17:28-04:00August 22nd, 2013|Business/Economic News, Congress, Health Insurance|Comments Off on How Much Health Care Reform Will We See By 2014?
Go to Top