Retirement & Financial Planning Report

A few years ago, a couple owned a piece of real property in Michigan, as “tenants by the entirety.” When …More

Depreciation deductions offer tax shelter to real estate investors. Suppose you buy a $400,000 rental home with a $320,000, 8 …More

Long-term (since 1925), stocks have gained around 11 percent per year. Over the past 10 years, the annual return has …More

Instead of selling an investment property and paying tax, see if you can exchange it for an expensive house or …More

Why settle for 2.1 percent, the average yield on a six-month bank certificate of deposit, when Legacy Bank in Hinton, …More

Buying a single-life immediate annuity can give you a substantial income stream but may not provide for anyone else. You …More

Many investors prefer mutual funds that are designed to track a particular index because index funds are diversified, cost-effective (no …More

Many mutual fund investors (and investors in general) send a good portion of their profits to the IRS as well …More

Real estate investors benefit from depreciation deductions, which represent a non-cash expense. Generally, commercial property must be depreciated over 39 …More

Hedge funds are known as “absolute return” vehicles because their managers aim for positive returns in all types of market …More

Increasingly, financial firms are offering variable-payout immediate annuities, tied to stock market performance. Instead of a steady income stream you’ll …More

If you have income from freelance work or a sideline business, you probably can set up a retirement account, funded …More

Investing on margin can be risky but there are some ways to reduce your exposure. Instead of using the maximum …More

If you use a mortgage to buy investment property, you can write off the interest. Suppose, for example, you buy …More

When you borrow money, can you deduct the interest? That depends on the circumstances. Interest deductibility for tax purposes is …More

With people living longer and, in many cases, retiring earlier, a retirement fund might have to last for many decades. …More

A margin account allows you to borrow from your broker rather than from your banker. Margin interest rates are generally …More

In early 2002, while technology funds continued to tumble, several sectors showed obvious signs of life. Precious metals funds attracted …More

Professional stock-pickers look for a healthy company and buy when they believe the price is right. For example, two companies …More

After you retire and the paychecks stop coming, you may need to tap your investment portfolio for spending money. Assuming …More

Investors face a dilemma these days. Savings yields are at historically low levels so there doesn’t seem to be much …More

For current income, tax shelter, and appreciation potential few investments can match direct ownership of rental property. However, you must …More

For a life-long stream of income, consider buying an immediate annuity. As the name suggests, with an immediate annuity you …More

If you’ve sold securities at a loss you can’t buy them back right away. Such a move would result in …More

In April 2002, the IRS issued final regulations on minimum required distributions (MRD) from IRAs and other tax-deferred retirement plans. …More

If you have a sideline business, you can claim greater first year writeoffs for purchases of computers, machinery and other …More

You can earn relatively high yields from real estate investment trusts (REITs) these days but you should be wary of …More

Get an estimate of your Social Security benefits. If you have yet to retire, call the Social Security Administration at …More

A variable annuity allows you to invest among several sub accounts, which may resemble mutual funds. Inside a variable annuity, …More

People who take required minimum distributions after age 70-1/2 generally take 3-4 percent from their IRA each year, at the …More