Retirement & Financial Planning Report

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, lost 9% in 2000, its worst year since 1974, and many stocks suffered steeper …More

Mutual funds aren’t for everyone. Some investors are upset about being stuck with unexpected tax bills from their mutual funds …More

If you’re in the market for a primary residence or a vacation house, do some preliminary homework. Be reasonable in …More

Shop carefully for long-term care insurance because premiums can vary considerably. For example, a 65-year-old man can buy a policy …More

If you have (1) appreciated securities, (2) a need for greater cash flow and (3) charitable inclinations, consider a charitable …More

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs), like mutual funds, provide convenience, diversification and professional management. Most ETFs trade like stocks, on the American …More

Special needs trusts are increasingly popular. For the first time in history, many disabled children are likely to outlive their …More

Here’s another way to handle the sale of your home. You could sell your house to another party, perhaps a …More

It is widely expected that Congress will pass a tax cut that includes estate tax breaks, perhaps this year. Even …More

In the first quarter of 2001, stocks sagged but bonds bounced. The top category of mutual fund, according to Morningstar …More

A common estate planning strategy is to create an irrevocable trust to hold life insurance. Typically, the trustee will use …More

Taxpayers in the lowest (15%) federal tax bracket owe only 10% on long-term capital gains, after a holding period of …More

Compared with regular (“open-ended”) mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are extremely tax-efficient because they rarely make capital gains distributions to …More

When you buy a house you should make a down payment of at least 20%. If you make a smaller …More

If you want to diversify internationally, buy stocks directly, and avoid the hassles of trading foreign stocks, you can invest …More

Putting assets into a trust can shelter them from any incapacity that may befall you. Revocable trusts–that is, they can …More

Tens of thousands of federal employees have signed up for a comprehensive federal job search engine that allows you to …More

Under new IRS rules, the designated beneficiaries of your IRA will be determined on December 31 of the year following …More

In 2001, many mutual fund investors are learning an unpleasant lesson in tax law. You may owe tax on capital …More

When you plan your next vacation, be businesslike. With some advance planning, you can get the IRS to foot part …More

No matter what changes are made to estate tax law, charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) will remain viable. Such trusts are …More

Many life insurance policies have been sold as backup retirement plans. That is, you put money into permanent, or cash …More

If you create a trust that will be binding on your descendants, it’s important to build flexibility into the trust, …More

In 2001, people in the 62-64 age bracket will lose $1 of Social Security benefits for every $2 earned over …More

If you’re a condo owner you’re a homeowner so you need a homeowner’s insurance policy. However, you need to make …More

If you own investment property, chances are that a sale would trigger a large capital gain. Instead, exchange this property …More

If you own a work of art that has appreciated, you might want to donate the item to a charity. …More

Federal tax legislation is expected to pass in 2001. Among the expected changes, tax brackets may be lowered. If that’s …More

The IRS began the year by publishing new rules on IRA distributions. These rules make it a lot easier to …More

Suppose your portfolio consists of a brokerage account and an IRA. If you want an allocation to fixed-income, where should …More