Retirement & Financial Planning Report

During the summer, this is a good time to take advantage of one of the best breaks in the tax …More

Most retirees start Social Security retirement benefits as early as possible–age 62. That makes sense, if you are no longer …More

If you are interested in owning rental property, this might be an excellent time to buy: * Home prices are …More

Many areas of the U.S. have suffered from flooding this year and more flood damage may occur in the near …More

If you’re paying to send a child to college, you may be able to claim either the American Opportunity or …More

If your children or grandchildren are teenagers or young adults, they probably have some earned income but perhaps not very …More

If you expect to receive a pension, you can consider it the equivalent of a substantial bond portfolio. Suppose, for …More

Japanese stocks have been long-term laggards. The Nikkei 225 Index peaked at nearly 39,000 in 1989, after having increased sixfold …More

If you think you have been a victim of identity theft, you can place a fraud alert on your credit …More

The Hope Scholarship tax credit for higher education has been replaced, at least through 2012, by the American Opportunity tax …More

When building up a college fund, don’t overlook Coverdell Education Savings Accounts. It’s true that contributions are limited to a …More

Joint ownership is the simplest and least expensive form of incapacity protection. Your elderly uncle who is becoming forgetful, for …More

Tax-savvy charitable giving changes with time: While you’re alive. Donate appreciated assets such as stocks and mutual fund shares. After …More

Revocable living trusts are increasingly popular. In most revocable trusts, you (the trust creator) are also the trustee and the …More

After a Roth IRA conversion, you have until October 15 of the following year to reverse all or part of …More

Many parents use 529 plans to save for college costs. Earnings are tax-free and so are withdrawals, if the money …More

The price of gold has risen so sharply in the past 10 years that you might want to hold some …More

If you are worried about inflation, add Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) to your portfolio. * TIPS are issued by the …More

When you retire, you might need to draw down your IRA. In that case, moving from a high-tax state to …More

Many taxpayers are subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT). If you owe the AMT, supposedly tax-exempt municipal bond income …More

Real estate investment trusts (REITs, rhymes with sweets) are similar to mutual funds. They can hold multiple properties. If REITs …More

After you retire, you probably will have to tap your investment portfolio for spending money. Which account should you take …More

Dividend-paying stocks may deserve a role in your portfolio. Among the reasons: * Current cash flow. Large-cap U.S. stocks now …More

When you lend or borrow money to or from friends or relatives, you can avoid tax trouble by setting a …More

You don’t have to live near a Top Ten river to worry about flooding. For example, New Jersey’s 80-mile-long Passaic …More

Some types of fixed annuities are losing ground while other types gain popularity. Sales of traditional deferred fixed annuities fell …More

The new tax law provides a $5 million exclusion from federal estate tax and exclusion portability between spouses. Therefore, married …More

Paying down debt can be an astute financial move. As you reduce your debt load, you’ll owe less interest and …More

IRA owners must take required minimum distributions (RMDs) after age 70-1/2. Typically, RMDs are taxable. You can take out more …More

You can contribute up to $5,000 to an IRA for 2010 until April 18 of this year. If you were …More