Retirement & Financial Planning Report

You can-t contribute to a Roth IRA if your annual income is over $120,000 (for married couples filing jointly, the …More

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 act included some changes that take effect in 2010. Some of those changes relate …More

Many observers feel that income tax rates are likely to be higher in 2011 than in 2010, especially for high-bracket …More

Rearranging your financial records can pay off. By getting organized, you can save yourself time, money, and aggravation in the …More

If you’re a collector, keep good records so you know your basis for each item. * Casualty-loss deductions. In case …More

Your year-end tax planning should include a tally of your unreimbursed medical expenses for 2009 so far. If they exceed …More

The year-end holiday season is a prime time for charitable contributions. Whenever you make donations, your best strategy generally is …More

If you’re a mutual fund investor, proceed carefully in December. That’s often when funds make distributions of dividends and capital …More

It’s time for year-end tax planning. Start by reviewing Schedule D of your 2008 federal income tax return. See if …More

Do you think all of the spending that the federal government has done in the past year or two will …More

The bull market in stocks that started in March 2009 has been one of the sharpest rallies in 70 years. …More

Emerging markets appeal to investment managers. In a recent survey of more than 200 managers, conducted by Russell Investments, here’s …More

Parents and grandparents may want to help children or grandchildren buy a first home. To do so, they can give …More

Young life insurance buyers might want to blend some annual renewable term with multi-year, level-premium term. With annual renewable term, …More

If you want to sell a mutual fund for a long-term gain, you may be better off selling before a …More

As of this writing, Congress may or may not pass a health care bill, which may or may not include …More

Here are the average total charges (tuition, fees, room, board) for higher education in the 2009-2010 academic year, according to …More

For Roth IRA withdrawals to be tax-free and penalty-free, different rules apply to different types of money in the account: …More

According to the Federal Reserve’s quarterly survey of senior loan officers at U.S. and foreign banks, credit remains especially tight …More

When you make your mortgage payments, you may run into problems with a lender that fails to post payments until …More

If you are planning on remarriage, a prenuptial agreement can protect your assets. Such a document can spell out who …More

Top-rated municipal bonds now yield from 2 percent (for five-year bonds) to 4 percent (15-year bonds). Those are tax-exempt yields …More

Although the federal estate tax exemption is now $3.5 million, smaller estates may not escape tax altogether. About half of …More

When Congress extended the tax credit for first-time homebuyers through April 2010, it also created a tax credit for existing …More

Congress has just extended the "first-time homebuyers" tax credit. That credit, previously scheduled to expire after November 30, 2009, now …More

The federal estate tax exemption has increased from $675,000 in 2001 to $3.5 million in 2009. Many observers believe it …More

High-income seniors pay more for Medicare Part B, which covers doctors’ bills and other non-hospital charges. Here’s the schedule for …More

Premiums for Medicare’s Part B are scheduled to rise in 2010. And yet they aren’t. Part B provides Medicare enrollees …More

Benefits aren’t the only number scheduled to remain constant in the Social Security system in 2010: * The maximum taxable …More

As anticipated, the Social Security Administration has announced there will be no increase in benefits in 2010. The reason: there …More