Retirement & Financial Planning Report

A capital improvement to your home may be partially tax-deductible, if it is made to alleviate a specific health condition. …More

Don’t create a trust when it’s not necessary. Trusts can help avoid probate and smooth the transition in case you …More

Can you deduct the costs of getting an MBA degree? Perhaps, even though the tax code says that education outlays …More

When you buy life insurance, there are some traps you must avoid. For example, the insured individual should not name …More

http://apps.opm.gov/conference/index.cfm FEDweek’s Retirement Planning Training Education Partner, Personal Benefit Services–will be a special exhibitor at booth #107. With the advent …More

Federal law now requires each of the major consumer reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian) to provide you with a …More

Beating the stock market is easier said than done. For the 78-year period, 1927 through 2004, the S&P 500 Index …More

Morningstar has just named Chris Davis and Ken Feinberg as “domestic stock fund managers of the year” for 2005. Together …More

You’ll probably spend some time in the next couple of months thinking about taxes. You need to be careful, though. …More

As the time nears to file 2005 tax returns, some taxpayers go into a meeting with their tax preparer with …More

If you have a tax-deferred retirement account (such as an IRA) as well as investments in a taxable portfolio, which …More

In 2005, foreign stocks handily outpaced U.S. stocks. Here are the total returns of various asset classes, according to Dimensional …More

On your 2005 tax return, you can deduct either (1) the state and local sales tax you paid last year …More

As you prepare your 2005 tax return, gather the results of securities transactions from last year. Keep in mind: Net …More

If you decide to invest in collectibles, keep these points in mind: Focus on what you enjoy and do some …More

If you are the beneficiary of an IRA, be careful. The re-titling of an inherited IRA is a critical process …More

Home buyers can seek financing from either of two sources: Mortgage brokers. These firms will go to many different potential …More

If children under age 14 have more than $1,700 in unearned income in 2006, the excess will be taxed at …More

A savvy estate planning move may be to put your home (or a second home) into a qualified personal residence …More

Instead of giving away assets you might need some day, you can make loans to your children. This tactic allows …More

If you’re planning to move in retirement, take lifestyle changes as well as lower costs into consideration. Someone who has …More

A full-service retirement community may be ideal for your olden years. Ideally, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded contemporaries, free to …More

In 2005, assets held in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) rose nearly 30 percent, to almost $300 billion. More than 50 new …More

In many estate plans, the first spouse to die (usually the husband) leaves his assets to the surviving spouse (usually …More

When you’re shopping for a home, a real estate agent who represents the seller may not have your best interests …More

If you invest in real estate that’s rented to low-income tenants, you can qualify for tax credits. Tax credits reduce …More

The “kiddie tax” rules will be a bit more lenient in 2006. Children under age 14 can have as much …More

Where can investors expect to make money in the bond market during 2006? Mortgage-backed securities, such as GNMA (“Ginnie Mae”) …More

Within the U.S. stock market, small-companies and value stocks have led the way for several years but a change of …More

All five Thrift Savings Plan funds yielded positive returns in 2005, with the international stock (I) fund leading the way …More