Roth 401(k) Plans Have New Appeal for Employers

The traditional 401(k) plan is the most popular qualified retirement plan in the United States. As of March 31, 2024, Americans held $7.8 trillion dollars in 401(k) plans (out of a total $11.1 trillion invested in qualified retirement plans), according to the Investment Company Institute. In fact, your organization probably offers a 401(k) plan to […]

Do You Qualify for the 0% Tax Rate for Capital Gains and Dividends?

Many people currently qualify for a 0% federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gains (LTCGs) and qualified dividends earned in their taxable accounts. Investment assets that may qualify include marketable securities and real estate held outside of tax-favored retirement accounts. Here’s how you might be able to take advantage of this favorable rate […]

Take Note of the Distinctive Features of a Roth IRA

For certain individuals, Roth IRAs can offer income and estate tax benefits that are preferable to those offered by traditional IRAs. However, it’s important to take note of just what the distinctive features of a Roth IRA are before making the choice. Traditional vs. Roth The biggest difference between traditional and Roth IRAs is how […]

Update on New Retirement Account Catch-Up Contribution Rules

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act brought numerous changes to the retirement and estate planning landscape in late 2019. Congress followed up with the SECURE 2.0 Act in late 2022. This law introduced some additional taxpayer-friendly changes, including an increase in the limits for retirement account catch-up contributions for individuals who […]

SEPs vs. SIMPLE IRAs: Smart Retirement Plan Options for the Newly Self-Employed

Are you new to self-employment? Working for yourself doesn’t mean you must forego tax-advantaged retirement savings. In addition to contributing to a traditional IRA, there are two basic retirement plan options that may make sense for self-employed individuals: Simplified Employee Pensions (SEPs) and SIMPLE IRAs. Here are the pros and cons of these plans. Important: For […]

Are You Missing the Roth IRA Boat?

Many self-employed individuals are eligible to make annual contributions to Roth IRAs, despite having healthy earnings from their businesses. But some haven’t yet taken advantage of this retirement saving strategy. Making annual Roth contributions can have a big upside by allowing you to accumulate a federal-income-tax-free nest egg for retirement. Roth IRA Basics Contributions to […]

Plan for a Comfortable Retirement

We plan for retirement because we know that we may not want to work forever. An artificial retirement age set by our employer may limit our options. Health issues may also dictate when we decide to retire. With your input, we can help devise a plan that puts you on the road to financial security. […]

How an HSA Can Boost Your Retirement Savings

To have a health savings account (HSA), you generally must be covered by a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) at work. HDHPs have become popular in recent years as employers have struggled to keep health benefit costs down. If you’re not covered by one now, you might be soon, as more employers consider the advantages. Also, […]

New Tax Law Improves QCD Benefits

Seniors who must take withdrawals from their IRAs may be able to benefit from a special tax provision for qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). Briefly stated, this provision allows people in their 70s and older to transfer funds directly from an IRA to a charity without any adverse tax consequences. The new SECURE 2.0 law enhances […]

Reap Tax Rewards from Securities Harvest This Fall

With autumn coming up, it’s time to think about “harvesting” capital gains or losses from sales of securities. In addition, unfavorable tax law changes proposed in President Biden’s American Families Plan (AFP) may create an added sense of urgency for some taxpayers. (See “Proposed Tax Law Changes” at bottom.) The Basics When you sell securities […]