Given the size of our growing national debt it’s no wonder so many people believe taxes will be higher in the future. We have an ageing population and there are a number of factors at work: There’s the annual deficit plus money needed to fund Medicare and Social Security, just to mention a few.
Making your retirement nest-egg last through retirement isn’t easy. Company pension plans have all but disappeared, which means it’s now up to you to be your own actuary. Unfortunately, it’s not something many are equipped to do.
Tax planning through retirement is important; and failing to do it through all four stages of retirement can prove costly because some of the tax traps are permanent. Here’s an example:
Social Security claiming decisions aren’t as simple as they may appear. The decisions you make for yourself can impact your spouse, your future taxes, and even the bite Medicare premiums take from your Social Security benefits.
The SECURE Act includes roughly 100 new rules for retirement affecting both individuals and businesses – all with tax implications and various effective dates. These are the most expansive changes to retirement rules in 40 years.
Many people believe they should take Social Security early in order to keep from drawing down IRA assets, believing that the longer they can grow the IRA tax-deferred, the better off they’ll be.
Are they wrong? Maybe. Maybe not. Different people are in different circumstances.
There have been some changes to Social Security this year.
At retirement, some people receive a check from their employer for their 401(k) balance and write a check for deposit into their IRA before the 60-day deadline, just like they were told, to avoid any problems with the IRS. They’ve met the deadline. The money is now in their IRA. They’re clear and the rollover is complete…. or is it?
Here’s what people get wrong when making rollover decisions.
Too many seniors still take the Social Security claiming decision too lightly – it’s a mistake that can cost them tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars of retirement income during their lifetimes. And, often, the decision is made based on false bias or assumptions rather than a solid planning strategy.
As you may or may not know, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is due to expire at the end of next year – just 16 months from now. The Biden Administration has proposed new tax increases worth knowing about.
If you are one of those asking the ‘will my money last’ question, there’s a way you can find out just what your probabilities are!
