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.
The SECURE Act 2.0 may do a lot to help secure Uncle Sam, but I’m not so sure about the rest of us.
After passage of the SECURE Act of 2019, non-spouse IRA beneficiaries are now required to liquidate their inherited IRAs by the end of the 10th year. Often, that means they’ll be withdrawing taxable income from the inherited IRAs during their peak earning years – great gift for Uncle Sam, but not so good for the kids.
For some people, planning for retirement can feel like trying to eat an elephant; but, it doesn’t have to be that way. Before making big decisions, it’s always important to get the ducks lined-up first.
RMD age hikes may not be the blessing you think. The question just might be who is more secure? Retirees or future government spending?
Retirement decisions can be momentous. Which year you would have remembered would depend on if you retired back then… and which year!
Congress labeled it the SECURE Act, because it’s a better sell to the public. But, what Uncle Sam really wanted to do was make their spending programs more secure – hence, securing reelection.
Looking for retirement security?
Government spending has been out of control for decades and Congress needs to raise revenue. So, they passed The SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act in December 2019. It may secure the government’s future; but, one provision may make your heir’s retirement a little less secure.
Tax traps are waiting. Did you it’s possible to be smack in the middle of the 22% tax bracket, yet taking an additional $1,000 in income could make that additional money taxable at 40%? It can happen to some taxpayers. In fact, there are other pitfalls many aren’t aware of, as well.
Remember 1966? What if you retired then? Would it have made a difference if you retired in 1967 instead? Can you time retirement? If not, how do you reduce your risk when there’s no time to rebuild all over again?
When most people buy things, they see only the price tag; but that doesn’t reveal the REAL cost, especially when it comes to luxury items. The real cost of luxury can be more than they realize.
It’s an election year, and while the headline topics dwell on the border, January 6th, the age of the candidates, and all the rest, few are talking about the “3rd rail” of politics: social security.
You can expect a few politicians will come up with innovative approaches (they know will never reach the floor for a vote), but it does make for good campaign sound bites. It can be confusing.
