An outside-the-box approach to RMDs: Tax Strategy Scan

An outside-the-box idea for taking your RMD
Taking an RMD from a tax-deferred IRA when retirees reach 70 1/2 could reduce their taxable income and lower the taxable portion of their Social Security benefits, according to USA Today. Plus it also may lower Medicare premiums over time. It starts with taking a large withdrawal, much larger than the RMD. USA Today

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Signage for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stands outside the IRS headquarters building in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Taxpayers have until Monday, April 18 to file their 2015 tax returns and pay any tax owed. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Momentum investing is back, and investors should take advantage
With all four major U.S. stock index averages hitting record highs in recent weeks, momentum is back in the stock market and clients may be tempted to try momentum investing, according to MarketWatch. Advisers should point out the pitfalls, however, including capital gains taxes that can hurt portfolio performance. -- MarketWatch

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Taxes are one of life’s sure things, but clients can still make changes after the filing deadline. Here’s how.

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Get 5% or more from preferred stocks
Clients wanting more from their investments these days may be overlooking preferred stocks, according to Kiplinger. Yields from these tax-efficient investments average 6.1%, well above the 2.3% payout of the Barclays Aggregate U.S. Bond Index and also beat the 2.1% dividend yield of the S&P and higher-yielding areas of the market, such as utility stocks and real estate investment trusts. But preferred stocks also pose risks because they are still bond-like in nature, which means they are sensitive to interest rate swings. -- Kiplinger

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Tax strategies Tax planning RMDs IRAs
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