Employee benefits

The standard deduction is the best tax strategy for many seniors, but if they had significant health care costs last year, itemizing could save them some money.

With an additional $9 million in backing, the online firm's CEO and co-founder Chris Costello says the goal is to grow to 50,000 clients by the end of the year.

How a couple wrote off cat food and other breaks that boosted refunds. Plus, how charity counts toward an IRA withdrawal.

Clients who have lost track of old 401(k) accounts may get help from the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits, a subsidiary of a firm that processes retirement checks.

From a tax perspective, donating required minimum distributions from a traditional IRA to a qualified charity is a smart move for retirees.

A new comment period would give the administration time to prepare for legal challenges anticipated after it puts a delay into place, one expert says.

Small businesses would not be allowed to enroll their employees automatically in state-run plans under legislation introduced in Congress.

One way for clients to avoid or minimize their capital gains tax is to hold investments in tax-advantaged retirement accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k) plans.

Firms must ensure that best interest practices are part and parcel of every investment deal.

Clients can fully deduct their IRA contributions if they have no access to a workplace retirement plan.

401(k) plans in small companies are a "blue ocean opportunity" for advisers.

Early withdrawals from retirement investments can trigger a hefty penalty.

There are some situations where delaying is neither feasible nor prudent. Here’s how to weigh them.

Many workers think hey are not allowed to contribute to a 401(k), a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA in the same year, which is untrue.

Clients who make these prohibited transactions can face devastating penalties.

Retirees on Social Security can expect the government to garnish a portion of their benefits if they fail to make student loan payments.

There are ways around having to pay as much as a 50% penalty. Plus, inheriting Roth IRAs and designing more efficient retirement portfolios.

Clients should consider moving to a state that does not tax ordinary income, Social Security benefits or pension payouts.

First-time home buyers can withdraw as much as $10,000 from a Roth account without paying taxes and penalties if the account is at least five years old.