Employee benefits

The IRS is extending the claims period for health care flexible spending arrangements and dependent care assistance programs and enabling taxpayers to make mid-year changes to their accounts.

Though IRA conversions during a market correction may enable some clients to save on their taxes, the strategy is not recommended for everyone.

Those who feel they have inadequate savings may consider going back to work after the pandemic, even if it's on a part-time basis, according to an expert.

For clients fortunate enough to not need them, minimum distributions are not required this year in most — if not all — cases.

April brought the highest unemployment since the Great Depression. Some of these people are our clients.

The rule change is designed to have an impact in the fight against COVID-19 and applies only to donations made to charitable organizations, an expert says.

How will the relief package impact retirement accounts? CPA Ed Slott fields this and other top financial planning queries.

The majority of U.S. workers do not have enough savings to help them in the event of a medical emergency and often turn to their retirement funds for help.

“Concerns over the program's ability to pay promised benefits have been around for a long while, but they're heightened,” an expert says.

Despite the July 15 deadline extension as a result of the coronavirus, some taxpayers are advised to file early.

Under the new act, some can take out as much as $100,000 from retirement plans early without penalty.

The percentage of workers who say they are ready to retire has dropped by more than 5% in last month, a survey found.

Clients may consider rebalancing their portfolio more often to address asset allocation shifts as a result of the downturn.

Gauging any possible changes to their health insurance coverage is just one consideration they must address before they retire.

A rule designed to prevent simple deduction abuses brings significant complexity to planning.

For starters, they can use the windfall to pay off debt, shore up their HSAs and build a cash reserve.

The IRS now says some unwanted RMDs can be undone, eliminating the tax bill

For one, clients will owe taxes still on the distributions, unless they recontribute the money into the account within three years.

Cash-strapped taxpayers may consider waiting until the new deadline to pay or to request a payment plan to buy more time to settle their tax bill.

“Traditionally, 401(k)s generally have some really good investment options that you wouldn’t be able to do on your own,” an expert says.