Retirement benefits

The real concern is not just that actively managed funds could disappear but that the entire market could be left for dead.

Clients ready to quit the workforce in advance need to understand the impact of doing so on their Social Security benefits, Michael Kitces writes.

Not tapping tax-deferred retirement accounts until the age of 70 1/2 can be a wrong move, as required minimum distributions can be big enough to push retirees to a higher tax bracket.

Clients should start shoring up their savings by chipping in as much as they reasonably can to their employer’s retirement plan, especially if it comes with a matching contribution.

The amount that can be transferred is equivalent to the HSA's annual contribution limit, which is $3,400 for singles and $6,750 for couples.

These two accounts are both funded with money that has already been taxed, but there are still important differences that clients need to know.

Making excess withdrawals could result in taxes on the earnings and a hefty 10% penalty.

Retirees who under-reported their income to avoid taxes will also get smaller retirement benefits than they deserve.

Retirees should weigh a number of factors, including the fact that the closing costs for reverse mortgages are higher than those for regular mortgages.

IRA investors should consider implementing a charitable lead annuity trust when converting some of their funds into Roth to mitigate the tax bite.

The withdrawals can be taken early in the year, late in the year or in installments throughout the year. Each approach has advantages to consider.

Congress may have a difficult time closing tax code loopholes that benefit households more than corporations, an expert suggests.

How an advisor's blog about the Piano Man reaped a $14,000 Social Security payday for her client.

Recent graduates tend to be in a low tax bracket early in their careers when it pays for them to save as much as they can in a Roth IRA or Roth 401(k), writes an industry expert.

The total out-of-pocket health care expenses of a 65-year-old couple in retirement could exceed $320,000, plus 5% annual increases.

Planning may help high-income seniors avoid paying up to four times the going rate for Part B and Part D coverage.

If clients tap their Roth accounts at the wrong time, even after retirement, they could lose out on some potential tax benefits.

Retirement investors may opt for whole life insurance, which offers tax-deferred growth on premiums, or a home, which they can sell with up to $250,000 (or $500,000 for couples) in capital gains tax exclusion.

Naming a young grandchild as beneficiary of a traditional IRA could be a wrong move, as the distributions will be subject to the "kiddie tax."

Investors are about to enter the worst two-month period of the year for stocks, according to an expert with Bespoke Investment Group.