Retirement scan

Retirees may want to look for other income sources, such as renting out a room in their home, taking a reverse mortgage or going back to work.

Creating an irrevocable trust is an option for elders to protect themselves from people who want to take advantage of their declining health and benefit from their wealth.

The tax benefits of an HSA make those plans a better option to max out first, although contributing just enough to a company plan to get any matching funds should be first.

Trump has proposed making it easier to pass on HSAs to heirs, while some House Republicans want to nearly double contribution limits.

High front-end fees, complex payouts and a lack of dividend income are among the reasons.

The proceeds can be used to pay the tax bill from converting a 401(k) and traditional IRA into a Roth account.

Instead, focus on things as they are today, and the most likely scenario for tomorrow, while remaining flexible enough to accommodate changing circumstances.

Now may be the best time for retirees to make charitable donations, do a Roth conversion, and incur more qualified medical expenses to meet the threshold and qualify for a tax deduction.

Investors should take market volatility as an opportunity to engage in year-end tax planning that includes strategies such as tax-loss harvesting.

Changing a Medigap plan during open enrollment could be costly, especially when the switch happens after the initial six-month window.