RMDs

Short-term returns are mostly noise, which, by definition, largely cancels itself out over time

Benefits are based on how much someone earns in their top 35 working years. So if there are fewer years in someone's career, their monthly retirement checks will be lower. Check out the other reasons clients could receive less.

Advisors need to educate clients — but not dumb down their advice — when it comes to the complex world of these investment vehicles.

Many are unaware that they are responsible for a majority of their medical expenses, aside from premiums and coinsurance costs.

Homeowners have fewer options as state and local deductions have been capped under the new law.

Sometimes the strategy can eliminate a domino effect of other expensive tax problems down the road, Ed Slott writes.

The added savings could be used to pay off student loans as well as increase mortgage payments and retirement plan contributions.

Younger investors may see the market's swing as just another fluctuation in the market, while assuming that time is on their side. Older investors, on the other hand, may be far more stressed.

The rewrite could affect how these firms value potential buyout targets.

The law allows clients the ability to make tax-free withdrawals for elementary and secondary school expenses.

If clients miss an RMD, they will be subject to a penalty equal to half the amount they should have taken, and they'll still owe ordinary income taxes on distributions.

Personal exemptions may be lost but households can expect higher savings from the child tax credit, an advisor says.

Clients ask: "Will I run out of money?" Here’s how planners can confidently tell them "no." Like every approach, however, there are a few drawbacks.

Many deductions are likely to disappear if Congress passes the reform bill into law.

Whether they have a mortgage does not affect the capital gains calculation, according to a CFP.

Retirees should ensure that they take their first required minimum distribution from their tax-deferred retirement account in the year they reach 70 1/2 or face a 50% penalty.

"Sun and sand are great," says one analyst, but they're not the only considerations. They certainly didn't help boost the top city in this survey.

The tax plan would make itemized deductions less valuable so some seniors would lose a deduction that covers payments for nursing homes, assisted living or inpatient hospital care.

While contribution limits are expected to remain untouched, the country is still facing a retirement crisis, one expert says.

Can your clients use the increasingly popular "still working" rule? Yes, but get a handle on the rules first.