Planning for the 2020 Tax Season

2020 doesn’t just mark a new year, but the beginning of a new decade—and with it, some more changes to the federal tax code. It can often be easy to put tax preparation on the back burner, but being proactive can help you save time, money, and hassle. What steps can you take now to help the 2020 … Read more

Categories Tax

Earnings Season Observations

The recent news that technology giant Apple would miss its fourth quarter 2020 revenue targets has understandably increased investor anxiety surrounding the potential economic impact of the coronavirus (now called COVID-19). Lost in those headlines is corporate America’s impressive performance this earnings season. “Companies have done an admirable job growing profits considering stiff headwinds,” said … Read more

Life Insurance and Charitable Giving

Life insurance can be an excellent tool for charitable giving. Not only does life insurance allow you to make a substantial gift tocharity at relatively little cost to you, but you may also benefit from tax rules that apply to gifts of life insurance. Why use life insurance for charitable giving? Life insurance allows you … Read more

Kobe Bryant’s Death Reminds Wives to Prepare

Widows have special considerations when planning their financial future The world lost one of its greatest and most accomplished basketball players on Sunday, January 26, 2020. Early in the morning, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year old daughter, along with seven others, died when the helicopter they were in crashed amidst foggy … Read more

Weekly Market Update

LPL Research on CNBC. LPL Financial Senior Market Strategist Ryan Detrick was on CNBC’s Squawk Box yesterday with Becky Quick. You can watch the full interview here. S&P 500 futures point to strong open. Following a dramatic decline Monday, China’s major indexes rebounded overnight, acting as a catalyst for a global rally. The MSCI Asia Pacific rose 1.1%, with the Euro … Read more

The Social Security Retirement Earnings Test

Take This Quiz: The Social Security Retirement Earnings Test Can you work and receive Social Security retirement benefits at the same time? Yes, but the Social Security Administration (SSA) will apply an earnings test. Part or all of your monthly benefit may be withheld if you earn too much. To help avoid surprises, take this … Read more

Key Retirement & Tax Numbers 2020

Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2020 Every year, the Internal Revenue Service announces cost-of-living adjustments that affect contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts. Here are a few of the key adjustments for 2020. Employer retirement plans IRAs The combined annual limit on contributions to traditional and … Read more

Categories Tax

What Will You Do Differently This Year?

According to a recent survey, 76% of Americans reported having at least one financial regret. Over half of this group said it had to do with savings: 27% didn’t start saving for retirement soon enough, 19% didn’t contribute enough to an emergency fund, and 10% wish they had saved more for college.1 The saving conundrum … Read more

10 RMD Blunders You Don’t Want to Make

Top 10 RMD (Required Minimum Distributions) Mistakes 10. Rolling over an RMD. RMDs are not eligible to be rolled over. This happens most frequently when company plan assets are rolled over to an IRA. If the RMD is not taken first, you now have an excess contribution in the IRA that needs to be corrected. … Read more

After the Death of a Loved One

Losing a loved one can be a difficult experience. Despite the emotional trauma involved, you may also be responsible for handling a variety of financial, legal, and administrative tasks. You may find yourself unsure of where to begin and what to do.  However, do not be hasty when settling your loved one’s estate. Important decisions … Read more