19 Jan Sequence Risk: Preparing to Retire in a Down Market
"You can't time the market" is an old maxim, but you also might say, "You can't always time retirement." Market losses on the front end of retirement could have an outsize...
socially responsible investing Tag
15 Jan Four Tips to Help Avoid Burnout While Working from Home
The coronavirus pandemic has completely changed the corporate landscape. Many companies have transitioned to having a majority of their employees work from home. As a result, long commutes, office lunches,...
13 Jan Impact of COVID-19 on Working Parents
The sudden shift to remote learning and stay-at-home orders imposed during the coronavirus pandemic forced many parents to juggle working at home with taking care of children and helping them...
13 Jan Five Tips to Regain Your Retirement Savings Focus in 2021
In early 2020, 61% of U.S. workers surveyed said that retirement planning makes them feel stressed.1 Investor confidence was continually tested as the year wore on, and it's likely that this...
17 Dec 2021 Investment Planning
Maximum tax on long-term capital gains and qualified dividends Unearned income Medicare contribution tax ("net investment income tax") All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal, and there is no...
17 Dec 2021 Government Benefits
Social Security 1 An additional 0.9% Medicare/hospital insurance tax (for a total employee contribution of 2.35%) is assessed on wages exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing joint returns, $125,000 for married...
17 Dec 2021 Retirement Planning
Employee/individual contribution limits 1 Must aggregate employee contributions to all 401(k), 403(b), SAR-SEP, and SIMPLE plans of all employers. 457(b) plan contributions are not aggregated. For SAR-SEPs, the percentage limit is 25%...
17 Dec 2021 Estate Planning
1 Basic exclusion amount plus deceased spousal unused exclusion amount (exclusion is portable for 2011 and later years) 2 The GST tax exemption is not portable 2020 and 2021 gift and estate tax rate...
17 Dec 2021 Education Planning
American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning Credits Coverdell education savings accounts Deduction for qualified higher education expenses Deduction for student loan interest Gift tax exclusion Kiddie tax All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal,...
17 Dec 2021 Business Planning
Adoption Assistance Programs Earnings subject to FICA taxes (taxable wage base) 1 An additional Medicare (HI) employee contribution rate of 0.9% (for a total employee contribution of 2.35%, and a total combined Medicare...