Everyone eventually runs out of “tomorrows." Hopefully, your appointment to update your estate documents is scheduled for today. Passing away without proper estate planning and up-to-date documents can be a nightmare on top of a nightmare for your loved ones.
Don’t let a legal mess be the last thing your family remembers about you. Planning for your eventual demise is about as much fun as a root canal. However, careful planning and current documentation are a great gift when the time comes.
Your Social Security benefits could be reduced if you also have a pension. Don’t be caught off guard by all the unique rules surrounding pensions and Social Security. Knowing the facts about Social Security taxation, the Windfall Elimination Provision, and the Government Pension Offset is essential.
Warren Buffett is one of the greatest investors and philanthropists of all time. What can we learn from his charitable giving, and how can we apply it to our own giving strategies?
The main point of charitable giving is making the biggest impact. However, when we plan our giving carefully, we can save on taxes and put even more money to good use. There are many considerations, such as when, how much, and which charities and causes to support.
Savvy retirees know the importance of having multiple streams of income in retirement. Multiple income sources help ensure financial stability and peace of mind. We know the importance of having a diversified portfolio, but diverse income streams are even better!
You don’t want all your nest egg(s) in one basket. It’s best to analyze all potential income sources first thoroughly. Then, you can craft a comprehensive financial plan to meet all your retirement needs.
Roth IRA conversions are a valuable tool in long-term tax planning. This method might save you tens of thousands of dollars or more on your taxes. But is there a best time of year to complete Roth conversions?
You must consider many variables to determine what’s best for you. Life happens, and your tax-saving strategies must be adjusted accordingly. This is why we typically evaluate and complete Roth conversions annually.
The last decade has seen some major changes and events, but a lot remains the same. Reflecting on 10 years in business at NextGen Wealth has been a remarkable experience. We’ve accomplished so much, but there’s still much more to come!
We’ve continually added services and enhanced the client experience. It’s amazing to see how much we’ve accomplished navigating successful retirements.
Losing a spouse is awful, and getting hit with a larger tax bill only makes things worse. Thinking about death is never fun, but failure to plan could mean serious tax issues for a surviving spouse. This is what’s often called the “widow’s penalty.”
Married couples enjoy many tax benefits, including higher thresholds for marginal tax brackets and higher standard deductibles. When one spouse dies, there may be some changes to income, but there likely won’t be as large of a change in living expenses.
Are you looking for a way to supercharge your retirement savings? You might want to look into after-tax contributions to your 401k. Larger employers offer this option more often, but some smaller employers may also offer it.
After-tax contributions could be a great option to top off your retirement savings. Of course, there’s nothing magical about these contributions, but if you’ve already hit other contribution limits, this might be a great benefit.
Fraud and online scams are a growing threat to all Americans. However, you can take steps to make yourself less likely to become a victim of scammers. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission received reports of over $10 Billion in total fraud losses!
Brandon Lovingier was privileged to interview Kathy Stokes, the Director of Fraud Prevention Programs with AARP, at FinCon 2023. Her insights on fraud prevention are used throughout this article, along with some of our own advice and helpful tips. We hope to inform you of best practices to protect you and your loved ones from becoming victims of fraud, theft, and scams.
Getting accurate and timely information is critical to your success every tax season. Unfortunately, not all of the details about your financial life show up in your tax documents. Your accountant will need your input to understand the context of your tax documents.
You don't want to miss out on any potential tax savings or make a mistake on your taxes. This is why communicating and collaborating with your financial planner and accountant is so important. Timely and accurate information can prevent problems and possibly keep more money in your pocket.
There are lots of small, yet important things to creep up on you as you approach retirement. However, these “ankle biters” can turn into a big collective problem if you don’t pay attention. Don’t let the tiny details derail your retirement plans!
We’ll discuss some of the finer details that often get missed or confused. You’ll feel so much better knowing you’ve covered all your bases.
As you draw closer to retirement, it’s essential for you to get things filed on time. In many cases, you’ll only have one opportunity to get things right. Other decisions may lock you in for a long time.
No matter what, each decision and deadline as you approach your retirement date is critical. This is why NextGen Wealth specializes in the transition phase of retirement and beyond. If you take the time to lay the foundation of your retirement on solid ground, everything else goes much more smoothly.
You’ll encounter many important decisions as you transition into retirement. Almost none are as important as your access to quality healthcare. Your life insurance needs will probably change too.
If you’re trying to retire early, or at least before you’re eligible for Medicare, you’ll have to weigh your healthcare options carefully. You’ll want to make the best decision for you to preserve your health, wealth, and legacy.
Healthcare is not getting cheaper. Are you prepared to cover your healthcare expenses throughout your retirement?
Healthcare is cited as the number one cost retirees face. Even if you have a pension, it can be tricky to ensure all your needs are covered. You’ll want to consider all your options, including Medicare, health insurance offered with your pension, Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), Health Savings Accounts (HSA), COBRA, and the Marketplace.
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) are employer-funded plans that allow employees to pay for qualified medical expenses with tax-free money. HRAs can be used to reimburse employees for a wide range of expenses, including individual health insurance premiums, deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.
If your employer offers an HRA, you should certainly check it out. It’s a great benefit to help reduce your overall healthcare costs! There are several types of HRAs, so be sure to check your plan documents carefully.
Thinking through your pension decisions and transitioning into retirement is hard enough. Adding in planning for your premature death is even more stressful. However, there’s no replacement for peace of mind knowing your family is covered no matter what.
Adding a survivor benefit to your pension isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. There are often many variations and levels of coverage to consider too. Make sure you take your time to think through this decision by looking at your whole financial picture.
Taking a pension lump sum takes careful consideration. If you decide to take a lump sum, you’ll have to decide whether you transfer your lump sum pension payout into your 401k or your IRA. The decision to take a lump sum can’t be reversed, so take it seriously.
Many different factors come into play when we’re sorting through this decision. Pension payout calculations, tax considerations, and personal goals all matter. Also, your investment style and habits around money are very important as well.
Coordinating your pension and Social Security benefits are some of the most important decisions you’ll make as you retire. It’s very important you don’t plan either one without looking at your whole financial picture. In other words, we want you to think about your overall retirement income – not just your pension or Social Security.
Your pension income, retirement accounts (401k, 403b, TSP, IRA, etc.), Social Security, and other income (rental property, inheritance, etc.) all factor into how much you need in retirement. Each one of them comes with their own risks and benefits to consider in relation to your other retirement income sources.
For many retirees with a pension, maximizing your payout options is vital. Many pension plans use what’s called a Final Average Earnings (FAE) calculation. There are several factors that might affect your retirement pay.
You might not be able to control all the variables in your FAE calculation, but certain things, like deciding when to retire, are generally within your control. You don’t want to make the mistake of retiring too early and missing a benefit or working longer with minimal or no benefit to you.
Deciding what pension payout option to choose is a momentous decision with huge impacts on your financial future. There may be several different options – and you don’t want to choose the wrong one. Your company’s plan documents can also be confusing, which makes things more stressful.
However, with the right education and planning, you can navigate this important decision with confidence. The biggest challenge is understanding how each payout option can help work in concert with the other pieces of your life. We hope to give you the tools to make informed comparisons to make the best decision for you and your family.
