When was the last time you looked at your life insurance coverage? Why not do it now? Life insurance can be a remarkable utility as an estate planning and tax-saving tool. Whether you have no life insurance, or you haven’t reviewed your policy in a while, it is always a good idea to be aware…

What was once allowed is now prohibited. In 2008, an affluent New York City couple made a series of withdrawals and transfers among contributory IRAs, rollover IRAs and non-IRA investment accounts, all with the long-established 60-day deadline for tax-free IRA rollovers in mind. As esteemed tax attorney Alvan Bobrow and his wife withdrew and rolled…

A tax break with an additional benefit. Did you know that, since taking effect in 2010, you are allowed to withdraw money from a certain kind of annuity without paying taxes as long as you use it to pay for qualified long term care coverage? A tax break for these important savings will be of…

On most Saturday mornings I am watching my daughter do Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but this Saturday I had the pleasure of being on the syndicated Bloomberg radio show, “Pro Sports Live” talking about athletes, sudden wealth, and why athletes go broke. Have a listen…  

CONSUMER PRICES ADVANCE 0.2% In reviewing March’s mild increase in household inflation, two statistics stand out. The Consumer Price Index measured a 2.7% year-over-year rise in shelter costs (the largest annual gain in six years). Americans also paid 0.4% for food last month. Annualized consumer inflation reached 1.5% in March, up from 1.1% for February.…

Mention “bitcoin” to assorted economists or investors, and you may trigger all kinds of associations. To some, it signifies an exciting new reality – a digital currency, with a payment system that could revolutionize finance. To others, it is a volatile commodity – propped up by hype, fraught with risk. It also refers to an…

If you move away from equities with age, are you making a mistake? For some time, financial professionals have encouraged investors to lessen their exposure to the stock market as they get older. After all, a 60-year-old has less time to recover from a market downturn than someone decades away from collecting Social Security checks.…

Year after year, criminals try to scam certain taxpayers. Year after year, certain taxpayers resort to schemes in an effort to put one over on the IRS. These cons occur year-round, not just during tax season. In response to their frequency, the IRS has listed the 12 biggest offenses – tax scams that you should…

A plague at the heart of the Internet. Anyone who ventures online should be aware of the risks posed by Heartbleed, the biggest threat to Internet security in at least a couple of years. All Internet users need to respond to its reality. What is it? Heartbleed isn’t a virus, but a software bug –…

Some businesses start small and stay small, by design. You may own such a business. Perhaps things begin and end with you, or maybe you employ one other person – your spouse. If this is the case, you should know about Section 105 plans. Being self-employed, you already know that you can deduct 100% of…