A penalty to avoid with these tips It's one thing to be taxed on retirement contributions and their related earnings when you withdraw funds from your IRA or 401(k) during retirement. It's quite another when you pay the tax PLUS a 10% penalty for an early withdrawal. Need funds prior to retirement and want to …
Category: Retirement
Social Security Benefits Announced for 2026
The Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% boost to monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for 2026, another rate drop versus last year's increase of 3.2%. The increase is based on the rise in the Consumer Price Index over the past 12 months ending in September 2025. For those contributing to Social Security through …
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Leveraging Gift Rules to Your Advantage
As you or your family members approach retirement years, it's important to have a basic understanding of the IRS gift giving rules. With this understanding, there are opportunities to leverage this tax law without creating a tax problem. The rules You may give up to $19,000 to any individual (donee) in 2025 and avoid any …
Make Your Child a Tax-Free Millionaire!
Want to jump start your child's retirement with a million dollar tax-free account? Consider this: The million dollar idea As soon as your child begins to earn income, open a Roth IRA and set a contribution goal to reach before they graduate from high school. Assuming an 8% expected rate of return, the investments made …
An Earnings Report Review is For Everyone!
It is now easier than ever to check your report Most of us go through life without being concerned with, or ever checking on, our Social Security records. We assume the money deducted each payday and an equal amount paid in by our employer is applied properly to this valuable retirement benefit. Ignoring is problematic …
Plan Your 2025 Retirement Contributions
As part of your planning for next year, now is the time to review funding your retirement accounts in 2025. Recent cost of living calculations means much higher contribution limits for next year. Plus the higher income phaseouts for eligibility will make many more taxpayers eligible for fully-deductible contributions. So plan now to take full …
Hike in Social Security Benefits Announced for 2025
2025 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) changes Tip Category: Retirement The Social Security Administration announced a 2.5% boost to monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for 2025, another rate drop versus last year's increase of 3.2%. The increase is based on the rise in the Consumer Price Index over the past 12 months ending …
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Tax Surprises for the Newly Retired
Tip Category: Retirement You’ve got it all planned out. Your retirement savings accounts are full, you have started receiving Social Security benefits and your pension is ready to go. Everything is planned. What could go wrong? Here are five surprises that can turn your plan on a dime. 1. Health emergencies and long-term care. When a …
Social Security: Know the Variables
It's never too early to understand how it works Tip Category: Retirement Determining the best time and best way to take Social Security benefits can make a big difference in the amount you receive over the balance of your lifetime. What is prudent, is understanding how it works and, if appropriate, running calculations prior to making …
Tax Tips to Aid in Retiring Early
Thinking about retiring early? Here are things to consider. Tip Category: Retirement Wouldn’t it be nice to check out of the workforce early and not need to worry about having enough money for retirement? While good financial planning can help you get there, leveraging the tax code as part of your retirement plan is also a …
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