Articles Posted in Financial Planning

Planning for retirement can be difficult; however, if you also plan on leaving money to heirs in your estate plan the process can be even more complex. Deciding which financial accounts should be tapped first for retirement funds and which should be left for inheritance purposes is a tricky question. The answer is often determined by your own financial needs for retirement as well as the needs of your heirs, but you can expect the following to occur with your heirs with each of these retirement accounts.

Roth IRA

As a general rule, a Roth IRA account is a great asset to leave for inheritance. When inherited, Roth distributions are tax-free for your heirs. If planned properly, your heirs can take distributions from the account over the course of their lifetimes and simultaneously leave the bulk of the principal from the account to continue to grow in interest. Additionally, the federal estate tax exemption is now at $10.6 million for a married couple. That means that most Roth IRA accounts that are inherited will be both income and estate tax free.

In the spirit of raising awareness of sound money management, April is officially deemed “National Financial Literacy Month.” The U.S. Senate even passed a resolution on the matter a few years ago. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling usually leads the yearly effort, and many others in the financial world also use the occasion to discuss important money matters.

For example, Money Management International, a non-profit credit counseling agency, created a robust website sharing a variety of resources for consumers: www.FinancialLiteracyMonth.com. The website provides helpful tools on basic financial information, income worksheets, debt load calculators, financial goal tracking, and more.

While much of the information is focused on very general money management skills, if recent poll data is accurate, a majority of Americans remain far behind in prudent planning. Consider that a recent National Foundations for Credit Counseling (NFCC) survey found that over 60% of Americans do have any sort of budget. In addition, the survey found that nearly one in three Americans do not put anything from their annual income toward retirement savings. It is perhaps no wonder then that “retiring without having enough money set aside” is the most commonly cited financial issue that worries Americans according to the NFCC survey.

For sports fans, all eyes this weekend are planted squarely on New York City with the Super Bowl set to kick off early Sunday evening. Beyond the usual chatter about who will win and lose, many commentators are discussing how this single game will impact the long-term legacy of many players in it.

Of course, at the end of the day, this game represents just a single game in a career. And for many players, that career is relatively short-lived. Football is a demanding sport, and it is not uncommon for players to retire in their late twenties or early thirties. It is only a rare few who play successfully into their late thirties.

This presents an unique dilemma for players who must then find other careers and/or properly manage their affairs early in life ensure financial stability for what is hopefully a many-decades long retirement. As you might imagine, many players are clumsy in this regard, making a plethora of estate planning mistakes that cause harm to themselves and their families down the road.

The words “Social Security” remain synonymous with retirement benefits for seniors. Earlier generations grew up with the understanding that Social Security would provide an income net in their golden years, allowing a modest but safe retirement. However, the current generation does not have nearly the same picture of the system. Political debates are daily filled with arguments about the “impending” collapse of the system and the bare bones support given to those on the program.

For many New Yorkers, Social Security represents only a small part of their retirement plans. Still, considerations must be given in estate planning to when one should begin collecting Social Security. There are different options for taking early withdrawals, regular withdrawals, or delaying payments for potential benefit down the road.

In general, payouts range from 75% of “entitled benefit” for payments at age 62; 100% of benefits of age 66; and 132% of benefit at 70. Lawmakers are frequently discussing changes to this scheme, particularly in light of rising life expectancies, and so it is critical to be aware of the potential alterations down the road.

In October of 2014, the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, will finally come into effect. As a result, many across America (including seniors) will have access to more affordable healthcare options. However, with these benefits come a variety of considerations and issues that the elderly must be aware of.

In fact the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) has developed a list of advice for helping elderly New Yorkers avoid health law fraud, and also provides tips for navigating all of the health law changes that will occur once Obamacare comes into effect.

The Tips

Many New Yorkers know that, as part of the federal tax package compromise that was passed on January 1st of this year, the capital gains tax rate was increased. Last year the top rate was 15% but that is now up to 20%. In addition, some individuals will also face a 3.8% investment surcharge tacked on top.

Prudent estate planning always takes tax considerations into account, and transferring assets which have accumulated in value is one of the most important (but trickiest) aspects of the process. As such, it is prudent to closely consider ways to legally save on taxes, particularly considering the new rates.

Forbes on Capital Gains

There is no such thing as universal financial advice. When reading any news story, blog post, or magazine article, one must remember that any advice or discussion about financial topics are general–they may not be best choice in your particular case. Many decisions about investments, use of trusts, and similar matters should only be undertaken after consultation with a professional upon explaining your exact situation.

But that is not to say that it isn’t important to learn about some of the general issues beforehand to better understand common financial planning themes. For example, what are the pros and cons of delaying the receipt of Social Security benefits?

A Q&A story from the Herald provides a helpful summary of the issue. A questioner just turned 62 years old. He was wondering if he should start taking Social Security now ($1,800 a month), wait until he is 66 years old ($2,4000 month), or wait even longer.