What You Need to Know About the New Laws for Claiming Retirement Have you heard that some of Social Security’s rules about claiming benefits are changing? Well, it’s true. The Bipartisan Budget Act that passed last November closed two complex loopholes that were used primarily by married couples. We want you to know why […]
Archive | March, 2016
Managing a Disability or Chronic Illness
Create a financial plan that can help you make the best of any circumstance. Here’s a checklist for financial preparedness. Lay a secure foundation Consider disability insurance to replace income that you may no longer receive if you become disabled by illness or injury. Some employers offer free or discounted disability insurance policies to their […]
Washington Hotline – March 29, 2016
WASHINGTON NEWS How to Choose Your Tax Preparer In IR-2016-46 the Service offered tips on selecting your tax preparer. If you would like assistance with your tax return due April 18, 2016, go to www.irs.gov/chooseataxpro. IRS Commissioner John Koskinen noted, “The filing of a federal income tax return represents one of the biggest financial transactions […]
AAM Weekly Market Wrap – March 28, 2016
Weekly Market Wrap: Stocks fell for the first time in six weeks as terrorist attacks in Brussels dominated the news in a holiday shortened week. For The Week The S&P 500 slipped 0.39% to 2035.94 Oil lost 4.98% to $39.46 Gold fell 2.98% to $1,217.09 The US Dollar gained 1.09% to $96.12 against other […]
Mutual Funds and Taxes: A Primer to Help Lighten the Load
Unless your mutual fund investment is held in a tax-deferred vehicle like a 401(k) plan or IRA, you are responsible for paying taxes on any dividends and capital gains distributions made by the fund during the year; reinvesting these distributions in the fund does not relieve you of this tax burden. You must also pay […]
Wealth Transfer in a Low-rate Environment
For those fortunate few individuals whose personal wealth exceeds the current estate-tax exemption threshold — $5.43 million for 2015 rising to $5.45 million for 2016 — today’s historically low interest rate environment offers potentially powerful wealth transfer opportunities. Recent low rates of interest have affected two important factors used to value wealth transfers involving trusts […]
Washington Hotline – March 22, 2016
WASHINGTON NEWS IRS Warns of New Phone Tax Scam In IR-2016-40 the IRS warned about a new phone tax scam. The tax scammers will call victims and explain that they are just verifying their tax return information. The caller frequently will claim that he or she is reviewing your tax return. You will need to […]
AAM Weekly Market Wrap – March 21, 2016
Weekly Market Wrap: Stocks rose for the fifth straight week as the US Fed lowered forecast future rate hikes and economic data was mostly positive. For The Week The S&P 500 added 1.35% to 2049.56 Oil gained 6.86% to $41.14 Gold rose 0.34% to $1,249.56 The US Dollar lost 1.18% to $95.08 against other […]
When Should You Sell an Investment?
Effective portfolio management is about more than buying securities, it’s also about selling them when the time is right. Unfortunately, there’s no crystal ball that tells investors when to sell their investments. Many investors hold securities for too long and reproach themselves for not having sold sooner. Others sell too soon and second-guess their chances […]
Focus on the Forest, Not the Trees, of Investing
It’s a message worth repeating. Investing is a matter of focus. Despite recent disappointments in stock market performance, investors who are willing to assess the whole universe of investment choices may find that the market continues to offer new possibilities. And those who keep their sights set on long-term investment goals may find that a […]
