Although the IRS code is complicated and thorny, there are plenty of legitimate ways to reduce your tax bill. Before you sit down to attack your taxes, grab last year’s return as a reference and then review your W-2s, 1099s, charitable contribution receipts. Additionally, your credit card and bank statements may be useful to jog your memory for unreimbursed business or medical expenses. Then, consider these six concepts:
Read MoreAs the bull market in US stocks gets set to celebrate its eighth birthday this week, it is stunning to consider how far we have come. On March 9, 2009, here was the closing level of the three major indexes:
“Both large and small investors should stick with low-cost index funds,” according to Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett. In his annual shareholder letter, the Oracle of Omaha reminded investors something they probably know intuitively, “When trillions of dollars are managed by Wall Streeters charging high fees, it will usually be the managers who reap outsized profits, not the clients.” This is not a new message for Buffett. Three years ago, he provided similar advice to the trustees of his estate: “Put 10 percent of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90 percent in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund…I believe the trust's long-term results from this policy will be superior to those attained by most investors…who employ high-fee managers.”
Read MoreThe Roth IRA turns twenty years old this year. The retirement vehicle was part of the Tax Relief Act of 1997 and it was seen as such a boon to savers, many believed that it would not survive. Two decades later, it is alive and well. As many Americans consider funding retirement plans this tax season, it’s a good opportunity to provide you with a Roth Q&A.
Read MoreOn Tuesday night, the President will speak to a joint session of Congress, where he could finally outline details of a major overhaul to the personal and corporate tax system. Last week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC that the administration is “primarily focused on a middle-income tax cut and simplification for business. And what we are focused is that on the high end, if there are tax cuts, that they are offset with reduction of deductions and other things.”
Read MoreAs many long time readers know, I have been a consistent cheerleader for the CFP® certification that I hold from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. That’s why I am delighted to announce that I am assuming a new role, “Senior CFP Board Ambassador.” Just like I do in this column, I will provide consumers with timely personal financial advice, explain how current economic and financial news impacts their lives and underscore the importance of having a financial plan.
Read MoreGet ready for the Trump administration’s next shakeup…the Federal Reserve. As Fed Chair Janet Yellen heads into her semi-annual testimony before Congress this week, she knows the score--this is probably the penultimate appearance at what is likely to be a historically short term for a Fed Chair. Yellen’s term as Chair expires in February 2018 and during the campaign, candidate Trump said that he would “most likely” replace her, because “She is not a Republican."
Read MoreNow that the Trump Administration has declared its intention to delay and potentially roll-back the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule, which would force financial professionals and their firms’ overseeing the nearly $3 trillion in retirement savings, to work in their clients’ best interest, it may be a good time to review your relationship with your current advisor, stock broker or insurance salesperson. Here is an updated list of my “Ten Questions to Ask a Financial Pro”:
Read MoreThe Department of Labor's fiduciary rule faces two hurdles: a lawsuit and now, the Trump Administration's efforts to delay or perhaps kill it off. On Friday, President Trump signed an order directing the Treasury secretary to review the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial regulatory law. You remember Dodd-Frank, the big legislation meant to reign in the excesses of Wall Street after the financial crisis, right?
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