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Will Biden Double the Capital Gains Rate?
(Main Content/blog)
... has garnered lots of headlines and caused a fair amount of angst among those who might be affected. But I suspect there is not very much to fear. Biden reportedly wants to raise the top individual income ...
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How to Invest for Inflation
(Main Content/blog)
... can decimate the value of fixed-rate bonds because it erodes the buying power of the income stream the bonds provide. Instead, look to short-duration bonds of five years or less. Fixed-income ...
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Rising Inflation and Interest Rates: What to Do
(Main Content/blog)
... predicting that higher future prices of goods and services will make bonds' fixed income payments less valuable. Accordingly, bonds are trading at lower prices. Bonds' yields move in the opposite direction ...
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What the Democrats' Win Means for Stocks
(Main Content/blog)
... once the legislative agenda turns to taxes. In part to pay for support to households, small businesses and local governments, Biden wants to raise income taxes on households earning more than $400,000 ...
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Use Tax Planning to Grow Wealth Faster
(Main Content/blog)
... Both steps can save you a bundle in taxes. 2. Use your tax bracket. Pushing income off until next year may help you move down to a tax bracket where the capital-gains-tax rate is as low as 0%. Be sure ...
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Capital Gains Tax Hike a Possibility
(Main Content/blog)
... are taxed at a special rate. For married couples with total income above $80,000 and below $496,600, the current rate is 15%. For couples with income above that level, the rate is 20%. Biden's plan calls ...
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The Coming Corporate Debt Cliff
(Main Content/blog)
... ways to potentially earn growth and income. The opportunities include so-called value companies that are profitable, don't carry heavy debt and are better positioned to navigate an economic slowdown. ...
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Bond Yields Are Low – So Where Do You Find Income?
(Main Content/blog)
It's difficult to find good income opportunities in the bond market right now. The 10-year Treasury, which was yielding more than 3% last fall, is heading into this fall at 1.7%. That's even less than ...
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Time to Invest Smarter
(Main Content/blog)
... firms like PayPal and payment processors Discover and American Express are worth a look. With incomes on the rise, travel and leisure companies, as well as airlines, could also be good bets. There's ...
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Should You Invest in Real Estate?
(Main Content/blog)
... that's amplified by the leverage. Investment real estate also involves two major tax advantages: the ability to deduct all expenses and to depreciate the asset. The result is that the taxable income ...
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The Biggest Mistakes Investors Make
(Main Content/blog)
... a large position and take profits. But that turns to disappointment when they are hit with a big capital gains tax, and when the additional income pushes them into a higher tax bracket. There are ways ...
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The Investment Outlook Is Changing
(Main Content/blog)
... income if you're retired. Furthermore, investors have historically flocked to high-quality companies in times of market uncertainty, which has provided price support for the stocks. If you expect market ...
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Why a Year-End Financial Checkup Is Smart
(Main Content/blog)
... Security taxes to kick in. That's a scenario that's avoidable with a little planning. For example, if your annual combined income from Social Security, pension benefits, IRA distributions, etc. exceeds ...
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Be Smart About Your Tax Windfall
(Main Content/blog)
... so is important. The last thing you want in retirement is to realize that you don't have enough income to support the standard of living that you take for granted right now. Reviewing your retirement plan ...
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Seeking Diamonds in the Rough for 2018
(Main Content/blog)
... The Dogs of the Dow are the 10 highest yielding Dow Jones Industrial stocks as of the end of the year. Since yield equals dividend relative to price, the Dogs not only pay a high amount of income, but ...
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Do You Need Longevity Insurance?
(Main Content/blog)
... insurance is designed to provide guaranteed income from the time you reach old age—usually around 85—to the time you die. The thinking is that by age 85, your savings may be depleted. The appeal of longevity ...
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How to Get (and Stay) on Track for Retirement
(Main Content/blog)
... for retirement merits the extra effort. Investors should sit down around now and take a close look at how much money they're making. They also need to understand how much of their income—after taxes, ...
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When That High Yield is a Trap
(Main Content/blog)
... So when income-hungry investors find a stock or bond with an exceptional yield, they understandably want to pounce. But reaching for yield can backfire if stock or a bond has underlying concerns. And ...
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Opportunities But Also Risks in High-Yield Bonds
(Main Content/blog)
... can be a welcome source of both income and capital appreciation at a time when both of those things are hard to find. But the tradeoff is a willingness to accept more risk. To increase your likelihood ...
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Improve Your Financial Health in 2016
(Main Content/blog)
... monthly debt payments, including cards, car loans and mortgage payments, should be below 36% of your pre-tax income. The less the better. Rein in Spending. There's a reason cars have fuel gauges: ...