Late last year, Congress passed bipartisan tax legislation that President Trump promptly signed into law on December 20, 2019. The legislation included the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act”, which is mainly intended to expand...
After contributing through payroll and self-employment taxes for decades of work, many Social Security beneficiaries are astonished when they learn that their benefits may be subject to federal and sometimes state income taxes. When benefits were first paid in 1940,...
Retirement plans are often one of the most valuable assets a couple acquires during a marriage. If a couple divorces and there is an agreement or judgment that requires all or a portion of the employee spouse’s retirement plan to be shared with the spouse or former...
I am often asked whether it is a good idea for elderly parents to transfer their home to their children. I always ask: “Why do you want to do this?” The most common reason is to protect the house in the event one or both of the parents need nursing home care. First, I...
Decisions regarding Social Security can be deviously complicated. There are thousands of rules, thousands upon thousands of additional codicils to clarify the rules, annual changes, and recent legislation, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA), which drastically...
Social Security is a valuable resource for older and disabled workers as well as the worker’s survivors and dependents. It provides 90% of the cash flow for one-third of retirees. It delivers 28% of the cash flow for high income retirees. A mistake in claiming these...