Investor

07/23/10 - "Healthcare taxes stick it to affluent families in 2013"

Many affluent families have become resigned to the reality that the Bush Tax Cuts will expire at the end of this year and their tax bills will be...read more

05/21/10 - Tax Increases Require Revised Asset Location Strategies

Choosing the location of where your assets are invested can add significantly to your after tax returns.  Most people understand that modern...read more

02/08/10 - Tax Policy--What Will It Look Like in the Future?

The number-one drag on investment results is taxes, and you can be sure that taxes in the future will be going up given the amount of money that...read more

12/11/09 - Don't Shoot Your Conversion in the Foot with Bad Tax Planning

When 2010 rolls around, more affluent families will blindly do Roth Conversions without evaluating the true cost that large amounts of additional...read more

11/06/09 - 7 Year-End Tax Planning Strategies

Nobody likes paying more taxes than they have to but that is exactly what the average investor does. How? By failing to implement strategies that...read more

04/17/09 - Accounting Rule: Mark to Market, Mark to Reality, or Mark to Fantasy

I have never heard people discuss accountants as much as I have over the last eighteen months of the economic downturn.  It became even more...read more

12/18/08 - Search for Gains in IRA Losses

This year’s challenging market environment presents investors with some unique opportunities to turn lemons into lemonade if the situation is...read more

12/01/08 - Roth Conversions: The Time is Prime

Every cloud has a silver lining. The unfortunate downturn in the market lately has many people concerned about whether or not they will be able to...read more

02/20/08 - Father Time

My how time flies!  Believe it or not, it is that time of year again.  That is, tax filing time when accountants will be scurrying about...read more

10/06/07 - Congress Closes Upcoming Tax Break

Income shifting between parents and children has long been a strategy of affluent and even middle class parents to reduce taxes and help children...read more

04/16/07 - AMT - Alternative Minimum Tax - How it may soon affect you!

Hopefully AMT reform is on the way if you believe what the politicians are telling you. A bipartisan group of senators in January introduced a...read more

02/23/07 - The IRS Rains on the IRA Parade

Leave it to the Feds to rain on our parade.  A few months ago, I excitedly wrote about how the 2006 Pension Reform Act had liberated the...read more

01/23/07 - Overview of the Kiddie Tax and its Implications

On May 17 th 2006, Congress passed the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act. One of the provisions of this Act increased the age of...read more

12/04/06 - Valuable Year End Tax Planning Strategies for Investment Assets

The end of the year has snuck up on us once again, so, it is time for me to discuss year end tax saving strategies.  The equity markets are...read more

11/21/06 - Taxes: The Natural Enemy of Investors

Everybody knows that taxes are a drag on performance, but I am constantly surprised at the number of investors that blithely pay taxes each year...read more

03/27/06 - The Biggest Retirement Tax Break You Never Heard Of

If you have employer stock in your retirement account rolling it over to an IRA could be the worst financial mistake you ever make.  An obscure...read more

03/02/05 - Keeping Uncle Sam Out of Your Pocket

Investing money is all about keeping your eye on the prize.  In the real world individuals are hard pressed to spend theirs before tax returns. ...read more

12/13/04 - Year-End Tax Planning for Investment Assets

Investors often make the mistake of focusing on the wrong investment metric. Typically your investment goal should be to maximize your after tax...read more

12/13/04 - How About Another Tax Break?

If you've itemized your tax deductions in the past, then it's no surprise that you've probably been able to deduct your mortgage interest, state...read more

07/14/04 - Tax Savings for Retirement Plan Beneficiaries

One of the biggest impediments to obtaining wealth is taxes.  Many individual retirement beneficiaries may be missing out on a huge tax break...read more

07/04/04 - Muni Bonds: The Anti Tax Solution

Unless you've spent the last ten years in a cave, you're likely to have heard about the tax advantages that many municipal bonds (muni bonds) can...read more

03/10/04 - Cures For Ailing Roth IRA's

How has your Roth IRA fared since the revolutionary retirement vehicle first became available in 1998? The stock market had a remarkable recovery...read more

03/01/04 - Itemizing vs. Taking The Standard Deduction

This year, millions of do-it-yourselfers are going to prepare their own tax return for 2003.  Are you going to miss out on the advantages of...read more

02/19/04 - Are Your Tax Deductions Legitimate?

It's important that you know what deductions are available, since you could significantly reduce your tax liability with a little preparation on...read more

02/18/04 - Catching Up On The Alternative Minimum Tax

If you have never heard of the Alternative Minimum Tax pay very close attention because chances are it will affect you in the future and the...read more

01/24/04 - Understanding The New Reduced Tax Rates for Dividend and Capital Gains

A clear understanding of the new reduced tax rates on dividends and long term capital gains will allow you to take advantage of these very...read more

01/18/04 - Tax Advantages of Employer Stock

Understanding the tax consequences of holding employer stock in a retirement plan can yield huge tax savings at retirement.  Holding employer...read more

01/17/04 - How To Avoid A Tax Audit

Every year millions of U.S. taxpayers get very creative with the types of tax deductions they chose to list on their Federal Income Tax Return. ...read more

09/18/03 - AMT Likely To Hit More Taxpayers Under The New Tax Act

While most taxpayers will see lower tax bills under the new tax act, many will find part of their savings taken back by a tax they may not be...read more

08/25/03 - The Nitty Gritty on Wash Sales and Tax Losses

Despite all the talk about dwindling portfolios over the past three years, one benefit of the bear market of the early 2000's was the ability to...read more

02/11/03 - IRS Home Sweet Home Sale Rules

The Internal Revenue Service has proposed new regulations that make it easier for people who don't meet the standard two-year home-sale rule to...read more

01/18/03 - Dividend Tax Reform

The President's vision for tax reform and fiscal stimulus triggered an immediate hostile reaction from the opposing party. Politics as usual in...read more

01/08/02 - New Generation of Tax Managed Funds

A third generation of tax managed index funds adds dividend management to capital gains management enhancing the already formidable tax advantages...read more

11/18/01 - New Capital Gain Rules Go Into Effect Soon

Now that you've had time to become familiar with the capital gains rules passed by Congress as part of the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act, it's time to...read more

09/10/01 - Prepare Now For 'New' 2010 Tax On Inherited Property

Taxpayers with sizable estates may be ecstatic that the new tax act repeals the federal estate tax, but many may not realize that repeal has a few...read more

08/03/01 - Use Income Tax Reductions To Fund Your Goals

Americans are about to receive some serious tax relief. Tax reduction was a prime concern of the Bush Administration, and the new president got...read more

08/03/01 - IRS Dramatically Simplifies Minimum Distribution Rules

If you have already begun taking out required distributions from an individual retirement account or qualified retirement plan, expect to soon, or...read more

08/03/01 - IRS Simplifies Required Minimum Distributions

In a sweeping simplification last week the IRS published new Proposed Regulations covering Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) from pension plans...read more

01/08/00 - The Beauty of Conversion

The distribution options after the traditional IRA's required beginning date leave more than a little to be desired. As discussed in previous...read more