by Jean Miller | Accounting News, News, Retirement, Tax, Tax Planning - Individual
Mismanaged money, investment duds, a blown budget (or no budget), bad habits, the proverbial hole in your pocket. If financial regrets weren’t a thing, we wouldn’t need the Dave Ramseys of the world, but there’s a difference between splurging on an artisan cup of coffee and making a financial blunder that could have ramifications for years to come.
Some red flags that you’re about to jump into a bad financial decision include needing to justify your rationale, a lack of thorough research and homework, depending on a payment you haven’t received, falling for a too-good-to-be-true scheme, and not paying attention to that internal tugging known as instinct. You might say that you’re effectively ignoring these red flags if you’re tempted by any of the following common financial mistakes that could cause long-term consequences.
Taking a Loan from a 401(k)
Yes, you usually have five years to pay it back, and yes, it’s your money after all, but those who borrow from their 401(k) usually reduce or suspend contributions while they’re repaying the loan. This means they’re going months or even years without contributions, missing out on investment growth and company matches. Not to mention the interest on the 401(k) loan. It’s also a gamble because if you leave your company, the loan must be repaid within 60 days.
Claiming Social Security Early
Waiting until age 70 to tap into your Social Security is your best bet, but it’s generally recommended to wait at least until your full retirement age (currently 66-67). The earliest age to withdraw benefits is 62, but your monthly check would be reduced by approximately 25% for the rest of your life.
Making the Minimum Payment on Credit Cards
With mounting interest costs, it can take years to pay off credit card debt, especially if consumers continue to spend with credit cards while only paying the minimum payment. If possible, transfer the balance to a lower-rate card, and always try to pay more than the minimum payment due. Even a small increase in monthly payments can save you on interest.
Not Saving for Retirement
Unless you’re fresh out of college, you should start saving for retirement yesterday. Don’t think you can wait until you start making more money. According to Morningstar, and assuming a 7% annual rate of return, someone who starts saving for retirement at 25 years old would need to save $381 a month to hit $1 million by the time they turn 65. Compare that to someone who starts saving for retirement at 35 ($820 a month) or 45 ($1920).
Foregoing Professional Advice
Do you have a valid will? Have you legally appointed beneficiaries for your retirement accounts? Financial advisors will help with this as well as anything from taxes and insurance to retirement savings and estate planning.
Refraining from Investing
Sure, there’s risk involved, but by diversifying your investment in a mix of large, small, domestic, and foreign stocks, you reduce the possibility of getting hit with a big loss. Perplexed on where to begin? See “Foregoing Professional Advice” above.
And while your nest egg should keep growing after retirement, most financial planners recommend decreasing risk by gradually pulling away from investing in stocks.
Falling for Scams and Raw Deals
According to the FTC, Americans lost a collective $765 million to telephone, text, mail, email and face-to-face scams in 2015. Requests to wire money; or pay fees before receiving anything; or provide personal information, bank information, or sensitive financial information should be met with extreme skepticism. If you suspect a scam, conduct a quick Google search with any information you have on the product or company, including key words like “scam” or “review”. If your suspicion is confirmed, be sure to file a complaint with the FTC and your local consumer protection office.
by Daniel Kittell | Accounting News, IRS, News, Retirement, Tax, Tax Planning - Individual
March Madness is upon us, and while that term often refers to college basketball, if you’re like the majority of Americans, it can also apply to tax season. The IRS tax deadline will be here before we know it, and while it might be late in the game to do much about lowering your tax bill or increasing your return, here are a few tips to help make your 2019 tax return as smooth, painless, and advantageous as possible.
Max out your traditional IRA
This is the easiest way to lower your tax bill after the end of the calendar year, and you can make contributions for the 2018 tax year until the April 15 tax deadline. Contributions top out at $5,500, or $6,500 for those 55 years and older, and it’s all deductible on your 2018 tax return. Contact me to see if this strategy will work for you.
Beware of common mistakes
It seems obvious, but common blunders include social security numbers with mixed-up digits, missing signatures, and bad bank account numbers. These mistakes could cost you, literally, so double and triple check your personal information.
To itemize or not to itemize?
Due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which nearly doubled the standard deduction, itemizing deductions is now obsolete for millions of taxpayers. Unless your financial situation has changed drastically, if you didn’t itemize in the past, you won’t need to do it now. The standard deduction for 2018 is $24,000, so unless your itemizable deductions top that number, itemizing isn’t worth it.
Contribute to your HSA
HSA funds can essentially act as an addendum to your retirement savings because funds can be invested and carried over year after year.
Can’t pay? File anyway
If you owe the IRS money, your unpaid balance will result in a penalty of 0.5% of the unpaid balance per month or partial month. However, failure to file will cost you a lot more: a monthly penalty of 5% of the amount owed. So even if you can’t pay, file your return or request an extension. Read on to find out what to do when you can’t pay the full balance.
Set up an installment plan
The IRS might not have the best reputation, but the agency will work with taxpayers who show that they’re trying to pay their taxes. An installment plan allows you to make monthly payments up to 72 months until the balance is paid in full. This requires a setup fee, but it’s less if you arrange for direct debit from your bank account, and interest on your unpaid balance will still apply.
Request more time if necessary
You can file for an extension before April 15 with Form 4868 for automatic approval, which will give you until October 15 to file your tax return. Keep in mind this extension is just for filing and doesn’t include an extension for payment on taxes owed. If you don’t pay by April 15, your bill will be subject to interest and penalties. However, you can request a 120-day grace period from the IRS to come up with the payment, but you’ll still owe interest and other fees on the balance until it’s paid off.
by Pete McAllister | IRS, News, Retirement, Tax Planning - Individual
Many workers dream of retiring early. Not everyone has a choice in the matter, but if you do, there are some disadvantages and challenges to be aware of. Even if you can afford to retire early, you might not want to.
Here are some disadvantages to be aware of when it comes to early retirement.
Finances
Savings in a traditional IRA or 401(K) can’t be withdrawn without penalty before age 59 ½, so in order to retire earlier, you’ll need to have enough savings in a traditional bank or brokerage account to cover your costs until then. As for social security benefits, you’re allowed to start claiming benefits at 62, but that’s before full retirement age, so claiming early could result in a permanent reduction in benefits (i.e. if your full retirement age is 66 and you claim benefits at 62, you’ll reduce your payments by 25%).
Healthcare
Medicare eligibility doesn’t kick in until age 65, so retiring earlier than that means having to absorb the cost of health insurance independently. If you retire with just a few months to go before Medicare kicks in, you have the option of obtaining short-term coverage, which helps pay for catastrophic medical events but doesn’t typically cover preventive care or pre-existing conditions. If you’re looking at a longer stretch between retirement and Medicare eligibility, you’ll need to shop around for major medical insurance. These plans are the most comprehensive for early retirees and cover a broad range of medical care, from doctor visits to major surgery.
Mental Health
Early retirees can have a difficult time adjusting to an unstructured schedule. With high levels of energy and drive, and a strong desire to still be productive, they risk sinking into boredom and depression as they progress deeper into retirement. Increased anxiety, dementia, and cardiovascular disease have all been linked to health risks of early retirement as well. For this reason, it’s a good idea to keep an open mind about returning to work should you start to feel that early retirement wasn’t as fulfilling as you’d hoped.
Be Prepared
Though there are some things to think about before retiring early, with careful planning and goal setting, you can make it work. It’s best to begin saving consistently (and early) – in a Roth IRA or traditional 401(K), but also in a nontraditional retirement plan so that you can have access to those funds before age 58 ½. Financial planners advise to save 30% of your income, as opposed to the conventional target of 10% or 15%. And transfer all tax refunds and bonuses into your nest egg as well. In short, cutting out your daily coffee house latte isn’t going to get you to early retirement.
by Stephen Reed | Construction, Healthcare, News, Retirement, Tax, Tax Planning - Individual, Tax Preparation - Individual
The end of 2018 is quickly approaching, but there are a few key money moves you should make before the new year, especially in light of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The higher standard deduction means more Americans will ditch itemizing their 2018 federal tax returns.
That means you should probably focus on year-end tax strategies that first lower taxable income, rather than maximize tax deductions. Here are a few key items to tackle before the ball drops on the new year.
Take Stock of Losses
If you follow the stock market, you know that the last few months have been volatile, so there’s a good chance that some of your investments have become losses. That might sound bad, but any losses that are in a taxable account, such as an investment account, bank account, or money market mutual fund, can be sold to offset other taxable investment gains in the same year. Furthermore, if your losses exceed your gains, you can apply up to $3,000 to offset ordinary taxable income from this year.
Max Out Retirement Savings
As close as possible, that is. The more money you put into your 401(k), the more financial security you’ll have in the long run, but a lot of these contributions also reduce your taxable income. At this point you probably only have one or two more paychecks from which to have funds withheld, but even a few hundred dollars more can provide some near-term tax relief as well as bolster your retirement savings.
Fund Your HSA
You have until the 2018 tax-filing deadline to fully fund your health saving account (HSA) in order to get a bigger deduction. The maximum limits are:
- Individuals: $3,450
- Families: $6,900
- 55 or older: an additional $1,000 catch-up contribution
These accounts can roll over indefinitely, so they’re a smart way to save for future medical expenses. HSAs also have a triple tax benefit: contributions are tax-deductible (even if you don’t itemize), earned interest is tax-free, and withdrawals are tax-free as long as they’re used to pay for qualified medical expenses.
Use Up Your FSA
The funds in a flexible spending account typically don’t roll over to the next calendar year. However, some employers allow $500 to carry over into the new year or grant employees until March to spend FSA funds. Even so, now is a good time to use the pretax dollars for doctor appointments, flu shots, and even some “everyday” drugstore items, such as non-prescription reading glasses, contact lenses and solutions, and reading glasses.
Maximize Deductions
If you’re wondering whether you should itemize your 2018 tax returns or take the standard deduction, here are a few last things to keep in mind:
- Medical treatment: If you spend more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income this year on medical expenses, you can deduct those costs.
- Property taxes: If you paid less than the $10,000 limit for state and local taxes, your state may allow you to prepay 2019 property taxes. This way you’ll get the most from the state and local taxes deduction.
- Mortgage Interest: Provided you’re not near the cap on the mortgage interest deduction, which is $750,000 after the new tax law, you can make your January mortgage payment in December to boost the amount of interest you paid during the 2018 tax year.
- Charitable donations: If you routinely give to charities, double up on contributions and make your 2019 donation before year’s end. If you put the double donation into a donor advised fund, which is like a charitable investment account, you’re eligible to take an immediate tax deduction. That means you can take the deduction for 2018 while your funds are invested for tax-free growth, allowing you to make distributions to charity next year or beyond.
by Jean Miller | News, Retirement, Tax, Tax Planning - Individual, Tax Preparation - Individual
The Treasury Department has announced retirement plan contribution limits, which are adjusted annually, for 2019. Because inflation has gone up a bit recently, contribution limits are also going up, which means you can save more money next year.
The maximum pre-tax contribution limit for an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is increasing to $6,000 in 2019 after a six-year stall at $5,500. An extra $500 may not seem like a big deal, but the investment will compound over time, making the increase especially valuable for younger workers. For example, an investment of $500 annually will amount to an extra $100,000 in retirement savings over 35 years.
Employees who participate in a 401(k) or similar workplace retirement plan can expect an increase from $18,500 in 2018 to $19,000 in 2019. That limit will also apply to 403(b), the Federal Government’s Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and most 457 plans. As a result of this change, workers can defer paying income tax on approximately $42 more per month.
For those 50 years old and over, catch-up contribution limits remain the same for 2019: $6,000 for workplace plans and $1,000 for IRAs. All of this combined means that savers over 50 have the potential to stash away $32,000 in 2019.
The maximum amount of annual compensation that can be taken into account when determining employer and employee contributions is increasing in 2019 from $275,000 to $280,000. However, highly compensated employees may face additional limits on contributions. Earning more than $120,000 in 2018 may qualify you as highly compensated for 2019 contribution limits, and earning more than $125,000 in 2019 may qualify you as highly compensated for 2020 contribution limits.
If you have any questions or would like to review your retirement plan contribution amounts together, please give me a call at 317.549.3091 or email me to schedule an appointment.
by Pete McAllister | News, Retirement, Tax, Tax Planning - Individual
Financial advisors commonly advise their clients to seek investments with high returns in order to maximize their retirement funds, but most investors don’t realize that high fees are eating into those earnings.
While fund fees have steadily declined in recent years, many investors don’t realize how much they’re paying in fees to begin with or how much these expenses and other investment costs are eating into their retirement savings. Remember that as your investment returns compound over time, so do the fees, which means your payments could accumulate to 2% or more.
Below are some of those hidden fees and what you can do to avoid them.
Expense Ratios
This refers to the annual fees charged by all mutual funds, index funds, and exchange-traded funds as a percentage of your investment in the fund. Expense ratios apply to all types of retirement funds, such as your 401(k), individual retirement account, or brokerage account, and they cut a percentage of your investment in the fund depending on its annual yield.
Mutual Fund Transaction Fees
This is a fee you pay a broker to buy and sell some mutual funds on your behalf, similar to a “trade commission” that a broker would charge to buy or sell stock.
Sales Load
These fees surface when a broker successfully sells a fund to you that has a sales charge or commission.
Administrative Fees
These fees are associated with maintaining your portfolio or brokerage account.
Brokerage Account Inactivity Fees
If your account allows you to buy and trade at any time, you could face an unexpected inactivity charge if you don’t trade for a few months.
To determine whether your retirement fees are too high, check the fee disclosure and look at the expense ratios on the mutual funds you are invested in. Likewise, check these fees before you invest in a mutual fund you are interested in.
To help balance your investment accounts and minimize your retirement fees, take advantage of lower-fee mutual funds if your 401(k) plan already has an expense ratio of over 1%.
Finally, be aware that fees may also be related to how much advice you’re getting and where that advice is coming from. Human advisors are more expensive than robo-advisors, and an actively managed fund will cost more than an index fund or an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
