Indexed Annuities If you want to participate in the potentially attractive returns of a market-driven investment but would also like a guaranteed return, an indexed annuity might be worth checking out. The performance of indexed annuities, also referred to as equity-indexed or fixed-indexed annuities, are tied to an index (for example, the Standard & Poor’s
Retirement Plan Distributions When it comes to receiving the fruits of your labor — the money accumulated in your employer-sponsored retirement plan — you are faced with a few broad options. Should you take the payout as systematic payments, a lifetime annuity, or a lump sum? Systematic Withdrawals Some retirement plans may allow you to
What Is a Traditional IRA? Traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a good way to save for retirement. If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan or would like to supplement that plan, a traditional IRA could work for you. A traditional IRA is simply a tax-deferred savings account that has several
What Is a 401(k) Plan? A 401(k) plan is a self-directed, qualified retirement plan established by an employer to provide future retirement benefits for employees. Employee contributions are made on a pre-tax basis, and employer contributions are often tax deductible. If you have a Roth 401(k) option, contributions are made with after-tax dollars, but qualified
How Should I Manage My Retirement Plan? Employer-sponsored retirement plans are more valuable than ever. The money in them accumulates tax deferred until it is withdrawn, typically in retirement. Distributions from a tax-deferred retirement plan such as a 401(k) are taxed as ordinary income and may be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty
Save Now or Save Later? Most people have good intentions about saving for retirement. But few know when they should start and how much they should save. Sometimes it might seem that the expenses of today make it too difficult to start saving for tomorrow. It’s easy to think that you will begin to save
Is a Home Equity Loan Right for Me? Taxes are becoming an ever-increasing burden to Americans. Through the Tax Reform Act of 1986, Congress reduced or eliminated many of the ways that taxpayers can lower their taxes. Interest deduction is one of the areas that has been strongly affected by this tax reform legislation. Since
How Can I Keep More of My Mutual Fund Profits? Provisions in the tax code allow you to pay lower capital gains taxes on the sale of assets held more than one year. The long-term capital gains tax rate is 15% for taxpayers in the 25%, 28%, 33%, and 35% tax brackets but increases to
What Are the Basic Types of Life Insurance? One of the best ways to protect against the financial consequences of a primary wage earner’s premature death is life insurance. However, only about 6 out of 10 Americans actually own life insurance and half believe they do not have enough.1 However, choosing from the many types
529 Lesson Plan: High Scores for 529 College Savings Program Looking for a tax-advantaged college savings plan that has no age restrictions and no income phaseout limits — and one you can use to pay for more than just tuition? Consider the 529 college savings plan, an increasingly popular way to save for higher-education expenses,
