Non-working spouses may be the most underserved financial partner of a family unit. But valuing a non-working spouse can be economically advantageous. As an example, a non-working spouse can contribute to an IRA without reportable income. That means non-working spouses under age 50 can contribute $5,500, (over age 50 -$6,500). If the effective tax bracket is 25%, you saved $1,625 with no corresponding income.
But how do you put a price tag on a stay-at-home, non-earning spouse. If that spouse is running the home, raising the children and participating in the community, how do you value that? Consider if that non-working spouse were no longer alive. How would the surviving spouse cope with all the functions that were performed by their deceased partner? Child and home care alone could run up a very pricey tab. Life insurance is the most economical solution for maintaining the lifestyle of the household.
What about insuring children and grandchildren? Most people don’t want to profit from the death of a loved one, especially a child or a grandchild. But nevertheless life happens, and sometimes life happens to you. But having life insurance on children isn’t for the low odds of such a dreadful scenario. It can be a living scenario like funding a child’s education or using it as a conservative alternative to bond holdings by using the child as the policy insured in a cash value life insurance policy. It can also start a child off on the right financial footing by securing coverage while the child is healthy. Keep in mind that cash value life insurance designed as a non-modified endowment contract can generate tax-free policy loans as long as the contract is kept in force. Why go to the bank when you can be the bank. That’s the purchasing power and self-reliance that children and grandchildren can learn at an early age.
Most people have a predisposition about risk. It’s generally environmental and based on family upbringing. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right, it’s just where you are, depending upon your financial literacy. Whether you know it or not, you ...
Released On: 12/27/2019
Views: 1932
There are mortality averages based on actuarial statistics that can approximate the life expectancy of the general population at large. But “averages” don’t address half of those who will exceed the norms. The more data you put into determining y ...
Released On: 12/26/2019
Views: 1867
For most wage earners and retirees taxes are the biggest expense they’ll ever have over their lifetime. Managing your tax bill effectively is learning to become a “gamer,” by avoiding tax traps and snares along life’s journey. You have to know th ...
Released On: 12/25/2019
Views: 1790
It’s rather stunning to discover that most baby boomers have never had a budget in their life, but they’re going to need one in retirement. Retirement may be the biggest motivator for most Americans to create a budget because retirees live month ...
Released On: 12/24/2019
Views: 1898
Life just happens, but there are predictable events common to most in our culture and most of those events have a financial impact. Planning for those predictable events can prepare you to meet many of these obligations. The life event checklist ...
Released On: 12/23/2019
Views: 1971
The Mortality Revolution may very well be the final frontier in mankind’s quest to beat death. So far, the grim reaper has won every time, but new timelines are emerging in human longevity that are delaying the inevitable. Prepare yourself for l ...
Released On: 12/20/2019
Views: 1790
Living longer is exacerbating over a dozen other retirement risks that threaten the vast majority of retirees and those near retirement. If the status quo continues, the retirement lifestyle of most seniors will be severely pared back. Watch the ...
Released On: 12/19/2019
Views: 1830
Most of the retirement plans currently operational have a significant flaw. They’ve grossly underestimated the increase in life expectancy over the last generation. But government and military pensions are in the greater financial jeopardy, becau ...
Released On: 12/18/2019
Views: 1804
The law of large numbers and changing demographics of life expectancy is having a significant impact on guaranteed lifetime annuities. Annuity manufacturers are touting their alpha with mortality credits and receiving newfound interest among fina ...
Released On: 12/17/2019
Views: 1821
The last 100 years have seen a significant increase in human longevity compared to the earliest records of mankind. The spike in longevity has caught the Western world by surprise. The effects of this revolution are affecting financial planning a ...
Released On: 12/16/2019
Views: 1776
There was a time when Social Security benefits were not exposed to ordinary income taxation. But over the years, small incremental steps were taken to tax the benefits. Maybe “means testing” may be implemented to shore up the vulnerable Social Se ...
Released On: 12/13/2019
Views: 1467
Collateralized loans are not characterized as income and are not reportable, as such, on your 1040 form. And because these loans are not forms of taxable income, they are not counted for the provisional income test for Social Security taxation. W ...
Released On: 12/12/2019
Views: 1932
Retirement, as it is today, is inherently crippled by taxes. You may very well have one million dollars in your retirement plan, but Uncle Sam may own up to 40% of it. Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Roth IRAs need to be reconsidered as a first ...
Released On: 12/11/2019
Views: 1735
Most American workers don’t comprehend the realities of retirement until they’re a few years from retirement date, which is often too late. They’re just too busy dealing with immediate financial pressures to understand the long-haul consequences ...
Released On: 12/10/2019
Views: 1766
Retirement will undergo a drastic reinvention as the newest generation redefines it's golden years in their investment habits and senior lifestyle goals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAdtMWBaseY&feature=youtu.be
Released On: 12/9/2019
Views: 1729
Your retirement account is only as big as your tax planning strategy. Your personal exemptions and standard deductions in retirement will not be enough to offset your tax bill. Tax management must be a major component of your retirement plan. Wat ...
Released On: 12/6/2019
Views: 1831
If you have longevity in your family, guaranteed income for life is a must consideration. If you think it’s reasonable that medical advances will impact your longevity, then guaranteed income for life may need to be in your retirement plan. Watch ...
Released On: 12/5/2019
Views: 1690
A happy retirement is based on math and science, not on wishful thinking and hoping things turn out right. You need to eliminate debt and risk in retirement and secure reliable income to generate the peace of mind that seniors desire in their gol ...
Released On: 12/4/2019
Views: 1438