There are four tax free income sources during retirement that you should be aware of and strategically employ to manage your annual taxes: Health Savings Accounts, Reverse Mortgage Income, Cash Value Life Insurance and Roth IRAs.
Health savings accounts are one of the most underfunded resources in retirement planning. Tax deductible contributions up to $6,550 per couple and a “catch up” provision of an additional $1,000 for those over age 55. You can also do a once in a lifetime transfer from your IRA to your HAS up to the annual contribution limit. You can make tax-free withdrawals for approved medical expenses and premiums. Health savings accounts may be the most valuable tax advantaged source of funds over a lifetime and especially in retirement. You’ll use it!
Reverse mortgage income is a housing solution for age 62 and older that may provide tax-free income for life by utilizing collateralized loans on your home equity. The program is called the home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) under HUD, and it’s insured by the FHA. Reverse mortgage income has several flexible applications besides lifetime income that can really benefit retirees in planning their retirement.
Cash value life insurance also uses the collateralized loans from the policy to generate tax-free income. To maintain it’s tax-free status, the policy must be issued as a non-modified endowment contract and kept in force for the life of the policy insured. There are several crediting options available depending upon your risk tolerance
Roth IRAs are a great funding option for those who are in a low effective tax bracket, but it’s also a great option to convert taxable qualified plans to. The conversion will cause an ordinary income tax event, but if you can remain in your tax bracket by converting your qualified plans over time it could be of great benefit to you. The ultimate goal is to convert taxable income to tax-free income before retirement.
One parting thought: none of these four tax-free income sources are includable in the provisional income test for Social Security benefits taxation. Some seniors conceivably could pay no tax if they used these four strategies.
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: 1975
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: 1891
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: 1816
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: 1918
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: 2004
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: 1810
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: 1853
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: 1828
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: 1842
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: 1798
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: 1492
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: 1956
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: 1760
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: 1792
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: 1756
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: 1855
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: 1716
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: 1465