Author: Nicole Easton

Even though tax filing season is well under way, there’s still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2019. You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $6,000 for 2019 ($7,000 if you were age 50 or older on December 31, 2019). For most taxpayers, the contribution […]

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was enacted in December 2019 as part of a larger federal spending package. This long-awaited legislation expands savings opportunities for workers and includes new requirements and incentives for employers that provide retirement benefits. At the same time, it restricts a popular estate planning strategy for […]

The $1.4 trillion spending package enacted on December 20, 2019, included the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, which had overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives in the spring of 2019, but then subsequently stalled in the Senate. The SECURE Act represents the most sweeping set of changes to retirement legislation in […]

Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts change annually. Here’s a look at some of the costs that will apply in 2020 if you’re enrolled in Original Medicare Part A and Part B. Medicare Part B premiums According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), most people with Medicare who receive Social Security benefits […]

Whether at home, work or on a cell phone, it’s a scenario many Americans have found themselves in: answering a phone call only to find out it’s from an unwanted robocaller. In fact, the number of unwanted robocalls in this country has skyrocketed in recent years. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ranks unwanted robocalls highest […]

On December 13, 2019, the United States and China announced a “phase one” trade agreement just before new tariffs were scheduled to go into effect.1 Six days later, the House of Representatives passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in an overwhelming bipartisan vote, virtually assuring enactment of the long-awaited replacement to the North American Free […]

Everyone should have an estate plan which has a will, a trust, or both. Although estate plans have a way of being dismissed once created, they cannot be filed away until needed. A regular review is required. The answers to the following questions may suggest redrafting is in order. Is the estate plan still tax […]

Dear Trust Officer: I’m intrigued by something I heard about recently called a “dynasty trust.”  What is that, and how does it work? — Legacy builder DEAR LEGACY BUILDER: Traditionally trusts with private beneficiaries were not permitted to last forever, but had to have a determinable end date.  This policy was enforced by the “rule […]

To make it possible for voluntary retirement savings to keep up with inflation, the various numerical limits embedded within qualified retirement plans are indexed for inflation. The IRA contribution limit stays at $6,000 if the individual is younger than age 50 in 2019, and $7,000 if he or she attains age 50 or older in […]

(What you can do to experience happiness in old age) In no particular order: Stay outwardly focused by keeping your mind on the well-being and/or the activities of others.  If you can only do one thing, this is it. Everything below will help keep you outwardly focused. Take on volunteer jobs that will help others. […]