I have three kids. We are in the midst of college planning for my middle child, Peggy. October 1 was the first time you could complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It’s one of the important steps in selecting the best college for your child. As regular readers know, I’m a financial …
financial advisor
7 Year-End Tax Tricks
While you may be thinking about the kind of tricks mischievous kids play on houses that don’t give out Halloween candy, now is also a good time to consider how your taxes for 2018 will shape up. With two months left in the calendar year, tax time will come around faster than teenagers emptying the …
4 Ways to Cope with SALT Limitation
In Minnesota we are accustomed to paying lots of state income tax. We have the 20th highest state tax. Typical state and local taxes in Minnesota amount to 11.57 percent of adjusted gross income — about 7.56 percent more than the national average according to wallethub.com. While it stinks to pay so much in state taxes, …
What’s Your Retirement IQ?
Most people have a lot pre-conceived notions about retirement—some of them true, some of them false. I put together a list of 10 of the most common ones I hear on a daily basis so you can test your knowledge about how to put yourself in a great position to retire in comfort and grace. …
When do I need to do a required IRA distribution?
Most retired folks know that IRS rules require owners of retirement accounts to take distribution when they reach a certain age. It’s called the Required Minimum Distribution or RMD. But sometimes people get some of the details wrong. So here are a few things to remember about RMDs Getting the RMD wrong can sting If …
When Do Most People Retire?
Traditionally pension plans paid out at age 65. You can thank the “Iron Chancellor,” Otto von Bismarck of Germany for that. When he introduced a social security system to appeal to the German working class and combat the power of the Socialist Party in Germany during the late 1800s, he set the retirement age at 65. This …