Monthly Archives

October 2018

Oct 24
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Top 5 Things Baby Boomers Should Know

By | Retirement
  1. The Social Security COLA (cost of living adjustment) in 2019 will be 2.8%.

This is the largest COLA increase from the Social Security Administration since 2012.1

  1. Social Security benefits are often taxed.

If you work and are at full retirement age or older, you can earn as much as you want and your benefits will not be reduced; however, you may have to pay taxes on them. If your annual combined income is from $32-$44,000 filing jointly, you may have to pay taxes on 50% of your benefits. If your income is more than $44,000 filing jointly, then you may have to pay taxes on up to 85% of your benefits.2

Social Security calculates “combined income” by adding one-half of your Social Security benefits to your other income.2

  1. RMDs can have a profound effect on taxes.

Many people forget that RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions) begin at age 70½. You are required by the IRS to start withdrawing money annually from your 401(k)s, traditional IRAs and other tax-deferred accounts using a precise formula, and you must do so by December 31st of each year or owe the income tax plus a 50% penalty.

Since you’ve never paid taxes on this money, you will owe income tax on your withdrawals based on your tax bracket for the year, and the income from your withdrawals are added in to the combined income amount that Social Security calculates. Some Baby Boomers are shocked at the amount of income tax they will actually owe, and come to the realization that their nest egg is actually much less than they thought.

RMDs, tax planning and income planning are the major reasons having a retirement plan in place is so important.

  1. Medicare isn’t free.

Not only is Medicare not free, but the premiums are usually deducted from your Social Security check.

Medicare health and drug plan providers often make changes to their policies each year, including changes to costs, coverage, deductible and coinsurance amounts, and what pharmacies and providers are in their network, so it pays to do your homework every year. Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7, and this is your opportunity to make new choices and pick plans that work best for you; changes made are effective as of January 1, 2019.

During Medicare Open Enrollment you can sign up for a Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) Plan, switch plans, drop your Part D coverage altogether, switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan or select a Medicare Advantage plan from another provider.

You should review drug costs because the prices of some brand-name drugs could be lower next year. As part of the recent tax plan changes, some drug manufacturers will pay more of the costs for enrollees in the drug coverage gap (also known as the “donut hole”) starting in 2019.3

  1. Everyone should have an estate plan

Estate plans are for the people you leave behind when you pass away. Here are some things you should be aware of:

  • An estate plan helps ensure your final wishes get carried out, and also let your family, trustees and health care providers know what your wishes are in terms of finances, possessions and end-of-life health desires.
  • Having a trust in place usually allows your estate to avoid probate court and keeps your finances private.
  • A will allows you to name guardians for minor children and to specify how possessions will be distributed. But if you have only a will in place, your estate will have to go through probate court, which could be a lengthy and costly process for your heirs. Probate also leaves your finances open to public scrutiny.
  • Beneficiaries you have named on individual life insurance policies, 401(k)s and other financial accounts take precedence over your estate planning documents. There have been cases where a former spouse has received financial benefits that weren’t intended, simply because the beneficiaries were never changed on individual accounts. Make sure you review and make updates to all documents on a regular basis.
  • The estate tax exemption, which was doubled by the latest tax legislation to $22.36 million per couple until 2025, means that you should investigate to see if or how you might be able to take advantage of the favorable tax laws while they exist.4

 

For more information about these issues as well as many other retirement issues, please call Bulwark Capital Management in Silverdale, Washington at 253.509.0395 or email us at invest@bulwarkcapitalmgmt.com.

 

Sources:
1 “Social Security Benefit to Increase 2.8 Percent in 2019,” AARP.org. https://www.aarp.org/retirement/social-security/info-2018/new-cola-benefit-2019.html (accessed October 16, 2018).
2 “Benefits Planner | Income Taxes And Your Social Security Benefit,” SSA.gov. https://www.ssa.gov/planners/taxes.html  (accessed October 16, 2018).
3 “Medicare ‘Doughnut Hole’ Will Close in 2019,” AARP. https://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-2018/part-d-donut-hole-closes-fd.html (accessed October 9, 2018).
4 “How the new tax law upends estate planning,” Financial-planning.com https://www.financial-planning.com/news/how-the-new-tax-law-changes-estate-planning-trusts-income-tax-planning  (accessed October 17, 2018).
Oct 24
0

Estate Planning Basics

By | Estate Planning

October is “Estate Planning Awareness Month.” Here are some basics about estate planning that everyone should know.

Everyone should have a plan

Even if you think “you’re not rich enough” to have an “estate,” unless you’re homeless or destitute you should have an estate plan in place. Estate plans provide for the people you leave behind when you pass away, and help ensure that your final wishes get carried out. The last thing you want is your family members fighting over dishes or fishing poles when you’re gone, or having to sell the family home or take other drastic measures just to get by.

Often estate plans help reduce taxation to heirs. Even though the estate tax exemption doubled to $11.18 million for singles ($22.36 million for couples) as a result of the tax legislation passed last December, the exemption drops back down to 2017 levels after 2025, so it’s important to plan now to help take best advantage of estate tax laws for your particular situation.1

There are important differences between wills and trusts

  1. Having a trust in place usually allows your estate to avoid probate court and keeps your finances private. Trust assets are usually distributed by the trust executor once a death certificate has been issued and funds are available immediately to your family. If there are no estate planning documents, or if there is just a will in place, your family will have to go through probate court, which can take a very long time in some states, and can be very costly in terms of legal fees. Additionally probate court proceedings are generally published in the newspaper so that your financial situation and your assets become public knowledge. 2
  2. A will is the document used to specify guardians for minor children. 2
  3. It is often recommended that a will be used with a “pour-over” provision for all assets not specifically named in a trust; and/or that an exhibit or list of items be attached to a will to name individual gift recipients, be the items large or small, valuable or just sentimental.

Beneficiary designations take precedence

Beneficiaries you have named on life insurance policies, bank accounts and/or 401(k)s or IRA accounts take precedence over your estate planning documents. 3 This is extremely important to address, and all docs should match so that there are no conflicts or surprises later. Life changes such as divorces, deaths or birth of new children/grandchildren require that your documents and beneficiaries be updated. That’s why regular reviews are critical—we recommend annual reviews of all your documents, policies and accounts.

Attorneys may not know financial ramifications

Estate attorneys can create the documents you need, but they may not know about all the ins and outs of investments and insurance policies that can help expedite efficient wealth transfer, reduce potential problems and/or mitigate taxation as laws morph and change. Most experts agree that you need a team which includes your estate attorney, your CPA or tax preparer, and your financial advisor or wealth planner.

The importance of digital assets

Online assets are a new area of estate planning that need to be incorporated into your plan. The Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, which has been passed in most states, provides that an owner of digital assets can specify who will be able to access and dispose of any digital assets after death so that email accounts, social media accounts, PayPal accounts, domain names, intellectual property stored on a computer and other things like virtual currency can be accessed by heirs. 4

Let’s work together to update or create your estate plan. Call the financial advisors at Bulwark Capital Management in Silverdale, Washington at 253.509.0395 or email us at invest@bulwarkcapitalmgmt.com.

 

Sources:
1 “How the new tax law upends estate planning,” Financial-planning.com https://www.financial-planning.com/news/how-the-new-tax-law-changes-estate-planning-trusts-income-tax-planning  (accessed October 18, 2018).
2 “Will vs Trust: Knowing The Difference,” Investopedia.com.  https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/051315/will-vs-trust-difference-between-two.asp (accessed October 18, 2018).
3 “Why Beneficiary Designations Override Your Will,” Thebalance.com. https://www.thebalance.com/why-beneficiary-designations-override-your-will-2388824 (accessed October 18, 2018).
4 “The Big Hole in Estate Plans: Digital Assets,” Thinkadvisor.com.  https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2018/10/04/the-big-hole-in-estate-plans-digital-assets/ (accessed October 18, 2018).