Health savings accounts are accounts that are paired with high-deductible health plans. They are also a tax-efficient way to save for retirement offering savers a triple tax advantage, via tax-free contributions, investment growth and withdrawal (if money is used to pay qualified medical expenses). To qualify for an HSA you must have a high-deductible health care plan (HDHP) and must be 18 years old.
Retirement is just over the horizon and while most people have making ends meet during that period on their minds there is another extremely important part of aging that should be explored. Medicare! There is a 7-month initial enrollment period that begins 3 months before you turn 65, the month you turn 65 and 3 months after you turn 65. If you do not sign up during that window of time you will be penalized for late enrollment, which comes in the form of higher premiums (typically a 10% increase premiums).
When you have a job change or are facing retirement there are a number of decisions that need to be made. One of the more significant ones is what to do with your 401(k). The choice may seem straight-forward but it is anything but. When making this decision it is critical to weigh in all the factors to your decision.
Many believe that their money is locked in when you are a participant in a 401(k) or profit sharing plan through an employer where you are a participating and current employee. However, certain qualifying events allow employees to access their vested balance to either withdraw and/or roll over money from those accounts and still continue to contribute.
What happens to your Retirement account if you pass away? Retirement accounts offer an advantage in the way they can be passed to your beneficiaries without a costly Trust or extensive Probate of your estate. A beneficiary designation allows you to allocate your hard earned savings to your loved ones in any manner you choose. But, there are pitfalls that should be avoided when designating beneficiaries.
There are several planning tools at our disposal to help clients handle the often times very unpleasant idea of what happens to both our finances and ourselves if something horrible should befall you. Ones of particular urgency are executing documents for durable power of attorney and advance health care directives.
If you are in very good health, a high-deductible medical plan is an excellent way for you to cut your healthcare costs. Firstly, (and most obvious) it brings down your monthly premium. But, did you know that most of these plans can be coupled with a Health Savings Account (HSA)? You can save up to $3,450 (as an individual) for 2018. This gives us yet another avenue to save toward debts or toward your retirement. It is critical to any financial plan that individuals take advantage of any and all programs that fit their situation.
Are you retiring or changing jobs and have a rollover? Getting a bonus or expecting a large tax-refund. Let’s invest it!
There is a lot of discussion happening regarding the recently released GOP Tax Proposal. With pages and pages of proposed changes the most important thing to note is that this is a proposal, certainly not a finished product and the tax overhaul is far from certain. For you, our clients, not much has changed in the kind of preparation we believe you should be doing. As in every year, we want you to review your expenses, income and last year’s returns and of course, look at any what-if scenarios that may be on your horizon.
Many people say that their #1 retirement concern is now not outliving their money but the cost of health care in retirement. There is much debate over Medicare and health care costs overall. The important idea to take from this overall concern is that financial planners can be of assistance and bridging this gap can be addressed relatively simply.
