Safe Retirement Income

Your Retirement Depends on It

Tim Barton, Chartered Financial Consultant

Pepin Wisconsin
715-220-4866

by 6 Comments

Medical Annuities Pay More

You are wondering what to do after your doctor explains you have a serious medical condition.  Not only is the thought of living out your remaining time, perhaps a bit impaired disturbing,  you and your spouse are wondering how to make your money last.  With the possibility of a future filled with increased medical bills and current yields at record lows,  you fear your savings are going to have to be drawn down to the point of depletion.

A possible solution is the medically underwritten annuity.  When applying for a medical annuity you provide your medical records to the insurance company who will then review them to determine your actuarial age.

After determining  the actuarial age it is compared to your chronological age and if  actuarial age is greater the annuity’s monthly income is increased accordingly.  This adjustment can be done jointly  even if your spouse’s health is good.

It has always been important and more so in this low interest rate environment to make sure a retiree’s savings lasts the rest of their and their spouse’s life.  The effort put into getting quotes on a medical annuity can bring a welcome peace of mind making it time well spent

On the positive side; medical science continues to advance at a fast pace so the initial prognosis could  in the end, turn out to be wrong, in which case you get to enjoy good health and a higher than normal lifetime income stream.

You may ask questions in the comments or contact me privately:

Tim Barton

Chartered Financial Consultant

by Leave a Comment

7 Methods to Avoid Probate

Probate is simply the Latin word for prove, which means that the estate probate process is the process by which your will is brought before a court to prove that it is a valid will. The courts charged with this responsibility are generally known as probate courts, which may actually supervise the administration or settlement of your estate.

Supervision of the estate settlement process by the probate court can result in additional expense, unwanted publicity and delays of a year or more before heirs receive their inheritance. The publicity, delays and cost of probate motivate many people to explore ways in which to avoid or minimize the impact of probating a will, including:

  1. State Statute If specific requirements are met, many states have made provision for certain estates to be administered without the supervision of the probate court, resulting in less cost and a speedier distribution to heirs.
  2. Form of Property Ownership The joint tenancy form of holding title to property allows ownership to pass automatically to the surviving joint tenant, who is normally the surviving spouse.
  3. Transfer on Death Many states have enacted Transfer on Death statutes that allow a person to name a successor owner at death on the property title certificate for certain types of property, including real estate, savings accounts and securities.
  4. Life Insurance Unless payable to the estate, life insurance proceeds are rarely subject to the probate process.
  5. Lifetime Giving Gifts given during life avoid the probate process, even if made shortly before death.
  6. Trusts A “Totten” trust, which is a bank savings account held in trust for a named individual, can be used to pass estate assets at death outside of the probate process.
  7. A revocable living trust, created during the estate owner’s lifetime, can be an effective way to avoid the expense and delay of probate, while retaining the estate owner’s control of his or her assets prior to death.

Proper planning may serve to minimize the impact of the probate process on your estate and heirs.

Any potential method of avoiding probate, however, should be evaluated in terms of its income and/or estate tax consequences, as well as its potential impact on the estate owner’s overall estate planning goals and objectives.

by 2 Comments

Probate Process for Your Estate

Probate is simply the Latin word for prove, which means that the estate probate process is the process by which your will is brought before a court to prove that it is a valid will. The courts charged with this responsibility are generally known as probate courts, which may actually supervise the administration or settlement of your estate.

The probate process is governed by state statutes that are intended to accomplish three primary objectives:

  1. To preserve estate assets.
  2. To protect the rights of creditors in the payment of their claims before the estate is distributed to the heirs.
  3. To assure that the heirs receive their inheritance in accordance with the terms of the estate owner’s will.

Once the estate’s personal representative (executor or administrator if the estate owner died without naming a personal representative) is approved by the probate court and posts any bond that is required, the probate process generally proceeds as follows:

  • The personal representative must “prove up” the will — prove that it is a valid will signed by the estate owner who was competent and not under duress or influence at the time of signing.
  • Notice must be given by the personal representative to all creditors to make prompt claim for any money owned to them by the estate.
  • The personal representative must prepare and file an inventory and appraisal of estate assets.
  •  The personal representative must manage and liquidate estate assets as appropriate to pay all debts, fees and taxes owed by the estate.
  • Finally, the remaining estate must be distributed to the heirs in accordance with the estate owner’s will (or the state laws of intestacy if there was no will).

It is not uncommon for the probate process to require a year or more and considerable expense before the estate is finally settled.

Proper planning, however, can serve to minimize the impact of the probate process on your estate and heirs.

by Leave a Comment

Remember Retirement When You Change Jobs

 

WHEN YOU CHANGE JOBS

You May Have an Important Decision to Make…

What to do with your money in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan. Since these funds were originally intended to help provide financial security during retirement, you need to carefully evaluate which of the following options will best ensure that these assets remain available to contribute to a financially-secure retirement.

Take the Funds:

You can withdraw the funds in a lump sum and do what you please with them. This is, however, rarely a good idea unless you need the funds for an emergency. Consider:

  • A mandatory 20% federal income tax withholding will be subtracted from the lump sum you receive.
  • You may have to pay additional federal (and possibly state) income tax on the lump sum distribution, depending on your tax bracket (and the distribution may put you in a higher bracket).
  • Unless one of the exceptions is met, you may also have to pay a 10% premature distribution tax in addition to regular income tax.
  • The funds will no longer benefit from the tax-deferred growth of a qualified retirement plan.

Leave the Funds:

You can leave the funds in your previous employer’s retirement plan, where they will continue to grow on a tax-deferred basis. If you’re satisfied with the investment performance/options available, this may be a good alternative. Leaving the funds temporarily while you explore the various options open to you may also be a good alternative. (Note: If your vested balance in the retirement plan is $5,000 or less, you may be required to take a lump-sum distribution.)

Roll the Funds Over:

You can take the funds from the plan and roll them over, either to your new employer’s retirement plan (assuming the plan accepts rollovers) or to a traditional IRA, where you have more control over investment decisions. This approach offers the advantages of preserving the funds for use in retirement, while enabling them to continue to grow on a tax-deferred basis.

Why Taking a Lump-Sum Distribution May Be a Bad Idea:

While a lump-sum distribution can be tempting, it can also cost you thousands of dollars in taxes, penalties and lost growth opportunities…money that will not be available for future use in retirement.

by Leave a Comment

Taxable VS. Tax Deferred Investments

How much would you have to earn each year from a taxable investment in order to equal earnings on a tax-deferred investment? This chart illustrates the potential benefits of a tax-deferred investment vs. a taxable investment.

Annual Tax-Deferred Yield Federal Income Tax Bracket:
10% 15% 25% 28% 33% 35%
Annual Taxable Equivalent Yield
3% 3.33% 3.53% 4.00% 4.17% 4.48% 4.62%
3.5% 3.89% 4.12% 4.67% 4.86% 5.22% 5.38%
4% 4.44% 4.71% 5.33% 5.56% 5.97% 6.15%
4.5% 5.00% 5.29% 6.00% 6.25% 6.72% 6.92%
5% 5.56% 5.88% 6.67% 6.94% 7.46% 7.69%
5.5% 6.11% 6.47% 7.33% 7.64% 8.21% 8.46%
6% 6.67% 7.06% 8.00% 8.33% 8.96% 9.23%
6.5% 7.22% 7.65% 8.67% 9.03% 9.70% 10.00%
7% 7.78% 8.24% 9.33% 9.72% 10.45% 10.77%
7.5% 8.33% 8.82% 10.00% 10.42% 11.19% 11.54%
8% 8.89% 9.41% 10.67% 11.11% 11.94% 12.31%
8.5% 9.44% 10.00% 11.33% 11.81% 12.69% 13.08%
9% 10.00% 10.59% 12.00% 12.50% 13.43% 13.85%
9.5% 10.56% 11.18% 12.67% 13.19% 14.18% 14.62%
10% 11.11% 11.76% 13.33% 13.89% 14.93% 15.38%

This chart illustrates the potential benefits of a tax-deferred investment vs. a taxable investment. For example, if an investor in the 25% federal income tax bracket purchases a tax-deferred investment with a 5% annual yield, that investor’s taxable equivalent yield is 6.67%. This means the investor would need to earn at least 6.67% on a taxable investment in order to match the 5% tax-deferred annual yield.

This chart is for illustrative purposes only and is not indicative of any particular investment or performance. In addition, it does not reflect any federal income tax that may be due when an investor receives distributions from a tax-deferred investment.

by Leave a Comment

The 3 Sources of Retirement Income

  What Are the Available Sources of Retirement Income?

When you retire and your earning power ceases, you will have to depend on three primary sources for your retirement income:

 

Social Security

  • According to the Social Security Administration, the average retired worker in 2015 receives an estimated $1,328 monthly benefit, about 40% of average preretirement income. As pre-retirement income increases, however, the percentage replaced by Social Security declines.

Employer Sponsored Plans and IRAs

  • You may be eligible to participate in a retirement plan established by your employer and receive pension income at your retirement. You may also be able to contribute to an individual retirement account (IRA) to supplement Social Security and pension benefits.

Home Ownership and Personal Retirement

  • For many people, there is a gap between the retirement income they can expect from Social Security and employer-sponsored plans/IRAs and their retirement income objectives. Home equity can be used to bolster retirement security.
  • Personal retirement savings, including bank and brokerage accounts and insurance and annuity contracts, can be used to bridge a retirement income gap.

If sufficient retirement income is not available, will you defer your retirement age, or will you choose to reduce your standard of living?

 

by Leave a Comment

What is Trust?

What is Trust?

The word “trust” is applied to all types of relationships, both personal and business, to indicate that one person has confidence in another person.

For our purposes, a trust is a legal device for the management of property. Through a trust, one person (the “grantor” or “trustor”) transfers the legal title of property to another person (the “trustee“), who then manages the property in a specified manner for the benefit of a third person (the “trust beneficiary“). A separation of the legal and beneficial interests in the property is a common denominator of all trusts.

In other words, the legal rights of property ownership and control rest with the trustee, who then has the responsibility of managing the property as directed by the grantor in the trust document for the ultimate benefit of the trust beneficiary.

A trust can be a living trust, which takes effect during the lifetime of the grantor, or it can be a testamentary trust, which is created by the will and does not become operative until death.

Also, a trust can be a revocable trust, meaning that the grantor retains the right to terminate the trust during lifetime and recover the trust assets, or it can be an irrevocable trust; one that the grantor cannot change or discontinue the trust or recover assets transferred from the trust.

Trusts are used: 

  • To provide management of assets for the benefit of minor children, assuring the grantor that children will benefit from trust assets.  They will not have control of the trust assets until the child is at least age of maturity.
  • To manage assets for the benefit of a disabled child, without disqualifying the child from receiving government benefits.
  • To provide for the grantor’s children from a previous marriage.
  • As an alternative to a will (a “revocable living trust”).
  • To reduce estate taxes and, possibly, income taxes.
  • To provide for a surviving spouse during his/her lifetime, with the remaining trust assets passing to the grantor’s other named beneficiaries at the surviving spouse’s death.

Trusts are complex legal documents and are not appropriate in all situations. Before establishing a trust, you should seek qualified legal advice.

by Leave a Comment

Another Role for Life Insurance

Another Role for Life Insurance…
The Wealth Replacement Trust

The Problem:

There can be significant tax advantages in giving appreciated assets to a charity. Examples include real estate and securities. If you were to sell an appreciated asset, the gain would be subject to capital gains tax. By donating the appreciated asset to a charity, however, you can receive an income tax deduction equal to the fair market value of the asset and pay no capital gains tax on the increased value.

For example, Donor A purchased $25,000 of publicly-traded stock several years ago. That stock is now worth $100,000. If she sells the stock, Donor A must pay capital gains tax on the $75,000 gain. Alternatively, Donor A can donate the stock to a qualified charity and, in turn, rece

ive a $100,000 charitable income tax deduction. When the charity then sells the stock, no capital gains tax is due on the appreciation.

When a donor makes substantial gifts to charity, however, the donor’s family is deprived of those assets that they might otherwise have received.

A Potential Life Insurance Solution:

In order to replace the value of the assets transferred to a charity, the donor establishes a second trust – an irrevocable life insurance trust – and the trustee acquires life insurance on the donor’s life in an amount equal to the value of the charitable gift. Using the charitable deduction income tax savings and any annual cash flow from a charitable trust or charitable gift annuity, the donor makes gifts to the irrevocable life insurance trust that are then used to pay the life insurance policy premiums. At the donor’s death, the life insurance proceeds generally pass to the donor’s heirs free of income tax and estate tax, replacing the value of the assets that were given to the charity.

by 1 Comment

Benefits of Retirement Plan In-Service Withdrawal Make Sense for You?

You might know that you can move money from your employer’s qualified retirement plan to an IRA when you leave the employer.  But do you know you may be able to take advantage of this opportunity while still employed by the company?  There can be big benefits to this move.

What is an In-Service Withdrawal?

Basically, some companies allow active employees to move funds from an employer-sponsored qualified plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), while still contributing to the plan. When handled as a direct rollover, an actively working employee (usually age 59½ or older) then can buy an Individual Retirement Annuity (IRA) without current taxation. Of course, if a withdrawal is not rolled over to a qualified plan or IRA, it is considered taxable income (and may be subject to a 10% federal penalty if less than age 59½). But done right, there can be advantages to making this move.

What are the Benefits of an In-Service Withdrawal?

Using an in-service withdrawal to fund a deferred annuity in an IRA can offer these potential benefits:

  1. You may be able to gain more control over the retirement funds.
  2. You may be able to protect your retirement funds from market volatility.
  3. You may be able to choose options you feel better suit your retirement needs.
  4. You may be able to ensure yourself a guaranteed income stream in retirement.

What are the Next Steps?

  1. Talk to a Pro: Talk to your financial professional and see if taking an in-service withdrawal to fund an individual retirement annuity may benefit you.
  2. Talk to a Plan Administrator: Talk to your employer’s plan administrator about eligibility and requirements. They can tell you if the plan allows in-service withdrawals, and about any rules, such as withdrawal limits, fund types, transfer timing, etc.

Importance of Direct Rollover

As you consider an in-service withdrawal, it’s important to be certain your financial professional and plan administrator handle it properly — as a direct rollover.

With a direct rollover, your funds transfer from the plan trustee directly to another qualified retirement plan or IRA. By doing so they are not subject to tax withholding.

If your funds transfer to you, the plan participant, plan administrators must withhold 20% for federal income tax purposes, even if you intend to roll all the funds over within the 60-day time limit. This is a critical detail; one you don’t want to dismiss.

Added Considerations: Get the Complete Picture

  1. Talk with a tax advisor about potential tax implications before moving money out of your retirement plan.
  2. Use the proper paperwork. Most qualified plans have specific forms for direct rollovers.
  3. Some qualified plans may cease matching contributions for a period after taking an in-service withdrawal.
  4. The tax code allows the following to be rolled over from a qualified plan as an in-service withdrawal: Employer matching and profit-sharing contributions Employee after-tax contributions (non-Roth)
  5. Employee pre-tax and Roth contributions after age 59½
  6. The tax code does not allow rolling over the following before age 59½:
  7. Employer safe harbor match or safe harbor non-elective contributions
  8. Employee pre-tax or Roth contributions

by Leave a Comment

What is the Marital Deduction?

What Is the Marital Deduction?

The marital deduction (I.R.C. Sections 2056 and 2523) eliminates both the federal estate and gift tax on transfers of property between spouses, in effect treating them as one economic unit.  The amount of property that can be transferred between them is unlimited, meaning that a spouse can transfer all of his or her property to the other spouse, during lifetime or at death, and completely escape any federal estate or gift tax on this first transfer.  However, property transferred in excess of the unified credit equivalent will ultimately be subject to estate tax in the estate of the surviving spouse.

The 2010 Tax Relief Act, however, provided for “portability” of the maximum estate tax unified credit between spouses if death occurred in 2011 or 2012.  The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 subsequently made the portability provision permanent.  This means that a surviving spouse can elect to take advantage of any unused portion of the estate tax unified credit of a deceased spouse (the equivalent of $5,000,000 as adjusted for inflation; $5,340,000 in 2014).  As a result, with this election and careful estate planning, married couples can effectively shield up to at least $10 million (as adjusted for inflation) from the federal estate and gift tax without use of marital deduction planning techniques.  Property transferred to the surviving spouse in excess of the combined unified credit equivalent will be subject to estate tax in the estate of the surviving spouse.

If the surviving spouse is predeceased by more than one spouse, the additional exclusion amount available for use by the surviving spouse is equal to the lesser of $5 million ($5,340,000 in 2014 as adjusted for inflation) or the unused exclusion of the last deceased spouse.

What Requirements Apply to the Marital Deduction?

To qualify for the marital deduction, the decedent must have been married and either a citizen or resident of theU.S. at the time of death.  In addition, the property interest (1) must be included in the decedent’s gross estate, (2) must pass from the decedent to his or her surviving spouse and (3) cannot represent a terminable interest (property ownership that ends upon a specified event or after a predetermined period of time).