Type the words “safe withdrawal rate” into Google, and it’ll return more than a million results. I’m not surprised by this. People debate about practically everything in personal finance, but the debate around this question is particularly intense. For at least twenty-five years, the conventional [...]
Alvan Bobrow
Let me tell you about Alvan Bobrow. His tale—and specifically his lawsuit—are important for every investor to understand. That’s because the legal loophole he sought to exploit is now a pothole for everyone else. The first thing to know about Bobrow is that he is a tax attorney, and back in 2008, [...]
Four overlooked benefits of Roth conversions
Congress is back at it, aiming to change the tax laws again. Just since 2017, there has been the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the SECURE Act and the CARES Act, each of which contained tax provisions, some very significant. And as we speak, Congress and the White House are horse trading on another [...]
Five steps to sidestep the SECURE Act
Recently—as if on cue—Ebenezer Scrooge showed up in Washington. The result wasn’t pretty: A bill known as the SECURE Act, a favorite of the insurance industry, had been stuck in Congress all year. But suddenly, on December 20th, it got tacked onto another bill and signed into law. As far as I can [...]
The SECURE Act
When political parties set aside partisan bickering and agree on an issue, it's worth taking note. Such was the case last week when the House of Representatives voted 417–3 in favor of a bill known as the SECURE Act. This legislation would represent the most significant set of changes to retirement [...]
