Americans expect to spend $8.8 billion on costumes, decorations, candy, and other Halloween purchases, according to the National Retail Federation.1 That’s enough money to purchase the New England Patriots ($3.8 billion), the Los Angeles Dodgers ($3.3 billion), the Hannah Montana franchise ($1 billion), Balmoral Castle in Scotland ($140 million), a private jet ($150 million), and […]
The simple answer is probably. Historically, the American economy has grown in fits and starts, otherwise known as recessions and expansions. As a result, it is likely there will be another recession in the United States. What are recessions? When gross domestic product (GDP), which is the value of all goods and services produced in […]
Would you give up a share of $62 billion? If your answer is no, then you may be a member of the relatively small group of Americans (36 percent) that takes all of the vacation days available to them each year.1 In survey after survey, workers consistently say paid vacation is one of the benefits […]
Have you paid medical expenses this year worth more than 10% of your adjusted gross income? Do you plan on buying your first home soon? Are you currently paying for higher education expenses? If you said yes to any of these scenarios, and you’re younger than age 59½, you may qualify to withdraw from your […]
Americans are passionate about taxes. We have reason to be. In recent years, Americans have spent more on taxes than on food, clothing, and housing combined.1 The Tax Foundation estimates Americans will pay $3.4 trillion to the federal government and $1.8 trillion to state and local governments in 2019.2 If you believe you’re paying too […]
Last month we shared the triple tax benefits of Health Savings Accounts (HSA) to help save for future healthcare costs. But how do you access the funds for out-of-pocket medical expenses once you’ve started saving? Like all qualified savings plans, you need to play by the IRS rules to enjoy the tax benefits and avoid […]
Have you recently inherited a loved one’s retirement assets? You should know that there is an income tax deduction available to you called the income in respect of a decedent, or IRD, deduction. When certain inherited assets are hit with both federal estate and income tax, this deduction can help offset the impact. Your IRD […]
Throughout history people have made inheritance choices that are inexplicable to others. In 1926, Harry Houdini left his magical equipment to his brother, his pulled-from-the-hat rabbits to the children of friends, and a series of random words to his wife. The words were a code that would let her know when he was in touch […]
The increasing costs of healthcare is one of the top concerns among Americans today. One option to consider to help pay for these costs is to take advantage of tax-advantaged savings specifically for health expenses through a Health Savings Account (HSA). HSAs offer three different tax advantages: 1) Contributions are deductible 2) Earnings are tax-deferred […]