It’s a frequently asked question, “Are my home improvements tax-deductible? “For most people when you’re doing home improvements it’s a personal expense.” according...
Tag: financial planning
How Income-Hungry Retirees Can Score Safe Yield for First Time in Years
Junk bond yields might seem attractive, but investors should be careful with them as the possibility of a recession looms. Barron’s Staff Illustration; Dreamstime (1) Text size Investors have go...
America’s Retirement System Is Broken. This Economist Is Trying to Fix It.
Economist Alicia Munnell has been telling America it has a retirement problem for decades, and by most measures it has gotten worse. Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research, which she heads, c...
Retirees Should Gird for a Long Run of High Inflation. Here’s How.
Retirees and seniors who are feeling the pinch of higher prices could be in for a long struggle as inflation shows few signs of peaking. But financial experts say there are some smart strategies that ...
How to Invest Your Cash for the Best Yields, Without Too Much Risk
Inflation is stubbornly high and interest rates on savings accounts aren’t anywhere close to keeping pace. While the yield on a two-year Treasury is now 3.28%, up from just 0.17% a year ago, the avera...
IRS boosts mileage rate deductions as gas prices soar to $5 a gallon
Guy Benhamou sends a picture of gas prices to friends while pumping gas at an Exxon Mobil gas station on June 9, 2022 in Houston. Brandon Bell | Getty Images If you’re self-employed or own a sma...
Charles Schwab will pay $187 million to settle SEC robo-advisor claims
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission headquarters in Washington on Feb. 23, 2022. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Charles Schwab agreed to pay $187 million to settle an SEC investigation in...
Taking RMDs During a Downturn Hurts. Here’s How to Manage the Pain.
Is it better to rip off a bandage and get the pain over with or to remove it slowly and gently, limiting the pain while prolonging it? That’s essentially the question facing seniors who have spent dec...
Tax-loss harvesting turns losses into gains. Here’s when to skip it
When the stock market dips, a strategy known as tax-loss harvesting can be a silver lining. But it doesn’t make sense for all portfolios, financial experts say. Here’s how tax-loss harve...
Need to tap your 529 college savings? How to handle a market downturn
Klaus Vedfelt | DigitalVision | Getty Images Months of stock market volatility may deliver a costly surprise to parents sending children to school this fall: smaller-than-expected 529 college savings ...
Still missing your tax refund? You’ll soon receive 5% interest
Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images If you’re still waiting for a tax refund, there’s a silver lining: it may be accruing interest, and the rate jumps to 5% from 4% on July 1, according to the...
Why it’s a good time for young investors to put money in the market
FG Trade | E+ | Getty Images Opportunities in the dip For young investors with the longest time horizons to plan for retirement, today’s market downturn also provides an opportunity, according t...
Investors need to keep emotions under control in this volatile market
NicolasMcComber | E+ | Getty Images Whether you’re new to investing or have been in the market for years, you may feel a little bit like you are lost at sea looking for a safe harbor. Investors are co...
Considering a Lump-Sum Pension Payout? Here’s What to Know, and Why to Act Soon.
Workers who are considering taking a lump-sum payment from their employer-sponsored pension in retirement shouldn’t wait much longer to decide, as the Federal Reserve’s planned series of interest-rate...
Empty-Nesters Aren’t Saving for Retirement Like They Promised. That’s a Problem.
Currently, a person 50 or older can stash as much as $27,000 a year into a 401(k) and $7,000 into an IRA or Roth IRA. Photo illustration by Barron’s staff; (reference) Dreamstime (4) Text size ...
Tax pros ‘horrified’ by IRS decision to destroy data on 30 million filers
courtneyk | E+ | Getty Images An audit by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration revealed the IRS has tossed data for millions of payers, sparking anger from the tax community. The mate...
Here’s why a Roth IRA conversion may pay off in a down market
Morsa Images | E+ | Getty Images Soaring inflation, interest rate hikes and the war in Ukraine have sparked ongoing stock market volatility. But there may be a bright spot: the chance to save money on...
Consider These Signs When Deciding Whether to Wade Into the Market
Text size Some strategists see more pain ahead for global stocks even as they plan for better days. Dreamstime The hesitancy to buy this dip in global stocks is real. Whether it’s concern that the Fed...
Worried about a recession? Here’s how to prepare your portfolio
FG Trade | iStock | Getty Images More from FA Playbook: Here’s a look at other stories impacting the financial advisor business. “We all understand that markets go through cycles and reces...
Over 60 million tax returns could be completed automatically, study says
Tom Werner | DigitalVision | Getty Images The IRS may have the ability to automate nearly half of tax returns, according to a working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research. The agency co...