Healthcare Cost Drivers CMS found that overall healthcare spending growth has decreased slightly but is still elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels and is expected to continue to moderately grow. This article examines the factors underlying the forecasts. On June 25, 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its forecast on U.S. healthcare spending through 2033. The analysis, published in Health Affairs, estimated healthcare spending growth in 2024 and projected the growth into 2033. CMS found that overall healthcare spending growth has decreased slightly but is still elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels, and is expected to continue to…
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Beyond Prescription Drug Costs On August 16, 2022, President Joseph Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) into law. The broad bill, which covers healthcare, taxes, and climate change, had been passed around Congress in assorted versions with varying support for months, but under the specter of a record 40-year-high inflation rate, congressional Democrats ultimately came together to pass the IRA; no Republicans voted for the bill. Although the IRA is anticipated to result in $485 billion in total spending, the law actually stands to lower the U.S. deficit by approximately $300 billion across the next 10 years.…
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An Opportunity for Gift and Estate Planning at Low Valuations The disruption brought about by COVID-19 created certain industry “winners” and “losers.” Many of those that emerged as losers are small and medium-sized privately held businesses such as restaurants, bakeries, gyms, hair salons and spas, and the corresponding real estate holding entities that leased to such businesses, held retail and office space, and even apartment buildings. At this point, the most frequent question asked by business owners is: “Should I reopen my business or not?” While being on the losing side, it may be a good time for business owners…
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If clients fail to consider their heirs’ tax brackets when crafting estate plans, heirs could lose more money to taxes than they need to. Dividing taxable and tax-deferred accounts in accordance with the unique financial situation of each heir can lead to better results. To read the full article in Kiplinger, click: Equal Shares for Heirs? Not Unless You Take Taxes into Account.
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After the death of a spouse, a client has several options for handling the retirement accounts that belonged to the deceased. Here is a brief overview of the financial implications of different strategies for managing IRAs and Roth IRAs. This helpful chart shows the rules and requirements related to distributions for clients who inherit a Roth IRA. To read the full article in MarketWatch, click: Tips for Managing an Inherited IRA.
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Company retirement plans have changed significantly over the past few decades, with a few trends coming on strong. In light of the fact that 401(k) participants are famously hands-off, plans have increasingly added “nudge” features to get more people saving: Roughly two thirds of plans now offer automatic enrollment, for example, up from just about half in 2012. Roth accounts have also shot up in popularity. To read the full article in Morningstar, click: Is it Ever a Good Idea to Hold Company Stock in a 401(k)?
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Changes in the tax code have doubled the standard deduction, meaning that clients who donate money to charity may not see the tax benefits to which they are accustomed. Advisers can help by encouraging clients older than 70½ to use qualified charitable distributions and having younger clients use gift clumping strategies. Volume 1 of The Adviser’s Guide to Financial and Estate Planning has several chapters dedicated to charitable and giving strategies. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: How to Realize Tax Benefits for Charitable Clients.
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The surprise split of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie puts advisors on alert: Are you prepared with appropriate retirement and tax advice if your clients divorce? It’s unlikely that Bezos will have to crack open his Amazon 401(k) or IRA to get through this event. But for your average client, that’s exactly where most of their wealth may be. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: Tax Traps for Divorcing Clients.
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If stock market volatility has drained value from your traditional IRA, this might be a good time to convert the account into a Roth IRA to take advantage of tax-free asset growth. The move may be especially appealing for retirees who have delayed their Social Security benefits and are younger than 70½. To read the full article in CNBC, click: This Failing Market Offers an Opportunity to Cut Your Taxes in Retirement.
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Retirement assets received in a divorce settlement may be available to creditors, a federal court has ruled. The decision may have far-reaching consequences for clients. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: Another Crack in Bankruptcy Protection for Clients.
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Retirees may face a more complicated tax situation than when they were still working. For example, a portion of their Social Security benefits may be taxed at the federal level if their combined income, which is their adjusted gross income, plus any non-taxable interest and 50% of their benefits, exceeds a certain limit. Their retirement benefits may also be subject to state income taxes. Those who reach the age of 70 1/2 will have to take mandatory distributions from tax-deferred accounts that could boost their taxable income. To read the full article in FinancialPlanning, click: Beware of Hidden Taxes in…
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With the Social Security Administration’s recent update on its long-term financial health, advisors and their clients now have a new time frame for the anticipated depletion of the retirement program trust fund. Unless Congress acts, the trust fund is expected to run out of money in late 2034, at which point Social Security will be able to cover just 77% of retirement benefits. To read the full article in FinancialPlanning, click: Enough About Social Security: For Some, Pensions Are the More Immediate Issue.
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The key to implementing this suggested strategy is establishing auto-IRA plans to workers who lack a 401(k) option with a preset percentage of wages to be contributed to the plan. This would create a retirement nest egg that would not be linked to any one employer, but rather would stay with the worker throughout a career. To read the full article in FinancialPlanning, click: Could this Simple Social Security Strategy Solve the Retirement Crisis?
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Qualified charitable distributions can offer a tax-saving opportunity, and they may be more advantageous to consider under the new tax law. QCDs, which are available only for certain clients, count toward required minimum distributions and are excluded from income. To read the full article in InvestmentNews, click: Why Aren’t Clients Using QCDs? Help Them!
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Retirees with multiple retirement accounts are advised to have a tax-efficient way of tapping into these accounts to minimize the tax bite, writes Morningstar’s Christine Benz. Retirees who have reached the age of 70 1/2 should take required minimum distributions from tax-deferred accounts, while those who are younger should draw from their taxable accounts, selling assets with the highest cost basis first, writes the expert. “Finally, tap company retirement-plan accounts and IRAs. Save Roth IRA assets for last.” To read the full article in FinancialPlanning, click: Get a Tax-Smart Plan for In-Retirement Withdrawals: Retirement Scan.
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What Tax Reform Could Mean for Annuities Republican lawmakers have said a tax overhaul framework would retain incentives meant to encourage retirement security, but uncertainty remains about the direction that reform will take. This article summarizes several ways changes in federal tax laws could affect annuities, charitable giving, and other aspects of retirement planning. To read the full article in ThinkAdvisor, click: Seven Ways the New Tax Fight Could Hit Annuities.
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Due to “extremely low” demand and high costs, the Treasury Department announced that it is ending the myRA retirement savings program. Treasury says it is notifying participants about the ending of the program and giving them information on how to move their myRA savings into Roth IRAs. To read the full article in The Tax Adviser, click: Treasury Ends myRA Retirement Savings Program.
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Ditch the 4 Percent Rule. Here’s How to Handle Your Retirement Withdrawals It might be time to scrap the 4% retirement rule, as it could be unsafe if there are large portfolio losses in the early years of retirement. Here are three factors to weigh when developing a financial plan. To read the full article in CNBC, click: An Alternative to the 4% Rule.
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The Benefits of Setting Up a Trusteed IRA Trusteed individual retirement accounts are not right for every circumstance, but they can provide additional control over assets. For example, trusteed IRAs can help clients determine what happens to assets after the death of a beneficiary, which can be especially useful for clients who have been married multiple times. Talk with your clients about trusteed and other types of IRAs. To read the full article in FinancialPlanning, click: When You Should Establish an IRA as a Trust.
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Estate Planning Missteps Create a Burden for Beneficiaries Mistakes such as failing to create an inventory of assets, having too many accounts or not including a see-through provision in a trust can complicate matters for beneficiaries who are left behind after a client dies. Proactive planning can help simplify the situation for a client’s loved ones. To read the full article in Kiplinger, click: Some of the Biggest Estate-Planning Mistakes People Make.