All taxpayers can convert traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs in 2010 and later years. There's even a tax incentive to convert. But is conversion right for you? The strategy that puts the most after-tax wealth in your pocket is determined by many variables. That's why we developed our Retirement Watch IRA Conversion Spreadsheet. This unique calculator fills the information gap for IRA conversions. It allows you to change more variables than others and shows you the results in several formats. Read more...

You can have a portfolio that achieves the long-term returns of the stock market without the volatility and periodic steep losses of stocks. And you don't have to pay the high fees of hedge funds. We have done this with mutual funds, and the portfolio continues to beat the market with less risk. Read more...

Estate planning is about much more than taxes, but many people don't realize that. One way to avoid that trap is to think about legacy planning instead of estate planning. Everyone needs a legacy plan, even those with less than $1 million in assets. Read more...

The usual year-end tax strategies are complicated by the potential for significant tax increases, the lack of details we have today, and other unique factors. The right moves in the next few months could save you a lot of money. Read more...

One step you have to take after the turmoil of the last few years is to re-evaluate your spending plan. You have to decide if your spending rate needs to be adjusted and how to make any adjustments. Read more...

The financial crisis and market panic demonstrate why most of the investment plans for those in or near retirement are wrong. There are better ways to manage retirement money, but you will not learn about them from conventional advisors and sources. Read more...

Long-term care insurance has been a mainstream product only since the 1980s. It is evolving, and dramatic changes are occurring. In this visit, we review critical recent changes and discuss how you should respond. Read more...

In 2010 all taxpayers will have the opportunity to create a tax-free stream of retirement income by converting traditional IRAs into Roth IRAs — and receive a tax incentive to convert. Read more...

Most discussions of estate planning, including in this newsletter, focus on discrete topics and strategies. Once in a while, especially early in the year, it is good idea to step back and look at the broader picture. There are concepts and strategies common to every estate plan and estate owner. Read more...

IRAs are supposed to be simple, but when it comes to inheriting them IRAs are more complicated than most people realize. A wrong move or two by heirs triggers high taxes, often causing most of the IRA to be paid to the IRS. Read more...

The Obama administration, the Federal Reserve, and governments and central banks around the world have difficult needles to thread on several levels: scaling back fiscal spending to restore budgets to balance; unwinding extraordinary liquidity provisions; crafting a regulatory framework that prevents a similar situation from happening in the future. Read more...

These Canadian trusts have been discounted by a tax hit that's not in the cards. Read more...

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