Financial Missteps Made By Married Women

FINANCIAL MISSTEPS MADE BY MARRIED WOMEN

Plan to avoid these common money blunders.

Presented by Jared Daniel of Wealth Guardian Group

A recent survey found that over 60% of women feel they are better at handling money than men are.¹ However, married women sometimes find themselves in perplexing financial situations – conditions that might be avoided with a little planning and/or foresight. With vigilance, you can plan to steer clear of these mistakes.

Not saving enough for retirement after marriage. If your spouse earns a huge salary and has invested avidly, you may have less impetus to save for retirement yourself. Your IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) may start to seem more supplemental than primary. Yet what happens if the relationship ends someday and you personally end up with a retirement savings shortfall? Keep contributing to your own retirement accounts.

Dipping into retirement savings once married. If your spouse is really wealthy or has much greater net worth than you do, your retirement nest egg may seem minor in comparison. Your spouse may tell you that with all the investments and savings that you collectively possess, you taking a loan out of your 401(k) won’t be that bad. Well, drawing down your own retirement savings could look like a very bad move 20 or 30 years from now. Who knows what changes life could have in store? Resist the temptation to siphon off your retirement savings.

Trusting a reckless spouse with your finances. When you love someone who is cavalier with money, look out. Beware of ceding financial control or your financial say in such a situation. If you marry someone with severe debt problems, don’t think that you will be financially immune from the effects of those problems. If your spouse is a wastrel or has a terrible credit rating, do not “hand over the keys” to the household finances. Watch what goes on with the bank accounts, investment accounts and credit cards among you– keep communication open and encourage transparency.

Forfeiting some or all of your financial identity. You may have taken your spouse’s name, but that does not mean you need to give up your own credit card for a shared one, merge your personal checking account into a joint one, and so forth. If you don’t use a credit card for several months or years, you won’t have to pay a fee but it could show up as “inactive” on your credit report. The credit card issuer may move to close the account, and losing the credit history of that card could hurt your credit score. Retain individual savings and investment accounts and individual credit cards.²

Divorcing with an “equal” rather than equitable financial settlement. If a divorce happens, the impulse may be to amicably split things “50/50” … or, the focus may be on keeping custody of your kids or keeping your home with your financial potential a distant second. However, you must keep your financial future in mind.

Quite often, a woman will be instrumental in building a business or professional practice with her spouse – but she may not be a part of that successful company or professional entity after a divorce. If you divorce and have helped your spouse build a business to greater or lesser degree, you may not only find yourself out of work but taking a job that pays less or having to learn new skills to compete in the job market. Your earnings potential and retirement savings potential may be affected. If you should divorce, seek an equitable settlement that considers your future financial potential; this is even more important than retaining material wealth or real property from the marriage.

Losing touch with your career path. If you have happily put a career aside to raise kids, keep in mind that you might find yourself returning to work sooner rather than later. Life events, economic necessity, personal desire and growing children may all be factors. Yet a long, total absence from the workplace can make it difficult to step back in – the technology or outlook of any given field can change radically across a few short years. Try to keep a foot (or at least a toe) in your career via consulting or networking efforts.

The takeaway: look out for your financial well-being. It is okay to emphasize (and plan for) your own financial destiny when you are married. In fact, it is both wise and appropriate to do so.

Jared Daniel may be reached at www.wgmoney.com or Jared.Daniel@WealthGuardianGroup.com

This material was prepared by MarketingLibrary.Net Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty.

Citations.

1 http://www.synovate.com/news/article/2009/03/global-survey-shows-six-in-ten-women-consider-themselves-financially-independent.html [02/03/2009]

2 articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/YourCreditRating/unused-credit-cards-can-hurt-you.aspx [5/14/10]

3 montoyaregistry.com/Financial-Market.aspx?financial-market=finding-a-financial-consultant&category=5 [9/15/11]

Could You Raise Your Social Security Income by $1000 a month?

COULD YOU RAISE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME BY $1,000 A MONTH?

How filling out Form SSA-521 could help you put more money in your mailbox.

provided by Jared Daniel of Wealth Guardian Group

A couple of years ago, Boston University economics professor Laurence Kotlikoff publicized a mindblowing discovery: retirees could dramatically increase their Social Security checks by reapplying for Social Security benefits.

It was entirely legal; it was an opportunity that had lay unnoticed for years. It was soon discussed on National Public Radio and PBS, and in USA Today and a number of in financial magazines. Let’s discuss it here.

Hit “restart” and reset your SSI. Everyone eventually applies for Social Security, but few people reapply – and that’s the key to this strategy, which can potentially bring retired couples $1,000 or more in additional SSI per month. Kotlikoff calls it “restarting the Social Security clock”. If you have retired within the last few years, it is a move worth considering.

You can start collecting Social Security benefits when you’re first eligible, and then restart your payments at a higher rate later. You simply file Form SSA-521 (www.ssa.gov/online/ssa-521.pdf) to request a withdrawal of your Social Security application. After the SSA processes that form, you reapply for Social Security – and since you are older now than when you first applied, this time you will receive much higher payments.

For example, a 63-year-old individual who started Social Security benefits in 2008 at age 62 would have received a payout of $18,794 a year; waiting until age 66 or age 70 would have meant $25,732 or $35,250 annually for that person.¹

So if you feel you applied for Social Security too soon, this presents you with a remedy. As Kotlikoff noted in USA Today in 2008, a 70-year-old receiving $11,556 as a result of claiming early retirement benefits could reapply for Social Security benefits at age 70 and boost her standard of living by 14%. It would be like having an inflation-indexed annuity for about 40% less than the cost of a similar investment from an annuity provider.²

What’s the catch? You have to repay the Social Security benefits you have already received. But you don’t have to pay interest on that money.² Basically, you’re repaying an interest-free loan from Uncle Sam.

Now if enough people do this, there is the risk that the federal government may say, “Wait a minute – look at all these people exploiting this opportunity.” But very few retirees do.

If you do reapply, there’s nothing fishy about it. Visit your local Social Security office (make an appointment by calling 1-800-772-1213). Bring Form SSA-521 with you, or ask for it and fill it out while you are there. Don’t be surprised if the person on the other side of the desk doesn’t know what you’re talking about when you mention reapplying for benefits. So bring a copy of the formal SSA explanation (www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.15/handbook-1515.html ) with you.³

Once you repay your benefits, you can restart them whenever you want. If you fill out Form SSA-521 and hand over a check repaying the money you’ve received, you can reapply for benefits right then and there – the request is routinely approved.⁴

For the record, Form SSA-521 only allows you to check one of two boxes for why you want to reapply for benefits. The first is “I intend to continue working” and the other is “Other (please explain fully)”.⁵ Mickie Douglas, a spokeswoman with the Social Security Administration, told Financial Advisor Magazine that it is entirely legitimate to write down that you are reapplying because it is “financially better for you".¹

What risks do I run by doing this? The big risk is that you could die soon after you repay your benefits – you could be out, say, $50,000 or $60,000 without living long enough to enjoy much of the additional income. But survivor benefits would be larger for your spouse, of course. Speaking of spouses, widows and widowers cannot employ this strategy to reapply for a deceased spouse’s benefits.²

Is this a good move for you? It might be. In case you are wondering, Kotlikoff is no hack - he holds a Harvard Ph.D. in economics and is a former member of the President's Council of Economic Advisors. He knows his stuff, and so should you. If you have the money to repay a lump sum equivalent to the benefits you have received, this may be a great move – but talk with your financial or tax advisor to see how this decision affects your overall financial strategy.

Jared Daniel may be reached at www.wgmoney.com or jared.daniel@wealthguardiangroup.com.

These are the views of Peter Montoya Inc., not the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer, and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If other expert assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information.

Citations.

¹ fa-mag.com/fa-news/3209.html        [2/29/08]

² usatoday.com/money/perfi/retirement/2008-02-21-early-social-security-loophole_N.htm    [2/21/08]

³ ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.15/handbook-1515.html            [8/1/06]

⁴ www.esplanner.com/case-reapply-social-security         [3/2/09]

⁵ ssa.gov/online/ssa-521.pdf              [7/03]

Are You Underfunding Your Retirement?

ARE YOU UNDERFUNDING YOUR RETIREMENT?

Are there disadvantages to fixed returns?
Should you consider the potential of the stock market?

Provided by Jared Daniel of Wealth Guardian Group

Many retirees and pre-retirees are drawn to fixed annuities and CDs because they do not want to assume much risk. After all, there is no stock market risk involved with these fixed-return investments. Some people use them as their only vehicles for retirement planning.

But stepping out of the stock market altogether may not be such a good idea. In fact, for some it could be a serious retirement planning mistake. Here’s why.

Risk-averse investing has risks of its own. Every investment has advantages and disadvantages. Fixed-rate investments are no exception. While you eliminate market risk with a fixed annuity or CD, in a sense you are trading one kind of risk for another. You now contend with opportunity risk (or opportunity cost) and inflation risk. The fixed return you get might be far less than the return that stock market investing could bring you (in the short term and the long term). That fixed return might also fail to match the rate of inflation, leaving you with less purchasing power. 

Volatility is something many of us endure in order to try for the kind of returns that may help us reach our financial goals. In the last year, the stock market has been quite volatile. But through the years, some investors have built considerable wealth through long-term stock market investment.

Do you really want to ignore the potential of the stock market? While short-term market movements may make stocks and funds seem too risky, the big risk could be the possibility of severely underfunding your retirement by clinging to fixed-rate investments. The stock market offers opportunities for considerable financial gain – and the chance of returns exceeding those of most fixed-rate investments. While there is risk involved, there also exists a potential for considerable benefit.

If you say “no” to the market’s potential, you may regret your choice later in your retirement. In fact, you may find that you need long-term stock market investment to work toward certain retirement goals.

Explore the possibilities. If you’d like to learn more about investments positioned to take advantage of the market’s potential, be sure to speak with a qualified financial advisor. He or she may be able to help you determine how much risk you’re willing to tolerate, and which investment opportunities are the closest fit with your tolerance level. What you learn might be very illuminating, and it might change your whole investment outlook.

Jared Daniel may be reached at www.wgmoney.com or jared.daniel@wealthguardiangroup.com

These are the views of Peter Montoya, Inc., not the named Representative or Broker/Dealer, and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representative or Broker/Dealer give tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information. 

You Can't Hide in Fixed Income

YOU CAN’T HIDE IN FIXED INCOME

Investing timidly may shield you against risk ... but not against inflation.

Presented by Wealth Guardian Group

  

When is being risk-averse too risky for the sake of your retirement? After you conclude your career or sell your company, you have a right to be financially cautious. At the same time, you can risk being a little too cautious - some retirees invest so timidly that their portfolios barely yield any return.

For years, financial institutions pitched CDs, money market funds and interest checking accounts as risk-devoid places to put your dollars. That sounded good when interest rates were tangible. As the benchmark interest rate is now negligible, these conservative options offer minimal potential to grow your money.

 

America saw 3.0% inflation in 2011; the annualized inflation rate was down to 2.7% in March. Today, the yield on many CDs, money market funds and interest checking accounts can’t even keep up with that. Moreover, the Consumer Price Index doesn’t tell the whole story of inflation pressures – retail gasoline prices rose 9.9% during 2011, for example.^1,2

 

With the federal funds rate at 0%-0.25%, a short-term CD might earn 0.5% interest today. On average, those who put money in long-term CDs at the end of 2007 (the start of the Great Recession) saw the income off those CDs dwindle by two-thirds by the end of 2011.³

 

Retirees shouldn’t give up on growth investing. In the 1990s and 2000s, the common philosophy was to invest for growth in your thirties and forties and then focus on wealth preservation as you neared retirement. (Of course, another common belief back then was that you could pencil in stock market gains of 10% per year.)

 

After the stock market malaise of the 2000s, attitudes changed – out of necessity. Many people in their fifties, sixties and seventies still need to accumulate wealth for retirement even as they need to withdraw retirement savings.

 

Because of that reality, many retirees can’t refrain from growth investing. They need their portfolios to yield at least 3% and preferably much more. If their portfolios bring home an inadequate yield, they risk losing purchasing power as consumer prices increase at a faster rate than their incomes.

 

Do you really want to live on yesterday’s money? Could you live today on the income you earned in 2004 or 1996? You wouldn’t dare try, right? Well, this is the essentially the dilemma many retirees find themselves in: they realize that a) their CDs and money market accounts are yielding almost nothing, b) they are withdrawing more than they are earning, c) their retirement fund is shrinking, d) they must live on less.

 

In recent U.S. history, inflation has averaged 2-4%. What if that holds true for the next 20 years?⁴

 

For the sake of argument, let’s say that consumer prices rise 4% annually for the next 20 years. That doesn’t sound so bad – you can probably live with that. Or can you? 

  

At 4% inflation for 20 years, today’s dollar will be worth 44 cents in 2032. Today’s $1,000 king or queen bed will cost about $2,200 in 2032. Today’s $23,000 sedan will run more than $50,000.⁴

 

Beyond prices for durable goods, think of the cost of health care. Think of the income taxes you pay. When you add those factors into the mix, growth investing looks absolutely essential. There is certainly a role for fixed income investments in a diversified portfolio – you just don’t want to tilt your portfolio wholly away from risk.

 

Accepting some risk may lead to greater reward. As many equities can potentially achieve greater returns than fixed income investments, they may prove less vulnerable to inflation. This is especially worth remembering given the history of the CPI and how jumps in the inflation rate come without much warning.

 

From 1900-1970, inflation averaged about 2.5% in America. Starting in 1970, the annualized inflation rate began spiking toward 6% and by 1979 it was at 13.3%; it didn’t moderate until 1982, when it fell to 3.8%. U.S. consumer prices rose by an average of 7.4% annually in the 1970s and 5.1% annually in the 1980s compared to 2.2% in the 1950s and 2.5% in the 1960s.^4,5

 

All this should tell you one thing: you can’t hide in fixed income. Inflation has a powerful cumulative affect no matter how conservatively or aggressively you invest – so you might as well strive to keep pace with it or outpace it altogether.

 

Jared Daniel may be reached at www.wgmoney.com or jared.daniel@wealthguardiangroup.com

 

This material was prepared by MarketingLibrary.Net Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. Marketing Library.Net Inc. is not affiliated with any broker or brokerage firm that may be providing this information to you. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is not a solicitation or a recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

  

Citations.

1 - money.cnn.com/2012/01/19/news/economy/inflation_cpi/index.htm [1/19/12]

2 - www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf [4/13/12]

3 - www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-201203141400--tms--retiresmctnrs-a20120314mar14,0,1100086.story [3/14/12]

4 - www.axa-equitable.com/retirement/inflation-and-long-term-investing.html [2011]

5 - bls.gov/mlr/1990/08/art3full.pdf [8/90]

Understanding the Gift Tax Exclusion

Understanding the Gift Tax Exclusion

Most of us will never face taxes related to money or assets we give away.

Provided by Jared Daniel of Wealth Guardian Group

“How can I avoid the federal gift tax?” If this question is on your mind, you aren’t alone. The good news is that few taxpayers or estates will ever have to pay it.

 

Misconceptions surround this tax. The IRS sets annual and lifetime gift tax exclusion amounts, and this is where the confusion develops.

 

Here’s what you have to remember: practically speaking, the federal gift tax is a tax on estates. If it wasn’t in place, the rich could simply give away the bulk of their money or property while living to spare their heirs from inheritance taxes.

 

Now that you know the reason the federal government established the gift tax, you can see that the lifetime gift tax exclusion matters more than the annual one.

“What percentage of my gifts will be taxed this year?” Many people wrongly assume that if they give a gift exceeding the annual gift tax exclusion, their tax bill will go up next year as a result. Unless the gift is huge, that won’t likely occur.  

The IRS has set the annual gift tax exclusion at $14,000 this year. What this means is that you can gift up to $14,000 each to as many individuals as you like in 2013 without having to pay any gift taxes. A married couple may gift up to $28,000 each to an unlimited number of individuals tax-free this year. The gifts may be made in cash, or they can be made in stock, contributions to 529 plans, collectibles, real estate – just about any form of property with value, as long as you cede ownership and control of it.^1,2,3

So how are amounts over the $14,000 annual exclusion handled? The excess amounts count against the $5.25 million lifetime gift tax exclusion. While you have to file a gift tax return if you make a gift larger than $14,000 in 2013, you owe no gift tax until your total gifts exceed the lifetime exclusion.^2,3

“What happens if I go over the lifetime exclusion?” If that occurs, then you will pay a 40% gift tax on gifts above the $5.25 million lifetime exclusion amount. One exception, though: all gifts that you make to your spouse are tax-free provided he or she is a U.S. citizen. This is known as the marital deduction.^1,2,3

   

“But aren’t the gift tax and the estate tax unified?” They are. The gift tax exclusion and the estate tax exclusion are sometimes called the unified credit. So if you have already made taxable lifetime gifts that have used up $3 million of the current $5.25 million unified credit, then only $2.25 million of your estate will be exempt from inheritance taxes if you die in 2013.³

 

However, the $5.25 million unified credit given to each of us is portable. That means that if you don’t use all of it up during your lifetime, the unused portion of the credit can pass to your spouse at your death. So if you only use up $1.25 million of your unified credit during your lifetime and your spouse has the full $5.25 million credit remaining, your spouse would have the chance to transfer as much as $9.25 million tax-free, either through gifts made during your life or after your death.³

   

In sum, most estates can make larger gifts during life without any estate, gift or income tax consequences. If you have estate planning questions in mind, turn to a legal or financial professional well versed in these matters for answers.

    

Jared Daniel may be reached at www.wgmoney.com or jared.daniel@wealthguardiangroup.com

 

This material was prepared by MarketingLibrary.Net Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

    

Citations.

1 - www.chron.com/news/article/New-act-clears-up-estate-gift-tax-confusion-4301217.php [2/22/13]

2 - www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/changes-gift-tax-laws-coming.html [1/13]

3 - www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2013/01/02/after-the-fiscal-cliff-deal-estate-and-gift-tax-explained/ [1/11/13]