Rule would speed retirement payments from bankrupt firms 
By:
Kimberly Atkins
Published: December 20, 2012
Tags: 401(k), Chapter 7, Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, retirement planning
WASHINGTON – A new rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor would make it easier for trustees of companies in Chapter 7 bankruptcy to distribute assets from its retirement plans.
IRS grants relief for reliance on tax professional
Published: September 21, 2012
Tags: adjusted gross income, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, PLR, private letter ruling, retirement planning, Roth IRA, taxation
Taxpayers may be eligible for relief if they made an error in reliance upon a tax professional, according to a recent private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service.
The tax implications of the health care law
By:
Correy Stephenson
Published: July 19, 2012
Tags: estate planning, health care reform, IRA, retirement planning, Roth IRA, surcharge tax, taxation, trusts and estates
When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the health care law late last month, the decision upholding the individual health insurance mandate made headlines.
But lost in the details and unknown to many was the 3.8 percent surcharge tax on net investment income set to take effect Jan. 1, 2013.
Retirement planning for solo, small firm attorneys
By:
Sylvia Hsieh
Published: June 1, 2012
Tags: retirement, retirement planning
Recent statistics indicate that more lawyers than ever are going solo, whether by choice or out of necessity.
What has not changed, say law practice management experts, is that both newbie and experienced solos are not planning for retirement early or often enough.
Deadline looms: Should you re-characterize a Roth IRA?
By:
Correy Stephenson
Published: October 6, 2011
Tags: estate planning, estate tax, retirement planning, Roth IRA
Lawyers and their clients who chose to convert a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA last year face a deadline in the coming weeks.
Those who wish to re-characterize their Roth IRA back into a traditional IRA have until Oct. 17 to take action.
The virtues of private reverse mortgages for seniors
By:
Harry S. Margolis
Published: July 1, 2011
Tags: estate planning, retirement planning, reverse mortgages
For years banks have been touting the virtues of so-called reverse mortgages as a way for cash-strapped seniors to tap into the equity in their homes to meet expenses, whether for day-to-day living or to pay for the increased costs of home care.
Caregiver contract counts against Medicaid eligibility
Published: April 14, 2011
Tags: estate planning, Medicaid, retirement planning
A Medicaid applicant’s $20,000 payment to her daughter for future caregiver services counted against her eligibility for nursing home benefits, a Massachusetts appellate court has ruled in affirming judgment.
Estate planning lawyers get tons of work from new tax law
By:
Sylvia Hsieh
Published: March 16, 2011
Tags: estate planning, estate tax, gift tax, IRA, Obama, retirement planning, Roth IRA
The new tax law, which contains changes to estate, gift and income tax rules, should keep estate planning attorneys busy advising clients on retirement planning for at least the next two years.
IRA beneficiaries must arbitrate dispute
By:
Pat Murphy
Published: March 8, 2011
Tags: arbitration, estate planning, IRA, retirement planning
The putative beneficiaries of an individual retirement account are subject to a mandatory arbitration agreement executed by their father when he opened the account, the Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled in reversing judgment.
Should lawyers, clients convert to Roth 401(k)s?
By:
Correy Stephenson
Published: December 14, 2010
Tags: 401(k), Obama, retirement planning, Roth 401(k), Roth IRA, Small Business Jobs Act of 2010
Lawyers and their clients have a new opportunity to convert their 401(k) plans into Roth 401(k)s, but should think twice before making the switch.
