How Much Money Can I Put into My IRA or Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan? IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government. The limits are periodically adjusted to compensate for inflation and increases in the cost of living. IRAs For the 2015 tax year, you can contribute up to $5,500 to […]
What Is the Gift Tax? The federal gift tax applies to gifts of property or money while the donor is living. The federal estate tax, on the other hand, applies to property conveyed to others (with the exception of a spouse) after a person’s death. The gift tax applies only to the donor. The recipient […]
What Is the Estate Tax? The estate tax is a tax on property that transfers to others upon your death. Estate taxes are assessed on the total value of your estate — your home, stocks, bonds, life insurance, and other assets of value — that is over the applicable exemption amount. Everything you own, whatever […]
What Is the Capital Gain Tax? Capital gains are the profits realized from the sale of capital assets such as stocks, bonds, and property. The capital gain tax is triggered only when an asset is sold, not while the asset is held by an investor. However, mutual fund investors could be charged capital gains on […]
Life Insurance for Business Owners If you own your own business, chances are you’ve at least thought about the conditions under which you will make your departure from the business and who is going to take over after you leave. Business continuation is difficult enough under normal circumstances, but if it has to take place […]
Do I Need a Business-Owner Policy? Your business may be running smoothly. You could be making money hand over fist. But don’t be lulled into thinking that a catastrophe could never hit your business. Disasters can strike in many ways; even a minor one could wipe out a lifetime of hard work. Fortunately, the appropriate […]
What Is Property and Casualty Insurance? Property-casualty insurance practices in the United States are based on British practices and started with marine insurers located in major U.S. ports. Even when our nation was young, we were concerned with protecting ourselves and our property and not much has changed since then. Property-casualty insurance is specifically designed […]
Why Are Annuities Considered an Insurance Product? Annuities are financial vehicles that can be sold only by insurance companies. Basically, an annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company, which promises to pay you a future income in exchange for the lump-sum payment or premiums that you pay. The payments specified in the […]
Why Purchase Life Insurance? We’ve all heard about the importance of having life insurance, but is it really necessary? Usually, the answer is “yes,” but it depends on your specific situation. If you have a family who relies on your income, then it is imperative to have life insurance protection. If you’re single and have […]
Save Now or Save Later? Most people have good intentions about saving for retirement. But few know when they should start and how much they should save. Sometimes it might seem that the expenses of today make it too difficult to start saving for tomorrow. It’s easy to think that you will begin to save […]