Taxes

Paying taxes is still something many investors overlook when making plans for their retirement portfolios. Without the right tax planning, your real returns could take a bigger hit than you originally planned.

What Your Tax Return Reveals About Your Financial Picture

Tax season is over and you’ve filed either your return or your extension. But before you put away \ those documents, take some time to look at it as a financial planning tool. There’s a wealth of information there that can be very useful to you… if only you know where to look.

The Best Tax Software for Investors

It’s that time again… like a bad penny, April 15 keeps turning up, year after year. But while for many of us investors the tax filing deadline is enough to induce a headache, it doesn’t have to be that way. Especially since there is plenty of tax software to make this annual chore a whole lot easier.

Do You Have to Pay the Alternative Minimum Tax?

In 1969, it came to the attention of the federal government and the public that there were 155 tax return filers with incomes of $200,000 — equivalent to an annual income of more than $1.3 million in today’s dollars — who paid no federal income tax. While their $0 tax liability was legal within the tax code at the time — they were using federally allowed income deductions and tax breaks appropriately — the government was embarrassed and moved quickly to legislate a solution. From this the AMT, or Alternative Minimum Tax, was created, with the aim of making the tax system fairer.

5 Ways to Invest Your Income Tax Refund Instead of Spending It

Have you thought about what you’re going to do with your tax refund? The average tax refund in 2016 is in the neighborhood of $3,053, $5 more than last year. That’s not exactly a life-changing amount, but it’s a decent chunk of change that can jumpstart an investment or savings goal.

It’s Tax Refund Season – How Are You Investing Your Return?

It’s tax season again, and for many people that means figuring out what to do with a large refund check. Last year, the average refund was about $3,000, a decent chunk of change. A relative “windfall” like this can be the perfect time to start investing.

2017 Retirement Plan Contribution Limits

As is the case every year, the New Year brings changes for retirement plan contributions and limits, though 2017 will have more muted changes than most years. Retirement plans, like employer-sponsored plans and self-employed plans, will be affected. With inflation being on the low end of the scale, the changes in contribution limits generally remain unchanged for 2017, while income limits will increase modestly in some cases.

A Simple Tax Checklist for Organizing Your Investments

It’s almost that time of year — if you collect any kind of income at all, you need to be ready to file your income tax return. This puts a special burden on investors, which is why we’ve provided a simple checklist for organizing your investments for income tax preparation.

Tax Loss Harvesting – Capitalize on Your Investment Losses

As an investor, tax planning is of the utmost importance. Even your investments that come with favorable rates can be used in your tax planning. One way to make the most of your investment situation is to engage in tax loss harvesting. What is tax loss harvesting and how can you use it to your benefit?

Keep More of Your Money With Tax-Efficient Investing

2017 marks the fourth year citizens will be penalized for not having health insurance. Along with this comes a tax credit — the Premium Tax Credit — for purchasing qualifying health insurance through the Marketplace. How does this affect your investments? It’s important to consider tax-efficient investing whenever possible. Here’s what I mean.