Showing posts with label financial planning. Show all posts

Think Outside the Shoe Box When Organizing Financial Records

If you've ever had trouble finding an important financial document, you know why it's necessary to keep your financial records organized. Less clutter means less stress, and though you'll need to commit a bit of time up front to organize your files, you can save time and money over the long term when you can find what you need when you need it.

What records do you need to keep?

If you keep paperwork because you "might need it someday," your files are likely overflowing with nonessential documents. One key to organizing your financial records is to ask yourself "Why do I need to keep this?" Documents that you should retain are likely to be those that are related to tax returns, legal contracts, insurance claims, and proof of identity. On the other hand, documents that you can easily duplicate elsewhere are good candidates for the shredder. For example, if you bank online and can view or print copies of your monthly statements and cleared checks, you may not need paper copies of the same information.

How long should you keep them?

A good rule of thumb is to keep financial records only as long as necessary. For example, you may want to keep ATM receipts only temporarily, until you've reconciled them with your bank statement. If a document provides legal support and/or is hard to replace, you'll want to keep it for a longer period or even indefinitely.

Records that you may want to keep for a year or less include:

Bank or credit union statements
Credit card statements
Utility bills
Annual insurance policies

Records that you may want to keep for more than a year include:

Tax returns and supporting documentation
Mortgage contracts and supporting documents
Receipts for home improvements
Property appraisals
Annual retirement and investment statements
Receipts for major purchases

Records that you may want to keep indefinitely include:

Birth, death, and marriage certificates
Adoption papers
Citizenship papers
Military discharge papers
Social Security card

Of course, this list is not all-inclusive and these are just broad guidelines; you may have a good reason for keeping some records for a shorter or longer period of time.

Where should you keep them?

Where you should keep your records and documents depends on how easily you want to be able to access them, how long you plan to keep them, and how many records you have. A simple set of labeled folders in a file cabinet works fine for many people, but electronic storage is another option if space is tight.

For example, one easy way to cut down on clutter and still keep everything you need is to store some of your files on your computer. You can save copies of online documents or purchase a scanner that you can use to convert your documents to electronic form. But make sure you keep backup copies on a portable storage drive or hard drive, and make sure that your files are secure.

Another option to consider is cloud storage. Despite its lofty name, cloud storage is simply an online backup service that allows you to upload and store your files over the Internet, giving you easy access to information without the clutter. Information you upload is encrypted for security. If you're interested, look for a company with a reliable reputation that offers automatic backup and good technical support, at a reasonable subscription cost.

Staying organized

Keeping your financial records in order can be even more challenging than organizing them in the first place. One easy way to prevent paperwork from piling up is to remember the phrase "out with the old, in with the new." For example, when you get this year's auto policy, discard last year's. When you get an annual investment statement, discard the monthly or quarterly statements you've been keeping. It's a good idea to do a sweep of your files at least once a year to keep your filing system on track (doing this at the same time each year may be helpful).

But don't just throw your financial paperwork in the trash. To protect sensitive information, invest in a good quality shredder that will destroy any document that contains account numbers, Social Security numbers, or other personal information.

Whatever system you choose, keep it simple. You'll be much more likely to keep your records organized if your system is easy to follow.

Source: SEAN A. HENDERSON Waddell & Reed
210-826-0685 ex: 140 cell: 210-784-6952

IRA and Retirement Plan Limits for 2014

The maximum amount you can contribute to a traditional IRA or Roth IRA in 2014 remains unchanged at $5,500 (or 100% of your earned income, if less). The maximum catch-up contribution for those age 50 or older in 2014 is $1,000, also unchanged from 2013. (You can contribute to both a traditional and Roth IRA in 2014, but your total contributions can't exceed this annual limit.)

Traditional IRA deduction limits for 2014

The income limits for determining the deductibility of traditional IRA contributions have increased for 2014 (for those covered by employer retirement plans). For example, you can fully deduct your IRA contribution if your filing status is single/head of household, and your income ("modified adjusted gross income," or MAGI) is $60,000 or less (up from $59,000 in 2013). If you're married and filing a joint return, you can fully deduct your IRA contribution if your MAGI is $96,000 or less (up from $95,000 in 2013). If you're not covered by an employer plan but your spouse is, and you file a joint return, you can fully deduct your IRA contribution if your MAGI is $181,000 or less (up from $178,000 in 2013).

If your 2014 federal income tax filing status is:	Your IRA deduction is reduced if your MAGI is between:	Your deduction is eliminated if your MAGI is:
Single or head of household	$60,000 and $70,000	$70,000 or more
Married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er)*	$96,000 and $116,000 (combined)	$116,000 or more (combined)
Married filing separately	$0 and $10,000	$10,000 or more

*If you're not covered by an employer plan but your spouse is, your deduction is limited if your MAGI is $181,000 to $191,000, and eliminated if your MAGI exceeds $191,000.

Roth IRA contribution limits for 2014

The income limits for Roth IRA contributions have also increased. If your filing status is single/head of household, you can contribute the full $5,500 to a Roth IRA in 2014 if your MAGI is $114,000 or less (up from $112,000 in 2013). And if you're married and filing a joint return, you can make a full contribution if your MAGI is $181,000 or less (up from $178,000 in 2013). (Again, contributions can't exceed 100% of your earned income.)

If your 2014 federal income tax filing status is:	Your Roth IRA contribution is reduced if your MAGI is between:	You cannot contribute to a Roth IRA if your MAGI is:
Single or head of household	$114,000 and $129,000	$129,000 or more
Married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er)	$181,000 and $191,000 (combined)	$191,000 or more (combined)
Married filing separately	$0 and $10,000	$10,000 or more

Employer retirement plans

The maximum amount you can contribute (your "elective deferrals") to a 401(k) plan in 2014 remains unchanged at $17,500. The limit also applies to 403(b), 457(b), and SAR-SEP plans, as well as the Federal Thrift Savings Plan. If you're age 50 or older, you can also make catch-up contributions of up to $5,500 to these plans in 2014 (unchanged from 2013). (Special catch-up limits apply to certain participants in 403(b) and 457(b) plans.)

If you participate in more than one retirement plan, your total elective deferrals can't exceed the annual limit ($17,500 in 2014 plus any applicable catch-up contribution). Deferrals to 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, SIMPLE plans, and SAR-SEPs are included in this limit, but deferrals to Section 457(b) plans are not. For example, if you participate in both a 403(b) plan and a 457(b) plan, you can defer the full dollar limit to each plan--a total of $35,000 in 2014 (plus any catch-up contributions).

The amount you can contribute to a SIMPLE IRA or SIMPLE 401(k) plan in 2014 is $12,000, unchanged from 2013. The catch-up limit for those age 50 or older also remains unchanged at $2,500.

Plan type:	Annual dollar limit:	Catch-up limit:
401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b), SAR-SEP, Federal Thrift Savings Plan	$17,500	$5,500
SIMPLE plans	$12,000	$2,500

Note: Contributions can't exceed 100% of your income.

The maximum amount that can be allocated to your account in a defined contribution plan (for example, a 401(k) plan or profit-sharing plan) in 2014 is $52,000 (up from $51,000 in 2013), plus age-50 catch-up contributions. (This includes both your contributions and your employer's contributions. Special rules apply if your employer sponsors more than one retirement plan.)

Finally, the maximum amount of compensation that can be taken into account in determining benefits for most plans in 2014 has increased to $260,000, up from $255,000 in 2013; and the dollar threshold for determining highly compensated employees remains unchanged at $115,000.

Source: Sean Henderson, Financial Advisor - Waddell & Reed 210-826-0685 ext: 140

This information is prepared by an independent third party, Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Waddell & Reed believes the information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided. This information is not meant to be a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making financial or investment decisions and does not constitute a recommendation.

Please note that the information provided may include references to concepts that have legal, accounting and tax implications. It is not to be construed as legal, accounting or tax advice, and is provided as general information to you to assist in understanding the issues discussed. Neither Waddell & Reed, Inc., nor its Financial Advisors give tax, legal, or accounting advice.

This information is not meant as financial or investment advice pertaining to your personal situation. The selection of appropriate investment, insurance or planning options and/or strategies should be made on an individual basis after consultation with appropriate legal, tax and financial advisors. Nothing contained herein is intended as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any product or service mentioned and they may not be suitable for all investors.

Securities offered through Waddell & Reed, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, are not insured by FDIC, NCUA or any other government agency, are not deposits or obligations of the financial institution, are not guaranteed by the financial institution, and are subject to risks, including the possible loss of principal. Insurance products are offered through insurance companies with which Waddell & Reed has sales arrangements. Guarantees provided by insurance products are subject to the claims-paying-ability of the issuing insurance company.

Plan Now for a Year-End Investment Review

You might not enjoy sitting down to do year-end investment planning, but at least this fall you can make plans with greater certainty. For the last three years, investment planning has meant trying to anticipate possible changes in tax law; for tax year 2013 and beyond, you know for sure how income, capital gains, and qualifying dividends will be taxed. That gives you an opportunity to fine-tune your long-term planning, or to develop a plan if you've postponed doing so. Here are some factors to keep in mind as the year winds down.

Consider harvesting your losses

With tax rates settled, the question of whether to sell losing positions to generate capital losses that can potentially be used to offset capital gains or $3,000 of your ordinary income becomes a much more straightforward decision. That process is known as harvesting tax losses, and it could prove especially worth considering this year. The first half of the year produced strong gains for U.S. equities; even a mediocre second half could still have the potential to leave you with a higher tax bill than you had anticipated.

To maximize your losses for tax purposes, you would sell shares that have lost the most, which would enable you to offset more gains. Unless you specify which shares of stock are to be sold, your broker will typically treat them as sold based on the FIFO (first in, first out) method, meaning that the first shares bought are considered to be the first shares sold. However, you can designate specific shares as the ones sold or direct your broker to use a different method, such as LIFO (last in, first out) or highest in, first out.

Interest rates: bane or blessing?

The Federal Reserve has said that if the economy continues to recover at its expected pace, it could raise its target Fed funds rate sometime in 2014. However, investors have been anticipating such an increase since early summer, when many bond mutual funds began seeing strong outflows from investors concerned that a rate increase could hurt the value of their holdings. As any consumer knows, lower demand for a product often means lower prices. And since bond prices move in the opposite direction from bond yields, yields on a variety of fixed-income investments have begun to rise. However, there also could be a silver lining for some investors. Higher yields could provide welcome relief for individuals who rely on their investments for income and have suffered from rock-bottom yields.

The Fed has said any rate decisions will depend on future economic data. However, now might be a good time to assess the value of any fixed-income investments you hold, and make sure you understand how your portfolio might respond to a future that could include higher interest rates. Many investors' asset allocation strategies were likely developed when conditions generally favored bonds, as they have for much of the last 20 years. Though asset allocation alone can't guarantee a profit or prevent the possibility of loss, make sure your asset allocation is still appropriate for your circumstances as well as the current investing climate. And don't forget that other financial assets can be affected by potential future interest rate changes as well.

Calculating cost basis for fixed-income investments

The IRS had originally planned to require brokers to begin reporting the cost basis for any sales of bonds and options this year, as it already does for stocks and mutual funds. It has now postponed implementation of the requirements for bonds until January 1, 2014 to give financial institutions more time to test their reporting systems. However, don't throw away your old records yet, especially if you're considering selling any of your bond holdings. The cost basis reporting requirements will apply only to bond purchases and options granted or acquired on or after January 1, 2014, so you'll still be responsible for calculating your cost basis for any bonds or options acquired before that date.

Source: Sean Henderson, Waddell & Reed cell: 210-784-6952
shenderson@wradvisors.com

This information is not meant as financial or investment advice pertaining to your personal situation. The selection of appropriate investment, insurance or planning options and/or strategies should be made on an individual basis after consultation with appropriate legal, tax and financial advisors.