Bob Carlson

Bob Carlson is a regular contributor to Investing Daily and the editor of Retirement Watch, a monthly financial advisory and web site covering all the financial aspects of retirement and retirement planning: investments, estate planning, income taxes, IRAs, annuities, medical and long-term insurance, and much more.

Mr. Carlson, trained as an attorney and accountant, bases his advice and recommendations on independent, original, and objective research. His most recent books are The New Rules of Retirement and Invest Like a Fox…Not Like a Hedgehog. He holds a B.S. from Clemson University and M.S. and J.D. degrees from the University of Virginia. Since 1995 he has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fairfax County, Va., Employees’ Retirement System and in 2000-2005 served on the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Retirement System.

Content Posted by Bob Carlson

Knowing How Much to Give and When

The major issues in your estate plan are deciding who should receive your assets and how they should receive them (directly or through trusts, for example). Two other important issues that don't receive as much attention are: How much wealth should you transfer sooner rather than later, and when should you give it? While these usually are considered as tax questions, there are many important non-tax angles. Developing optimum answers can increase the family's after-tax wealth in the long term.

Racking Up High Returns with Less Risk

Higher returns with less risk is the holy grail of many investors. One way to achieve that is by investing in high quality hedge funds (not pre-packaged funds of hedge funds or mediocre hedge funds). Another way to do that, which has been profitable to my subscribers for some time is to invest in a portfolio of mutual funds that use traditional hedge fund strategies.

Checking the Alternatives to Your Bank

The cost of banking is rising. Banks lost a lot of money the last few years. They are making it back with higher fees and new fees on checking accounts. It's a good idea to look around for alternatives to your basic bank checking account.

Avoiding the Retirement Medical Expense Surprise

The wildcard in every retirement plan is the cost of medical care. Medical expenses above estimates are the cause of many retirement plan failures. There are several reasons medical expenses disrupt so many plans...

When to Buy Long-Term Care Insurance

Among the more difficult retirement planning decisions are whether or not to buy long-term care insurance and, if so, at what age to purchase it.

Four Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid

As readers re-focus on their estate plans, they should take care to avoid the five main types of errors committed by estate owners.

The Four Goals of Estate Planning

Financial security for you and the objects of your affection is a priority of legacy planning.

Avoiding Rags to Riches to Rags

It is important to transfer principles to the next generation but not necessarily methods of preserving and growing wealth.

A Portfolio That Beats the Market

Hedge funds don’t all follow the same investment strategy. The best hedge funds, however, tend to follow one or more of several successful strategies.

Creating Roth IRAs for Youngsters

High school and college students are rolling into the work force during the summer break. Many areas report that local students are seeking jobs in numbers not seen in years. You can make the summer job experience more rewarding for your grandchildren or children, a reward that will pay off for decades. You also can provide an extra incentive for those who need more motivation to seek employment.

Answering Key IRA Conversion Questions

The critical decision of whether to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA continues to provoke questions and cause some confusion. Today we review some key points that seem to be confusing or that are gray areas in the rules.

Searching the New Medical Insurance Law

The new health care laws, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and a companion law, make sweeping changes in how your medical care is financed and provided. The changes are phased in now through 2018. The law is too broad to cover here. I focus on the items that will affect those in or planning for retirement, especially items that weren't covered much by the general interest media.

Knowing When to Reverse an IRA Conversion

Very few tax strategies come with second chances. One that does is the conversion of a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. By converting taxpayers are able to create a stream of tax-free income. Then, the taxpayer is a able to reverse the conversion when it was not the best move.

Avoiding a Major Estate Planning Pitfall

Estate planning mistakes fall into two major categories.

Avoiding Investment Penalties for Your IRA

Investors are starting to fall into traps with their IRA investments. The traps have been around for many years. They are being sprung now because more investors are attracted to nontraditional investments.

Finding the Highest-Paying Annuity

The easiest, surest way to increase your retirement income is to shop for annuities just as you would for anything else. Few retirees or prospective retirees do this, but I've shown over the years shopping will increase income.

Reviewing the Safe Spending Formula

You can spend a maximum of 4% of your retirement fund the first year and increase the distribution for inflation each succeeding year after.

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