In 2016, Congress made permanent the QCD or qualified charitable distribution for people at least 70 1/2 years old who wanted to benefit charities. The charity had to be qualified, and there were other requirements to effect the QCD properly, as set out in IRS Publication 590-B.

It seems there is a special day for just about everything you can think of. As I write this column (Oct. 2), it’s National Name Your Car Day — and, yes, I’ll admit to naming my first car a long time ago.

What do you think about in September? If you are like me, September brings up memories of going back to high school after a summer of pure bliss. This year, due to the coronavirus, things are a little different.

Have you made an investment decision during the coronavirus market that you regret? Perhaps you sold out of your stock investments or stock mutual funds in March when news headlines were dire?

During this pandemic, you're probably not thinking about celebrating 401(k) Day, especially since it occurs on the first Friday in September after Labor Day, which happens to be 9/11 this year.

It seems that seniors will never get a break. Fraudsters continue to prey on them with all sorts of scams. If you have a senior in the family, there’s no better time than now to talk about just a few of the tricks that most people — of any age — may not be aware of.

COVID-19 has had an effect on all of our lives, affecting not only health but also jobs and personal finances. Some people are encountering new challenges, such as being unable to pay bills on time.

An important deadline is fast approaching that applies to anyone who wants to reverse an RMD (required minimum distribution) from a retirement account in 2020. That deadline is Aug. 31.

No matter what type of investor you are, there are some very basic “truths” that drive investment activity. One such truth is that you cannot predict the direction of the market with any certainty. As some say, “stuff happens.” That truth translates into my worldview: To be successful as an …

Payroll Protection Program scams are in the news these days, but frauds that target retirees haven’t gone away.

The song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” describes how people feel about retirement these days. That’s the song chosen by nearly half of the respondents in a survey released on July 29 by the Alliance for Lifetime Income, a nonprofit educating Americans about protected lifetime income i…

I recently had a conversation with a Connecticut reader about balanced mutual funds. The objective of a balanced fund is to “seek” income and capital appreciation.

The difficult period we are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has a related, unsavory aspect: It has opened an opportunity for scammers to take advantage of people, especially seniors.

Last week, we talked about this year’s July 15 deadline for 2019 IRA contributions. July 15 is also an important date for “backdoor” Roth conversions for people who don’t qualify for Roth contributions.

If you have not made your 2019 IRA contribution yet, you are not alone. According to Fidelity Investments, the nation’s largest IRA provider, an increasing percentage of investors are making contributions to their IRAs during the last three weeks before the tax deadline — this year, that dea…

When I wrote about the suspension of required minimum distributions (RMDs) for 2020 by the CARES Act, which was signed into law March 27, I received a number of emails from readers who could not take advantage. They had taken their RMDs earlier in the year, and there was no way for them to r…

Have you received a plain envelope containing a Visa debit card from Money Network Financial? A few readers have shown me their letters, and I must say, the first question that comes to mind is whether it’s legit. After all, my readers didn’t apply for a debit card — and who is Money Network…

While news reports are focused on the pandemic, the economy and important social issues, a silent evolution in the financial services industry is underway. By the end of this month, investors will have available an easy way to distinguish between financial professionals, thanks to the U.S. S…

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) wants investors to be aware that fraudulent investment schemes are surging during the COVID-19 crisis.

May 29 is National 529 College Savings Plan Day, named for an Internal Revenue Code section (yes, it’s Section 529) that was adopted in 1996. 529s are intended to help families save for college with the help of tax advantages.

If you are a business owner who received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, no doubt, you’ll want to get the loan forgiven. After all, forgiveness is the intent behind the legislation that made PPPs available in order to help small businesses in a time of great uncertainty due to the …

When you were a child, did someone in your family talk with you about investing in stocks? I remember a grade-school substitute teacher of mine telling the class about how she received a gift of Coca-Cola stock from her grandfather. My teacher recounted that, as a teenager, she felt proud to…

It now seems like decades ago, but it has been only a matter of weeks since the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law (March 27). When we first talked about the act, legislators were hearing from small-business owners who were anxious about the future …

Just a few months ago, we enjoyed a stock market that reached all-time highs on Feb. 19, when the S&P 500 index closed at 3,386.15.

Every now and then, the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) proposes a law that states adopt. One such law allows you to title your house in transfer-on-death (TOD) form.