Monday, April 12, 2010

Check out new post about Roth IRA Conversions--New Opportunities for 2010 http://ping.fm/zVOeB here

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Investing in America: Build America Bonds


For a printer friendly version of this material please click here.


What is a Build America Bond?

Investors have a new mechanism for investing in municipal bonds, courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. As part of the Obama administration's economic stimulus program, the bill authorized a subsidy for local and state governments that issue what are known as Build America Bonds (BABs) to finance capital expenditures.

Unlike most municipal bonds issued by a state or local government, the interest payments on a Build America Bond are taxable on your federal income tax return. However, the federal government subsidizes 35% of the interest payments on a BAB, which typically have relatively long maturities and must be issued before January 1, 2011. Those subsidies enable state and local governments to offer a higher interest rate to attract investors while at the same time reducing the cost of borrowing money to fund construction and infrastructure projects. Because of the subsidies, many muni bonds issued over the next two years are expected to be BABs.

There are several types of BABs; the governmental body that issues one determines which it will be. A Tax Credit BAB offers the bondholder a 35% federal income tax credit on the net coupon interest. A Direct Payment BAB pays the 35% subsidy directly to the issuer. Still a third type, known as a Recovery Zone Economic Development Bond, is a Direct Payment BAB that provides a 45% refundable tax credit to the governmental issuer.

Why buy a Build America Bond?

A BAB may offer some advantages that ordinary taxable municipal bonds don't. The most obvious benefit comes from a Tax Credit BAB. Even though a BAB is a taxable bond, the 35% tax credit means that your after-tax return could be higher than that of a comparable taxable bond. Your tax bracket will determine the extent to which you benefit from a Tax Credit BAB.

Even a BAB whose federal subsidy is paid to the issuer may provide benefits. The federal subsidy may enable an issuer to offer a higher coupon rate than it might otherwise have been able to afford. And though default is not impossible, munis have traditionally had a lower default rate than corporate bonds; the federal subsidies should enhance governments' ability to meet their financial obligations.

Factors to consider

Before investing, make sure you understand whether a given BAB offers you the 35% tax credit and what that will mean given your tax bracket. Remember that both interest payments and the tax credit will be included as part of your taxable income, unlike most muni bonds. You may want to get assistance in determining whether a BAB makes sense for you.

New-issue BABs may be challenging for individuals to invest in. Some BAB auctions have focused on large institutional investors to the exclusion of individuals; it may be easier to find BABs being resold on the secondary market. As with any bond, BABs are affected by changes in interest rates. If interest rates rise, the value of an existing BAB with a lower coupon rate is likely to drop.


Forefield Inc. does not provide legal, tax, or investment advice. All content provided by Forefield is protected by copyright. Forefield is not responsible for any modifications made to its materials, or for the accuracy of information provided by other sources.

Prepared by Forefield Inc. Copyright © 2009 Forefield Inc.

Monday, September 14, 2009

401(k) Plans

DA/CA Financial Group
David Afzal
Casey Broach, CFP®
4542 Ruffner Street., STE 130
San Diego CA 92111
(858)560-0366
1-877-560-3222
info@dacafg.com
www.dacafg.com

To view this material in a print friendly version please click here.

Qualified cash or deferred arrangements (CODAs) permitted under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code, commonly referred to as "401(k) plans," have become one of the most popular types of employer-sponsored retirement plans.

How does a 401(k) plan work?

With a 401(k) plan, you elect either to receive cash payments (wages) from your employer immediately, or defer receipt of a portion of that income to the plan. The amount you defer (called an "elective deferral" or "pretax contribution") isn't currently included in your income; it's made with pretax dollars. Consequently, your federal taxable income (and federal income tax) that year is reduced. And the deferred portion (along with any investment earnings) isn't taxed to you until you receive payments from the plan.

Example: Melissa earns $30,000 annually. She contributes $4,500 of her pay to her employer's 401(k) plan on a pretax basis. As a result, Melissa's taxable income is $25,500. She isn't taxed on the deferred money ($4,500), or any investment earnings, until she receives a distribution from the plan.

You may also be able to make Roth contributions to your 401(k) plan. Roth 401(k) contributions are made on an after-tax basis, just like Roth IRA contributions. Unlike pretax contributions to a 401(k) plan, there's no up-front tax benefit, but qualified distributions from a Roth 401(k) account are entirely free from federal income tax.

When can I contribute?

You can contribute to your employer's 401(k) plan as soon as you're eligible to participate under the terms of the plan. In general, a 401(k) plan can make you wait up to a year before you're eligible to contribute. But many plans don't have a waiting period at all, allowing you to contribute beginning with your first paycheck.

Some 401(k) plans provide for automatic enrollment once you've satisfied the plan's eligibility requirements. For example, the plan might provide that you'll be automatically enrolled at a 3% pretax contribution rate (or some other percentage) unless you elect a different deferral percentage, or choose not to participate in the plan. This is sometimes called a "negative enrollment" because you haven't affirmatively elected to participate--instead you must affirmatively act to change or stop contributions. If you've been automatically enrolled in your 401(k) plan, make sure to check that your assigned contribution rate and investments are appropriate for your circumstances.

How much can I contribute?

There's an overall cap on your combined pretax and Roth 401(k) contributions. In 2009, you can contribute up to $16,500 ($22,000 if you're age 50 or older) to a 401(k) plan. If your plan allows Roth 401(k) contributions, you can split your contribution between pretax and Roth contributions any way you wish. For example, you can make $9,500 of Roth contributions and $7,000 of pretax 401(k) contributions. It's up to you.

But keep in mind that if you also contribute to another employer's 401(k), 403(b), SIMPLE, or SAR-SEP plan, your total contributions to all of these plans--both pretax and Roth--can't exceed $16,500 in 2009 ($22,000 if you're age 50 or older). It's up to you to make sure you don't exceed these limits if you contribute to plans of more than one employer.

Can I also contribute to an IRA?

Yes. Your participation in a 401(k) plan has no impact on your ability to contribute to an IRA (Roth or traditional). You can contribute up to $5,000 to an IRA in 2009, $6,000 if you're age 50 or older (or, if less, 100% of your taxable compensation). But, depending on your salary level, your ability to make deductible contributions to a traditional IRA may be limited if you participate in a 401(k) plan.

What are the income tax consequences of contributing to a 401(k) plan?

When you make pretax 401(k) contributions, you don't pay current income taxes on those dollars (which means more take-home pay compared to an after-tax Roth contribution of the same amount). But your contributions and investment earnings are fully taxable when you receive a distribution from the plan.

In contrast, Roth 401(k) contributions are subject to income taxes up front, but qualified distributions of your contributions and earnings are entirely free from federal income tax. In general, a distribution from your Roth 401(k) account is qualified only if it satisfies both of the following requirements:

  • It's made after the end of a five-year waiting period
  • The payment is made after you turn 59½, become disabled, or die

The five-year waiting period for qualified distributions starts with the year you make your first Roth contribution to the 401(k) plan. For example, if you make your first Roth contribution to your employer's 401(k) plan in December 2009, your five-year waiting period begins January 1, 2009, and ends on December 31, 2013. Each nonqualified distribution is deemed to consist of a pro-rata portion of your tax-free contributions and taxable earnings.

What about employer contributions?

Employers don't have to contribute to 401(k) plans, but many will match all or part of your contributions. Your employer can match your Roth contributions, your pretax contributions, or both. But your employer's contributions are always made on a pretax basis, even if they match your Roth contributions. That is, your employer's contributions, and investment earnings on those contributions, are always taxable to you when you receive a distribution from the plan.

Should I make pretax or Roth contributions?

Assuming your 401(k) plan allows you to make Roth 401(k) contributions, which option should you choose? It depends on your personal situation. If you think you'll be in a similar or higher tax bracket when you retire, Roth 401(k) contributions may be more appealing, since you'll effectively lock in today's lower tax rates. However, if you think you'll be in a lower tax bracket when you retire, pretax 401(k) contributions may be more appropriate. Your investment horizon and projected investment results are also important factors. A financial professional can help you determine which course is best for you.

Whichever you decide--Roth or pretax--make sure you contribute as much as necessary to get the maximum matching contribution from your employer. This is essentially free money that can help you reach your retirement goals that much sooner.

What happens when I terminate employment?

Generally, you forfeit all contributions that haven't vested. "Vesting" means that you own the contributions. Your contributions, pretax and Roth, are always 100% vested. But your 401(k) plan may require up to six years of service before you fully vest in employer matching contributions (although some plans have a much faster vesting schedule).

When you terminate employment, you can generally leave your money in your 401(k) plan until the plan's normal retirement age (typically age 65), or you can roll your dollars over tax free to an IRA or to another employer's retirement plan.

What else do I need to know?

  • Saving for retirement is easier when your contributions automatically come out of each paycheck
  • You may be eligible to borrow up to one-half of your vested 401(k) account (to a maximum of $50,000) if you need the money
  • You may be able to make a hardship withdrawal if you have an immediate and heavy financial need. But this should be a last resort--hardship distributions are taxable events (except for Roth qualified distributions), and you may be suspended from plan participation for six months or more.
  • If you receive a distribution from your 401(k) plan before you turn 59½, (55 in certain cases), the taxable portion may be subject to a 10% early distribution penalty unless an exception applies
  • Depending on your income, you may be eligible for an income tax credit of up to $1,000 for amounts contributed to the 401(k) plan
  • Your assets are fully protected from creditors in the event of your, or your employer's, bankruptcy

Forefield Inc. does not provide legal, tax, or investment advice. All content provided by Forefield is protected by copyright. Forefield is not responsible for any modifications made to its materials, or for the accuracy of information provided by other sources.

Prepared by Forefield Inc. Copyright 2009 Forefield Inc.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Five Questions about Long-Term Care

DA/CA Financial Group
David Afzal
Casey Broach, CFP®
4542 Ruffner Street., STE 130
San Diego CA 92111
(858)560-0366
1-877-560-3222
info@dacafg.com
www.dacafg.com

For a printer friendly version of this material please click here.

What is long-term care?

Long-term care refers to the ongoing services and support needed by people who have chronic health conditions or disabilities. There are three levels of long-term care:

  • Skilled care: Generally round-the- clock care that's given by professional health care providers such as nurses, therapists, or aides under a doctor's supervision.
  • Intermediate care: Also provided by professional health care providers but on a less frequent basis than skilled care.
  • Custodial care: Personal care that's often given by family caregivers, nurses' aides, or home health workers who provide assistance with what are called "activities of daily living" such as bathing, eating, and dressing.

Long-term care is not just provided in nursing homes--in fact, the most common type of long-term care is home-based care. Long-term care services may also be provided in a variety of other settings, such as assisted living facilities and adult day care centers.

Why is it important to plan for long-term care?

No one expects to need long-term care, but it's important to plan for it nonetheless. Here are two important reasons why:

The odds of needing long-term care are high:

  • Approximately 40% of people will need long-term care at some point during their lifetimes after reaching age 65*
  • Approximately 14% of people age 71 and older have Alzheimer's disease, a disorder that often leads to the need for nursing home care**
  • Younger people may need long-term care too, as a result of a disabling accident or illness

The cost of long-term care is rising:

Currently, the average annual cost of a 1-year nursing home stay is $68,255* and in many states the cost is much higher. In the future, long-term care is likely to be even more expensive. If costs rise at just 3% a year (a conservative estimate), in 20 years, a 1-year nursing home stay will cost approximately $123,276.

*National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008

**Alzheimer's Association, 2008

Doesn't Medicare pay for long-term care?

Many people mistakenly believe that Medicare, the federal health insurance program for older Americans, will pay for long-term care. But Medicare provides only limited coverage for long-term care services such as skilled nursing care or physical therapy. And although Medicare provides some home health care benefits, it doesn't cover custodial care, the type of care older individuals most often need.

Medicaid, which is often confused with Medicare, is the joint federal-state program that two-thirds of nursing home residents currently rely on to pay some of their long-term care expenses. But to qualify for Medicaid, you must have limited income and assets, and although Medicaid generally covers nursing home care, it provides only limited coverage for home health care in certain states.

Can't I pay for care out of pocket?

The major advantage to using income, savings, investments, and assets (such as your home) to pay for long-term care is that you have the most control over where and how you receive care. But because the cost of long-term care is high, you may have trouble affording extended care if you need it.

Should I buy long-term care insurance?

Like other types of insurance, long-term care insurance protects you against a specific financial risk--in this case, the chance that long-term care will cost more than you can afford. In exchange for your premium payments, the insurance company promises to cover part of your future long-term care costs. Long-term care insurance can help you preserve your assets and guarantee that you'll have access to a range of care options. However, it can be expensive, so before you purchase a policy, make sure you can afford the premiums both now and in the future.

The cost of a long-term care policy depends primarily on your age (in general, the younger you are when you purchase a policy, the lower your premium will be), but it also depends on the benefits you choose. If you decide to purchase long-term care insurance, here are some of the key features to consider:

  • Benefit amount: The daily benefit amount is the maximum your policy will pay for your care each day, and generally ranges from $50 to $350.
  • Benefit period: The length of time your policy will pay benefits (e.g., 2 years, 4 years, lifetime).
  • Elimination period: The number of days you must pay for your own care before the policy begins paying benefits (e.g., 20 days, 90 days).
  • Types of facilities included: Many policies cover care in a variety of settings including your own home, assisted living facilities, adult day care centers, and nursing homes.
  • Inflation protection: With inflation protection, your benefit will increase by a certain percentage each year. It's an optional feature available at additional cost, but having it will enable your coverage to keep pace with rising prices.

Your insurance agent or a financial professional can help you compare long-term care insurance policies and answer any questions you may have.


Forefield Inc. does not provide legal, tax, or investment advice. All content provided by Forefield is protected by copyright. Forefield is not responsible for any modifications made to its materials, or for the accuracy of information provided by other sources.

Prepared by Forefield Inc. Copyright 2009 Forefield Inc.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Holding Equities for the Long Term: Time Versus Timing

DA/CA Financial Group
David Afzal
Casey Broach, CFP®
4542 Ruffner Street., STE 130
San Diego CA 92111
(858)560-0366
1-877-560-3222
info@dacafg.com
www.dacafg.com

To view a printer friendly version of this material please click here.

Legendary investor Warren Buffett is famous for his long-term perspective. He has said that he likes to make investments he would be comfortable holding even if the market shut down for 10 years.

Investing with an eye to the long term is particularly important with stocks. Historically, equities have typically outperformed bonds, cash, and inflation, though past performance is no guarantee of future results and those returns also have involved higher volatility.

It can be challenging to have Buffett-like patience during periods such as 2000-2002, when the stock market fell for 3 years in a row, or 2008, which was the worst year for the Standard & Poor's 500 since the Depression era. Times like those can frazzle the nerves of any investor, even the pros. With stocks, having an investing strategy is only half the battle; the other half is being able to stick to it.

Just what is long term?

Your own definition of "long term" is most important, and will depend in part on your individual financial goals and when you want to achieve them. A 70-year-old retiree may have a shorter "long term" than a 30 year old who's saving for retirement.

Your strategy should take into account that the market will not go in one direction forever--either up or down. However, it's instructive to look at various holding periods for equities over the years. Historically, the shorter your holding period, the greater the chance of experiencing a loss. And while it's true that the S&P 500 showed a return of -1.38% for the 10 years that ended December 31, 2008, the last negative-return 10-year period before then ended in 1939.

The benefits of patience

Trying to second-guess the market can be challenging at best; even professionals often have trouble. A study published in the American Economic Review ("What Are Stock Investors' Actual Historical Returns? Evidence from Dollar-Weighted Returns" by Ilia D. Dichev, Volume 97, Issue 1) showed that stock investors who try to time the market typically experience lower returns than quoted historical returns on stocks, which reflect a buy-and-hold approach. Another study, "Stock Market Extremes and Portfolio Performance 1926-2004", done by the University of Michigan, showed that a handful of months or days account for the bulk of both market gains and losses. The return dropped dramatically on a portfolio that was out of the stock market entirely on the 90 best trading days in history. Returns also improved just as dramatically by avoiding the market's 90 worst days; the problem, of course, is being able to forecast exactly which days those will be. And even if you're able to avoid losses by being out of the market, will you know when to get back in?

Keeping yourself on track

It's useful to have strategies in place that can help improve your financial and psychological readiness to take a long-term approach to investing in equities. Even if you're not a buy-and-hold investor, a trading discipline can help you stick to a long-term plan.

Have a game plan against panic

Having predetermined guidelines that anticipate turbulent times can help prevent emotion from Bullish vs Bearishdictating your decisions. For example, you might determine in advance that you will take profits when the market rises by a certain percentage, and buy when the market has fallen by a set percentage. Or you might take a core-and-satellite approach, combining the use of buy-and-hold principles for the bulk of your portfolio with tactical investing based on a shorter-term outlook.

Market downturns are a test of how well you've diversified your assets. Though diversification can't guarantee a profit or ensure against a loss, it can help you manage risk by spreading it among various types of investments, some of which may be performing better than others.

Remember that everything's relative

Most of the variance in the returns of different portfolios is based on their respective asset allocations. If you've got a well-diversified portfolio, it might be useful to compare its overall performance to the S&P 500. If you discover that you've done better than, say, the stock market as a whole, that realization might help you feel better about your long-term prospects.

Current performance may not reflect past results

Don't forget to look at how far you've come since you started investing. When you're focused on day-to-day market movements, it's easy to forget the progress you've already made. Keeping track of where you stand relative to not only last year but to 3, 5, and 10 years ago may help you remember that the current situation is unlikely to last forever.

Consider playing defense

Some investors try to prepare for volatile periods by reexamining their allocation to such defensive sectors as consumer staples or utilities (though like all stocks, those sectors involve their own risks). Dividends also can help cushion the impact of price swings.

If you're retired and worried about a market downturn's impact on your income, think before reacting. If you sell stock during a period of falling prices simply because that was your original game Rollercoasterplan, you might not get the best price. Moreover, that sale might also reduce your ability to generate income in later years. What might it cost you in future returns by selling stocks at a low point if you don't need to? Perhaps you could adjust your lifestyle temporarily instead.

Use cash to help manage your mindset

Having some cash holdings can be the financial equivalent of taking deep breaths to relax. It can enhance your ability to make thoughtful decisions instead of impulsive ones. If you've established an appropriate asset allocation, you should have enough resources on hand to prevent having to sell stocks at an inopportune time just to meet ordinary expenses or, if you've used leverage, a margin call.

A cash cushion coupled with a disciplined investing strategy can change your perspective on market downturns. Knowing that you're positioned to take advantage of a market swoon by picking up bargains may increase your ability to be patient.

Know what you own and why you own it

When the market goes off the tracks, knowing why you originally made a specific investment can help you evaluate whether those reasons still hold, regardless of what the overall market is doing. If you don't understand why a security is in your portfolio, find out. A stock may still be a good long-term opportunity even when its price has dropped.

Tell yourself that tomorrow is another day

The market is nothing if not cyclical. Even if you wish you had sold at what turned out to be a market peak, or regret having sat out a buying opportunity, you may get another chance later. Even if you're considering changes, a volatile market is probably the worst time to turn your portfolio inside out. Solid asset allocation is still the basis of good investment planning.

Be willing to learn from your mistakes

Anyone can look good during bull markets; smart investors are produced by the inevitable rough patches. Even the best aren't right all the time. If an earlier choice now seems rash, sometimes the best strategy is to take a tax loss, learn from the experience, and apply the lesson to future decisions.


Forefield Inc. does not provide legal, tax, or investment advice. All content provided by Forefield is protected by copyright. Forefield is not responsible for any modifications made to its materials, or for the accuracy of information provided by other sources.

Prepared by Forefield Inc. Copyright 2009 Forefield Inc.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Protect Yourself against Identity Theft

DA/CA Financial Group
David Afzal
Casey Broach, CFP®
4542 Ruffner Street., STE 130
San Diego CA 92111
(858)560-0366
1-877-560-3222
info@dacafg.com
www.dacafg.com


To view a printer friendly version of this material click here.

Whether they're snatching your purse, diving into your dumpster, stealing your mail, or hacking into your computer, they're out to get you. Who are they? Identity thieves.

Identity thieves can empty your bank account, max out your credit cards, open new accounts in your name, and purchase furniture, cars, and even homes on the basis of your credit history. If they give your personal information to the police during an arrest and then don't show up for a court date, you may be subsequently arrested and jailed.

And what will you get for their efforts? You'll get the headache and expense of cleaning up the mess they leave behind.

You may never be able to completely prevent your identity from being stolen, but here are some steps you can take to help protect yourself from becoming a victim.

Check yourself out

It's important to review your credit report periodically. Check to make sure that all the information contained in it is correct, and be on the lookout for any fraudulent activity.

You may get your credit report for free once a year. To do so, contact the Annual Credit Report Request Service online at www.annualcreditreport.com or call (877) 322-8228.

If you need to correct any information or dispute any entries, contact the three national credit reporting agencies:

  1. Equifax: www.equifax.com
    (800) 685-1111
  2. Experian: www.experian.com
    (888) 397-3742
  3. TransUnion: www.transunion.com
    (800) 916-8800

Secure your number

Your most important personal identifier is your Social Security number (SSN). Guard it carefully. Never carry your Social Security card with you unless you'll need it. The same goes for other forms of identification (for example, health insurance cards) that display your SSN. If your state uses your SSN as your driver's license number, request an alternate number.

Don't have your SSN preprinted on your checks, and don't let merchants write it on your checks. Don't give it out over the phone unless you initiate the call to an organization you trust. Ask the three major credit reporting agencies to truncate it on your credit reports. Try to avoid listing it on employment applications; offer instead to provide it during a job interview.

Don't leave home with it

Most of us carry our checkbooks and all of our credit cards, debit cards, and telephone cards with us all the time. That's a bad idea; if your wallet or purse is stolen, the thief will have a treasure chest of new toys to play with.

Carry only the cards and/or checks you'll need for any one trip. And keep a written record of all your account numbers, credit card expiration dates, and the telephone numbers of the customer service and fraud departments in a secure place--at home.

Keep your receipts

When you make a purchase with a credit or debit card, you're given a receipt. Don't throw it away or leave it behind; it may contain your credit or debit card number. And don't leave it in the shopping bag inside your car while you continue shopping; if your car is broken into and the item you bought is stolen, your identity may be as well.

Save your receipts until you can check them against your monthly credit card and bank statements, and watch your statements for purchases you didn't make.

When you toss it, shred it

Before you throw out any financial records such as credit or debit card receipts and statements, cancelled checks, or even offers for credit you receive in the mail, shred the documents, preferably with a cross-cut shredder. If you don't, you may find the panhandler going through your dumpster was looking for more than discarded leftovers.

Keep a low profile

The more your personal information is available to others, the more likely you are to be victimized by identity theft. While you don't need to become a hermit in a cave, there are steps you can take to help minimize your exposure:

  • To stop telephone calls from national telemarketers, list your telephone number with the Federal Trade Commission's National Do Not Call Registry by calling (888) 382-1222 or registering online at www.donotcall.gov
  • To remove your name from most national mailing and e-mailing lists, as well as most telemarketing lists, write the Direct Marketing Association at 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-6700, or register online at www.dmachoice.org
  • To remove your name from marketing lists prepared by the three national consumer reporting agencies, call (888) 567-8688 or register online at www.optoutprescreen.com
  • When given the opportunity to do so by your bank, investment firm, insurance company, and credit card companies, opt out of allowing them to share your financial information with other organizations
  • You may even want to consider having your name and address removed from the telephone book and reverse directories

Take a byte out of crime

Whatever else you may want your computer to do, you don't want it to inadvertently reveal your personal information to others. Take steps to help assure that this won't happen.

Install a firewall to prevent hackers from obtaining information from your hard drive or hijacking your computer to use it for committing other crimes. This is especially important if you use a high-speed connection that leaves you continuously connected to the Internet. Moreover, install virus protection software and update it on a regular basis.

Try to avoid storing personal and financial information on a laptop; if it's stolen, the thief may obtain more than your computer. If you must store such information on your laptop, make things as difficult as possible for a thief by protecting these files with a strong password--one that's six to eight characters long, and that contains letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and symbols.

"If a stranger calls, don't answer." Opening e-mails from people you don't know, especially if you download attached files or click on hyperlinks within the message, can expose you to viruses, infect your computer with "spyware" that captures information by recording your keystrokes, or lead you to "spoofs" (websites that replicate legitimate business sites) designed to trick you into revealing personal information that can be used to steal your identity.

If you wish to visit a business's legitimate website, use your stored bookmark or type the URL address directly into the browser. If you provide personal or financial information about yourself over the Internet, do so only at secure websites; to determine if a site is secure, look for a URL that begins with "https" (instead of "http") or a lock icon on the browser's status bar.

And when it comes time to upgrade to a new computer, remove all your personal information from the old one before you dispose of it. Using the "delete" function isn't sufficient to do the job; overwrite the hard drive by using a "wipe" utility program. The minimal cost of investing in this software may save you from being wiped out later by an identity thief.

Be diligent

As the grizzled duty sergeant used to say on a televised police drama, "Be careful out there." The identity you save may be your own.


Forefield Inc. does not provide legal, tax, or investment advice. All content provided by Forefield is protected by copyright. Forefield is not responsible for any modifications made to its materials, or for the accuracy of information provided by other sources.

Prepared by Forefield Inc. Copyright 2009 Forefield Inc.

Roth IRA Conversions - Planning for New Opportunities

DA/CA Financial Group
David Afzal
Casey Broach, CFP®
4542 Ruffner Street., STE 130
San Diego CA 92111
(858)560-0366
1-877-560-3222
info@dacafg.com
www.dacafg.com


To view this information in a flash presentation please click here.

With the lure of tax-free distributions, Roth IRAs have become popular retirement savings vehicles since their introduction in 1998. But if you're a high-income taxpayer, chances are you haven't been able to participate in the Roth revolution. Well, that's about to change.

What are the current rules?

There are currently three ways to fund a Roth IRA--you can contribute directly, you can convert all or part of a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, or you can roll funds over from an eligible employer retirement plan (more on this third method later.)

In general, you can contribute up to $5,000 to an IRA (traditional, Roth, or a combination of both) in 2008 and 2009. If you're age 50 or older, you can contribute up to $6,000 in 2008 and 2009. (Note, though, that your contributions can't exceed your earned income for the year.)

But your ability to contribute directly to a Roth IRA depends on your income level ("modified adjusted gross income," or MAGI), as shown in the chart below:

If your federal filing status is: Your 2009 Roth IRA contribution is reduced if your MAGI is: You can't contribute to a Roth IRA for 2009 if your MAGI is:
Single or head of household More than $105,000 but less than $120,000 $120,000 or more
Married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) More than $166,000 but less than $176,000 $176,000 or more
Married filing
separately
More than $0 but less than $10,000 $10,000 or more

Regardless of whether you contribute directly to a Roth IRA, if your MAGI is $100,000 or less, and you're single or married filing jointly, you can convert an existing traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. (You'll have to pay income tax on the taxable portion of your traditional IRA at the time of conversion.) But if you're married filing separately, or your MAGI exceeds $100,000, you aren't allowed to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.

What's changing?

In 2006, President Bush signed the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act (TIPRA) into law. TIPRA repeals the $100,000 income limit for conversions, and also allows conversions by taxpayers who are married filing separately. What this means is that, regardless of your filing status or how much you earn, you'll be able to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. The bad news? This provision of the new law doesn't take effect until 2010.

So why concern yourself with this now?

Even though the new rules don't take effect until 2010, there are steps you can take now if you want to maximize the amount you can convert at that time. If you aren't doing so already, you can simply start making the maximum annual contribution to a traditional IRA, and then convert that traditional IRA to a Roth in 2010.

Your ability to make deductible contributions to a traditional IRA may be limited if you (or your spouse) is covered by an employer retirement plan and your income exceeds certain limits. But any taxpayer, regardless of income level or retirement plan participation, can make nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA until age 70½. And because nondeductible contributions aren't subject to income tax when you convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, they make sense for taxpayers contemplating a 2010 conversion even if they're eligible to make deductible contributions.

And don't forget that SEP IRAs and SIMPLE IRAs (after two years of participation) can also be converted to Roth IRAs. You may want to consider maximizing your contributions to these IRAs now, and then converting them to Roth IRAs in 2010. (You'll need to set up a new IRA to receive any additional SEP or SIMPLE contributions after you convert.)

But there's a taxing problem

If you've made only nondeductible contributions to your traditional IRA, then only the earnings, and not your own contributions, will be subject to tax at the time you convert the IRA to a Roth.

But if you've made both deductible and nondeductible IRA contributions to your traditional IRA, and you don't plan on converting the entire amount, things can get complicated.

That's because under IRS rules, you can't just convert the nondeductible contributions to a Roth and avoid paying tax at conversion. Instead, the amount you convert is deemed to consist of a pro-rata portion of the taxable and nontaxable dollars in the IRA.

For example, assume that in 2010 your traditional IRA that contains $350,000 of taxable (deductible) contributions, $100,000 of taxable earnings, and $50,000 of nontaxable (nondeductible) contributions. You can't convert only the $50,000 nondeductible (nontaxable) contributions to a Roth. Instead, you'll need to prorate the taxable and nontaxable portions of the account. So in the example above, 90% ($450,000/$500,000) of each distribution from the IRA in 2010 (including any conversion) will be taxable, and 10% will be nontaxable.

You can't escape this result by using separate IRAs. The IRS makes you aggregate all your traditional IRAs (including SEPs and SIMPLEs) when calculating the taxes due whenever you take a distribution from (or convert) any of the IRAs.

But for every glitch, there's a potential workaround. In this case, one way to avoid the prorating requirement, and to ensure you convert only nontaxable dollars, is to first roll over all of your taxable IRA money (that is, your deductible contributions and earnings) to an employer retirement plan like a 401(k) (assuming you have access to an employer plan that accepts rollovers). This will leave only the nontaxable money in your traditional IRA, which you can then convert to a Roth IRA tax free. (You can leave the taxable IRA money in the employer plan, or roll it back over to an IRA at a later date.)

But even if you have to pay tax at conversion, TIPRA contains more good news--if you make a conversion in 2010, you'll be able to report half the income from the conversion on your 2011 tax return and the other half on your 2012 return.

For example, if your only traditional IRA contains $250,000 of taxable dollars (your deductible contributions and earnings) and $175,000 of nontaxable dollars (your nondeductible contributions), and you convert the entire amount to a Roth IRA in 2010, you'll report half of the income ($125,000) in 2011, and the other half ($125,000) in 2012.

And speaking of employer retirement plans...

Before 2008, you couldn't roll funds over from a 401(k) or other eligible employer plan directly to a Roth IRA unless the dollars came from a Roth 401(k) account or a Roth 403(b) account. In order to get a distribution of non-Roth dollars from your employer plan into a Roth IRA you needed to first roll the funds over to a traditional IRA and then (if you met the income limits and other requirements) convert the traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. And, as described earlier, you needed to aggregate all your traditional IRAs to determine how much income tax you owed when you converted the traditional IRA.

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 streamlined this process. Now, you can simply roll over a distribution of non-Roth dollars from a 401(k) or other eligible plan directly (or indirectly in a 60-day rollover) to a Roth IRA. You'll still need to meet the $100,000 income limit for 2008 and 2009. And you'll still need to pay income tax on any taxable dollars rolled over.

One benefit of this new procedure is that you can avoid the proration rule, since you're not converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. This can be helpful if you have nontaxable money in the employer plan and your goal is to minimize the taxes you'll pay when you convert.

For example, assume you receive a $100,000 distribution from your 401(k) plan, and $40,000 is nontaxable because you've made after-tax contributions. You can roll the $60,000 over tax free to a traditional IRA, and then roll the after-tax balance ($40,000) over to a Roth IRA. Since only after-tax dollars are contributed to the Roth IRA, this rollover is also tax free. (Both your plan's terms, and the order in which you make the rollovers, may be important, so be sure to consult a qualified professional.)

Is a Roth conversion right for you?

The answer to this question depends on many factors, including your income tax rate, the length of time you can leave the funds in the Roth IRA without taking withdrawals, your state's tax laws, and how you'll pay the income taxes due at the time of the conversion. And don't forget--if you make a Roth conversion and it turns out not to be advantageous, IRS rules allow you to "undo" the conversion (within certain time limits).

A financial professional can help you decide whether a Roth conversion is right for you, and help you plan for this exciting new retirement savings opportunity.


Forefield Inc. does not provide legal, tax, or investment advice. All content provided by Forefield is protected by copyright. Forefield is not responsible for any modifications made to its materials, or for the accuracy of information provided by other sources.

Prepared by Forefield Inc. Copyright 2009 Forefield Inc.