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Will you face a tax bomb in retirement?

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Good savers, beware. The money you’re stuffing into your 401(k) and other retirement accounts has to be withdrawn someday. If you’re not strategic about how you save, you could face unnecessarily high tax bills and inflated Medicare premiums in retirement — plus, you could be saddling your heirs with higher taxes.

The earlier you start defusing this potential tax bomb, the better. But even people in their 60s or early 70s may have opportunities to lessen the potential damage — as long as they act swiftly.

In my latest for the Associated Press, learn how to lessen the potential tax bomb in retirement.

This week’s money news

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 This week’s top story: Smart Money podcast on spring-cleaning, and paying off different types of debt. In other news: What could happen if Congress doesn’t make changes to Social Security by 2035, mortgage could be harder to get in a credit-tightening era, and 4 tips for a meaningful and successful retirement.

Smart Money Podcast: Spring-Cleaning, and Paying Off Different Types of Debt
This week’s episode starts with tips for financial spring-cleaning.

Will Social Security Run Out?
If Congress doesn’t make changes to Social Security by 2035, benefits may be reduced. Here’s what could happen next.

Mortgages Could Be Harder to Get in a Credit-Tightening Era
Mortgage rates are likely to rise in April because of persistent inflation and stricter lending.

4 Tips for a Meaningful and Successful Retirement
From planning your days to preparing for your health, financial planners and other experts weigh in on how to make the most of your retirement.

How to use a tax refund to fight inflation

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If inflation has eaten away at your budget the way waves erode a beach, then your tax refund might just provide a much-needed protective barrier.

As of March, prices are up 6% over the past 12 months, according to the most recent consumer price index. At the same time, just over half of filers (55%) are expecting tax refunds for the 2022 tax year, with an average expected refund of $2,205, according to the 2023 Nerdwallet Tax Report. Financial experts say consumers can use that windfall — which is really just a delayed paycheck that you already earned — to help offset the strain of those higher prices.

“Tax refunds are going to arrive at just the right time for many consumers this spring,” says Drew Wessell, a certified financial planner at Fiduciary Financial Advisors in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In Kimberly Palmer’s latest for the Associated Press, learn how to use a tax refund to fight inflation.

This week’s money news

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This week’s top story: Smart Money podcast on banking stability, and traditional vs. online banks. In other news: how bank failures show us what not to do with our own finances, how doing the bare minimum with debt is costing you, and if being a landlord worth or not.

Smart Money Podcast: Is Banking Stable, and Traditional vs. Online Banks
This week’s episode starts with a recap of the banking crisis that started with Silicon Valley Bank.

Bank Failures Show Us What Not to Do With Our Own Finances
Money News & Moves: Remembering important money-managing lessons that some bank execs apparently forgot.

How Doing the Bare Minimum With Debt Is Costing You
Making set monthly payments is a start, but paying a bit more or seeking a lower interest rate will save you a lot.

Is Being a Landlord Worth It?
Renting out a property can be tempting, but it could be more trouble than it’s worth if you don’t have a safety net.

Should you rent in retirement?

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Some people rent in retirement because they don’t have much choice; they can’t afford to own homes. But financial planners say renting can make more sense than owning in some circumstances, even for retirees who can afford the costs of homeownership.

Renting offers flexibility as well as freedom from all the chores and expenses of maintaining a home. Renting also may provide built-in communities for socializing, as well as accessible housing features such as one-floor living, which can help people age in place. People who are “house rich and cash poor” can sell their homes and use the equity to fund a more comfortable lifestyle.

In my latest for the Associated Press, learn how rent in retirement can be a smarter decision.

This week’s money news

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This week’s top story: Smart Money podcast on CDs and managing a life-changing windfall. In other news: How to minimize the impact to your business from a bank failure, how Silicon Valley Bank failed, and the hurdles on the road to Medicare coverage of cannabis.

Smart Money Podcast: Are CDs Worth It, and Managing a Life-Changing Windfall
This week’s episode starts with a discussion about certificates of deposit, or CDs.

Spooked by Bank Failures? Minimize the Impact to Your Business
Keep an emergency fund at a separate business bank to help insulate your company from a bank failure.

How Silicon Valley Bank Failed (and Why That Probably Won’t Happen to Your Bank)
Silicon Valley Bank failed after a series of events that aren’t likely to happen at your bank.

When Will Medicare Cover Medical Marijuana?
From regulatory to more practical issues, here are the hurdles on the road to Medicare coverage of cannabis.