Value of Annuities Behind Fed Efforts to Boost Retirement Savings

In January, the Obama administration announced an initiative to promote the availability of annuities in qualified retirement, 401(k), and similar plans. Only 22% of such plans now offer annuities among the options available to plan participants.   While the initiative is not long on details, it is gaining support among senior advisors and advocates.  Making annuities an option in qualified retirement planning would permit more workers to turn some of their nest egg into guaranteed income for life.  The opportunity to insure a lifetime of income is an attribute unique to annuities, and is an attribute uniquely suited for retirement planning.

Simultaneously, a Senate bill that would require your 401(k) to inform you of the projected monthly income you could expect at retirement based on current savings.  Causing investors to focus on the income they can expect from their retirement planning, rather than upon their account balances, is a welcome turn of events.  Investors often pay too much attention to the balances in their retirement plan portfolio, without careful attention to whether that portfolio will sustain them after retirement.  Simply, income is a more relevant basis upon which to plan for retirement.  That is the approach Social Security takes with its annual statements.

The confluence of these events suggests that the government is finally acknowledging the value of income retirement planning, and the value of annuities in securing that income.  As Americans grapple with the challenge of potentially outliving their retirement savings, lifetime income annuities are among the most cost-effective and least risky asset class for generating guaranteed retirement income for life according to numerous studies, perhaps the most prestigious being one co-sponsored by the Wharton Financial Institutions Center at the University of Pennsylvania and New York Life Insurance Company.

Planner's Corner- Beware of Ghostwritten Articles

You've probably received the solicitation, and been tempted to purchase the beautiful book or glossy magazine, with your picture and name on the cover.  The solicitation promises instant credibility, because no client would know that you had nothing to do with writing the book, or that the magazine article is purchased.  These "ghostwritten" marketing efforts promise much, are extremely high quality, and as a result, are tempting.

Beware!  The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) warns that sales representatives for member firms should take care when using ghostwritten books and articles in marketing their services.   A rule established by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD)  "prohibits false, misleading or exaggerated communications with the public and the omission of material facts or qualifications that would cause a communication to be misleading," FINRA officials write in Regulatory Notice 08-27.   Many of the ghostwritten books, pamphlets and newspaper advice articles may violate that rule and other rules established by the NASD and FINRA's other predecessor organization, the regulatory arm of the New York Stock Exchange, the notice states.

Avoiding Census Fraud

With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises that people be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become victims of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? The BBB offers the following advice:

• If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.

CitiMortgage Program to Aid Borrowers Avoid Foreclosure Costs

According to an article written by Les Christie, and published on CNNMoney.com, CitiMortgage, one of the nation's largest mortgage servicers, launched a pilot program Friday designed to ease the pain of some homeowners heading for foreclosure.  The program, a modification of a traditional deed in lieu of foreclosure, gives borrowers new and substantial  incentives to avoid the legal and administrative costs of foreclosure.

Instead of borrowers falling further and further behind on their mortgages, leading to an eventual foreclosure sale, they can stay in their homes for up to six months, if they agree to then hand over the deed to the lender. 

CitiMortgage will then, additionally, pay the borrowers a minimum of $1,000 to help with relocation expenses.  CitiMortgage will also provide relocation counseling, and may even cover some monthly property expenses while the borrowers remain in their homes, if Citi determines the borrowers can't afford the expenses.Citi will also forgive any difference between the value of the home at time of repossession and what the borrower owes. Once the deed goes back to the lender, the borrowers walk away free and clear.

Doctors Avoid End-of-life Counseling with Patients

According to researchers publishing a report in the journal Cancer, most doctors don't talk about end-of-life issues with their cancer patients when those patients are feeling well. Nor do they talk about them until treatments have been exhausted. Those delays might mean patients are unable able to make truly informed choices early in their treatment.

The study, published online, by Nancy L. Keating, MD, MPH, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues, surveyed 4,188 physicians about how they would talk to a hypothetical cancer patient with four to six months to live. A majority of respondents (65%) said they would discuss prognosis, but only a minority said they would discuss do-not-resuscitate status (44%), hospice (26%) or preferred site of death (21%) at that time. Rather, they would wait until symptoms were present or until there were no more treatments to offer. An abstract and the full text of the study are available here.

Current guidelines, from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a not-for-profit alliance of 21 of the world's leading cancer centers, say that such conversations should be initiated whenever a patient has been given less than a year to live, if not at diagnosis.  The survey suggests that these guidelines are not being observed in practice.

The survey did not ask physicians to explain their answers, but the researchers offered several possibilities.

Alzheimer's: Type 3 Diabetes?

I don't usually include information regarding health care, but some of you might remember that the first incarnation of my website had a page devoted to health and prescription drug information.  But, this article, available online on the Canadian version of Healthzone, is so compelling, I thought I would share it.

Some experts are now calling  Alzheimer's, "Type 3 diabetes" or diabetes of the brain. Here are a few links between the two diseases:

Beware Direct Transfer Designations (TOD's/POD's)

Direct transfer designations, like POD's (payable on death designations) and TOD's (transfer on death designations), and simple beneficiary designations, are mechanisms by which an account or other asset is transferred or paid upon the death of the account holder or asset owner to a beneficiary. They are often recommended by the administrator of the account, such as a bank, broker or life insurance company. While these can be very effective and inexpensive means by which to avoid probate and transfer assets at death, they are not without their risks and challenges. A lack of careful consideration of the risks and rewards of these mechanisms can be disastrous. A carefully prepared estate plan will consider, and resolve, all of the risks and challenges of these mechanisms.

Benefits of Direct Transfer Designations

Direct transfer designations, such as POD's and TOD's have several benefits. The most important benefits are that they are cheap and easy. Most institutions will permit you to make such designations as a service, for no additional fee. They are simple to create, and there is no need for an attorney or other professional. Most of these designations are made by account owners without legal or professional advice or counsel. Particularly because of their simplicity, they are very popular.

The second benefit is that the payment or transfer is more or less immediate and direct. Where there is a need to make cash or other liquid assets immediately available to a child or grandchild for some purpose, a TOD or POD appear attractive at first glance. Beneficiary transfers, however, typically require claim forms, and documentation in support of the claim. In reality, the process may take more time and effort than succession of ownership (such as through a living trust or joint tenancy with right of survivorship). Nonetheless, it is the assumption that funds are available immediately that often causes folks to choose direct transfer designations.

New AOA Website Offers Legal Help

The Administration on Aging, in partnership with five national non-profit organizations, launched a new web site intended to empower legal and aging services advocates with the resources necessary to provide high quality legal help to older adults. The site is part of AoA’s National Legal Resource Center initiative, created in 2008.

AoA’s five national non-profit partners are: the National Senior Citizens Law Center, the National Consumer Law Center, The Center for Social Gerontology, The Center for Elder Rights Advocacy, and the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging.

Yes, You Can Follow Michael Jackson's Estate!

If you are interested, you can follow developments in the Estate of Michael Jackson.  It only takes a few minutes of searching to locate the public website for viewing the court dockets for estates being probated in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. So if you're interested in keeping up to date on what's going on with the probate of Michael Jackson's will and estate, then follow the links and instructions provided below.

Even if you are not interested, the fact that you can follow the developments in probate court is instructive; it speaks volumes to the level of privacy one can expect in probate cases.  It also serves to illustrate what can be accomplished with trust planning.  You will note that Michael Jackson's estate plan included a revocable trust.  Although the probate court will involve numerous issues, such as guardianship of the children, if Michael Jackson;s trust was completely funded, identification and valuation of assets, and court overseen administration of them, would be limited. 

How to View the Court Docket for Michael Jackson's Estate:

Things to Remember at Tax Time

Tax time is rapidly approaching.  You want to file all the proper forms and take all deductions you're entitled to. Following are some things to keep in mind as you prepare your tax form.

• Gifts. Did you give away any money this year? The gift tax can be very confusing. If you gave away more than $13,000 in 2009, you will have to file a Form 709, the gift tax return. This does not necessarily mean you will owe taxes on the money, however, and most folks making gifts will owe no tax. Click here for more information.
• Medical Expenses. Many types of medical expenses are tax deductible, from hospital stays to hearing aids. To claim the deduction, your medical expenses have to be more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. This includes all out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions (including deductibles and co-pays) and Medicare Part B and Part C and Part D premiums. (Medicare Part B premiums are usually deducted out of your Social Security benefits, so be sure to check your 1099 for the amount.) You can only deduct medical expenses you paid during the year, regardless of when the services were provided, and medical expenses are not deductible if they are reimbursable by insurance. Click here for more information.