There are many rising costs senior citizens have to contend with, but your property taxes might not be one of them anymore. We took a look at programs affecting the Kansas counties surrounding Kansas City to see how you can save on property taxes. The ability to “freeze” or lock in your current property tax costs using the Homestead Act is one potential option.

You may also be eligible for other programs to assist with your property tax bills. However, there are rules and restrictions to qualify. If you’re on the Missouri side of Kansas City, check out our article on Kansas City, Missouri programs.

Rising costs and running out of money are a huge worry for many retirees. However, moving forward, you may be eligible for a new “tax freeze” on your Missouri personal property bill. Every little bit helps!

You need to be aware of many different rules and procedures. It’s also important to note that not all counties in Missouri are implementing this new benefit. You’ll need to check your specific county to see what applies to you.

Annuities can be as confusing as any product on the market. However, they can be a handy tool for the right individuals. Don’t let all the ambiguous and confusing terms discourage you from learning about annuities.

A general understanding of how annuities work, the types of annuities available, and the tax implications is helpful. We’ll also analyze the costs and fees, how annuities can insure against longevity risk, and whether an annuity product might be right for you.

There are lots of small, yet important things to creep up on you as you approach retirement. However, these “ankle biters” can turn into a big collective problem if you don’t pay attention. Don’t let the tiny details derail your retirement plans!

We’ll discuss some of the finer details that often get missed or confused. You’ll feel so much better knowing you’ve covered all your bases.

Taking a pension lump sum takes careful consideration. If you decide to take a lump sum, you’ll have to decide whether you transfer your lump sum pension payout into your 401k or your IRA. The decision to take a lump sum can’t be reversed, so take it seriously.

Many different factors come into play when we’re sorting through this decision. Pension payout calculations, tax considerations, and personal goals all matter. Also, your investment style and habits around money are very important as well.

Deciding what pension payout option to choose is a momentous decision with huge impacts on your financial future. There may be several different options – and you don’t want to choose the wrong one. Your company’s plan documents can also be confusing, which makes things more stressful.

However, with the right education and planning, you can navigate this important decision with confidence. The biggest challenge is understanding how each payout option can help work in concert with the other pieces of your life. We hope to give you the tools to make informed comparisons to make the best decision for you and your family.

Warren Buffett is one of the greatest investors and philanthropists of all time. What can we learn from his charitable giving, and how can we apply it to our own giving strategies?

The main point of charitable giving is making the biggest impact. However, when we plan our giving carefully, we can save on taxes and put even more money to good use. There are many considerations, such as when, how much, and which charities and causes to support.

Savvy retirees know the importance of having multiple streams of income in retirement. Multiple income sources help ensure financial stability and peace of mind. We know the importance of having a diversified portfolio, but diverse income streams are even better!

You don’t want all your nest egg(s) in one basket. It’s best to analyze all potential income sources first thoroughly. Then, you can craft a comprehensive financial plan to meet all your retirement needs.

Roth IRA conversions are a valuable tool in long-term tax planning. This method might save you tens of thousands of dollars or more on your taxes. But is there a best time of year to complete Roth conversions?

You must consider many variables to determine what’s best for you. Life happens, and your tax-saving strategies must be adjusted accordingly. This is why we typically evaluate and complete Roth conversions annually.

The last decade has seen some major changes and events, but a lot remains the same. Reflecting on 10 years in business at NextGen Wealth has been a remarkable experience. We’ve accomplished so much, but there’s still much more to come!

We’ve continually added services and enhanced the client experience. It’s amazing to see how much we’ve accomplished navigating successful retirements.

Losing a spouse is awful, and getting hit with a larger tax bill only makes things worse. Thinking about death is never fun, but failure to plan could mean serious tax issues for a surviving spouse. This is what’s often called the “widow’s penalty.”

Married couples enjoy many tax benefits, including higher thresholds for marginal tax brackets and higher standard deductibles. When one spouse dies, there may be some changes to income, but there likely won’t be as large of a change in living expenses.

Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) are employer-funded plans that allow employees to pay for qualified medical expenses with tax-free money. HRAs can be used to reimburse employees for a wide range of expenses, including individual health insurance premiums, deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.

If your employer offers an HRA, you should certainly check it out. It’s a great benefit to help reduce your overall healthcare costs! There are several types of HRAs, so be sure to check your plan documents carefully.

Are you looking for a way to supercharge your retirement savings? You might want to look into after-tax contributions to your 401k. Larger employers offer this option more often, but some smaller employers may also offer it.

After-tax contributions could be a great option to top off your retirement savings. Of course, there’s nothing magical about these contributions, but if you’ve already hit other contribution limits, this might be a great benefit.

Fraud and online scams are a growing threat to all Americans. However, you can take steps to make yourself less likely to become a victim of scammers. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission received reports of over $10 Billion in total fraud losses!

Brandon Lovingier was privileged to interview Kathy Stokes, the Director of Fraud Prevention Programs with AARP, at FinCon 2023. Her insights on fraud prevention are used throughout this article, along with some of our own advice and helpful tips. We hope to inform you of best practices to protect you and your loved ones from becoming victims of fraud, theft, and scams.

Getting accurate and timely information is critical to your success every tax season. Unfortunately, not all of the details about your financial life show up in your tax documents. Your accountant will need your input to understand the context of your tax documents.

You don't want to miss out on any potential tax savings or make a mistake on your taxes. This is why communicating and collaborating with your financial planner and accountant is so important. Timely and accurate information can prevent problems and possibly keep more money in your pocket.

As you draw closer to retirement, it’s essential for you to get things filed on time. In many cases, you’ll only have one opportunity to get things right. Other decisions may lock you in for a long time.

No matter what, each decision and deadline as you approach your retirement date is critical. This is why NextGen Wealth specializes in the transition phase of retirement and beyond. If you take the time to lay the foundation of your retirement on solid ground, everything else goes much more smoothly.

This post was last updated on January 08, 2024, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.

Many SECURE Act 2.0 changes were set to go into effect later, but 2023 was an important year when many changes took effect. We’ve made a list of these changes so you can more easily track them.

This post was last updated on January 08, 2024, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.

Overall, this is a tough question to answer. SECURE 2.0 doesn’t cause any real major changes, but collectively, all the small changes have a significant impact. Put a different way, SECURE 2.0 probably won’t derail or save your retirement, but you certainly need to update your financial plan.

This post was last updated on January 08, 2024, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.

Are you looking for ways to avoid taxes on retirement and Social Security income? There are many retirement tax strategies you should be aware of. You may even be looking for how to avoid taxes on withdrawals from your 401k or other investment accounts.

Probate can be quite a headache. Fear not! There are two not-so-secret secret weapons in your estate-planning arsenal, known as Transfer-on-Death (TOD) and Payable-on-Death (POD) designations.

These simple, yet overlooked methods are an easy and free way to avoid losing time and money to probate. Don’t burden your loved ones with complicated and confusing processes to claim their inheritance.