4 Best Tax Free Retirement Strategies Florida
Preparing for retirement should create excitement, not concern. Yet for many, that’s not necessarily the case.
Rising taxes may be a concern for anyone — especially for individuals approaching retirement. Having a solid strategy in place for how you will pay taxes on your retirement income can be an important component to living on a fixed income and avoiding surprises come tax time.
Taxes are one of the biggest expenses retirees often face. As a retiree, you’ll likely be required to pay taxes on Social Security, pension benefits, retirement account distributions and more. This significant tax bill often takes many people by surprise, and it can critically affect your retirement savings.
Tax-free retirement strategies can help you save more of your money for retirement. When you’re not sure if you’ve saved enough for your retirement years, it’s nice to know that the IRS will collect less of your savings and benefits. Though a completely tax-free retirement income may not be possible, keeping more of your money in your bank account by using tax-free retirement strategies can make a big difference.
By planning ahead, however, you can help minimize your tax exposure and take steps to help protect your retirement security. A variety of tools are available to help you generate tax-free retirement income.
Below are four strategies to consider adopting today as part of your overall retirement plan to help reduce your future tax burden:
Roth IRA
A traditional IRA is a popular retirement savings vehicle because it offers tax-deferred growth and the ability to make tax-deductible contributions. However, all distributions from this type of account are taxable. That can be problematic for many retirees.
With a Roth IRA, upfront contributions are not tax-deductible, but you still benefit from tax-deferred growth on the funds inside the account. The major advantage of a Roth IRA, however, is that it enables you to make tax-free withdrawals in retirement after you reach age 59½.
Consider using a Roth IRA to save for retirement, as it could create a source of tax-free income in the future. If you have a traditional IRA but would prefer to have a Roth, you have the option of doing a Roth conversion. This is the process in which you convert traditional IRA funds into a Roth. You have to pay taxes on the converted amount, but that could be worth it if it reduces your tax liability in retirement.
Cash Value Life Insurance
Did you know whole life insurance can generate millions of dollars of tax-free retirement income? We’re not talking about for the beneficiary, we’re talking about for you. Your policies can provide tax-free retirement income for the rest of your life, no matter how long you live. It is written into the IRS Tax Code.
Also sometimes called “permanent insurance,” cash value life insurance includes a number of different insurance types, such as whole life, universal and variable. Each has its own set of features and benefits, but the main advantage they all share is that your cash value grows tax-deferred.
Permanent insurance enables you to withdraw your premiums tax-free and then take the growth out as tax-free loans. You could use your permanent life insurance policy as a source of supplemental tax-free income after you retire. Just be aware that if any loans aren’t repaid, they’ll be deducted from the death benefit after you pass away.
What makes life insurance so unique? The IRS tax code.
The IRS tax code allows life insurance cash values and death benefit proceeds to receive tax advantages that are truly unique. These benefits include:
- Tax-free death benefit
- Tax-deferred accumulation
- Tax-free distributions
- Tax-free accelerated death benefits
Municipal Bonds
A variety of local governmental and nonprofit entities, such as hospitals or public works departments, issue municipal bonds to raise capital. The interest on these bonds is paid tax-free to the bondholder. You can buy them as individual bonds, or you can buy mutual funds that specialize in municipal bonds.
One important note to remember is that if you sell a bond for a gain, that gain could be taxable. Otherwise, municipal bond interest can be a source of tax-free income in retirement.
Health Savings Account (HSA)
This is technically not a source of tax-free income that can be used for general purposes. However, an HSA can be used to generate tax-free income to cover medical expenses. It exists specifically for this purpose and can be very beneficial when it comes to covering your health care costs in retirement.
With an HSA you can make tax-deductible contributions, which then grow tax-deferred as long as they stay in the account. You are then eligible to take tax-free withdrawals to pay for qualified medical costs.
Considering the cost of health care these days, you may want to think about contributing to an HSA as an essential part of your retirement savings strategy. A financial professional can help you take the next steps if any of these options sound right for you.
Best Tax Free Retirement Florida
Tax-free retirement strategies such as Roth IRA’s, Roth Conversions, Roth 401(k)’s and even a properly structured life insurance contract, commonly referred to as a “LIRP,” or Life Insurance Retirement Plan are used in combination to structure a tax free income stream. The key is to have multiple streams of tax-free income, none of which show up on the IRS’s radar as provisional income, but all of which contribute to you being in the zero percent tax bracket in retirement.
Incorporating Indexed Universal life and other tax free income strategies into your retirement plan along with your Qualified retirement plan may help you hedge against higher future tax rates.
Mintco Financial Florida
Ready to plan your tax-free retirement? Let’s talk about it.
Contact us at Mintco Financial. We can help you analyze your needs and develop a strategy.
Regardless of your plan choice, we will provide you with a broad array of investment options from well respected companies.
We have the expertise and tools to assist you whether you have a retirement plan in place or are contemplating offering one.
Contact us directly regarding questions about Tax Free Strategies in Retirement.
Call 813-964-7100
Email us at info@mintcofinancial.com