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Soaring energy costs led to the biggest monthly increase in the Consumer Price Index since the peak of the post-pandemic inflation crisis in June 2022.
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The S&P 500 rose 3.6 percent, its biggest weekly gain since last year. Investors are bracing for developments in peace talks between the United States and Iran, set for the weekend.
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Strait of Hormuz Constraints Keep Oil Prices Elevated Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.comOil ends lower ahead of U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks, posts steepest weekly loss since 2022 ReutersThe third Gulf war will scar energy markets for a long time yet The EconomistOil is plunging, but don't expect $3 gas anytime soon. Here's why | CNN Business CNN
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Consumer prices in March were up 3.3% from a year ago, the biggest annual increase in nearly two years. Higher gasoline prices tied to the war with Iran accounted for much of the surge.
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Prince Harry sued for libel by his former charity Sentebale, court record shows ReutersPrince Harry sued for defamation by charity Sentebale he co-founded BBCPrince Harry sued for defamation by charity he co-founded The GuardianPrince Harry Is Sued for Libel by a Charity He Founded The New York Times
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Plenty of retirees like to give back to their communities through charitable donations, but questions often arise over the best way to do that.
What approach is efficient, provides the tax benefits you're after, and also is advantageous for the charity that's on the receiving end?
SEE MORE Ever Dream of Having a Building Named After Yourself?
One possibility is a qualified charitable distribution (QCD), a tax-savvy way to reduce your taxable income and maximize your donations whether you itemize deductions on your tax return or not. An added bonus is that the benefits can be large for both the donor and the charity.
Here's How QCDs Work
A QCD is a distribution from an IRA that is paid directly from that retirement account to a qualified charity. QCDs lower your adjusted gross income (AGI) and therefore lower your tax bill. They can also offset required minimum distributions (RMDs), those withdrawals you must take from your IRA each year once you reach age 72. An RMD adds to your income, raising the amount of taxes you pay, but a QCD is excluded from your income. So, for example, if you withdrew $50,000 from your IRA as an RMD, you would pay taxes on that money. But if that same $50,000 was used as a QCD instead, you avoid the taxes while helping a charity at the same time.
SEE MORE Every Dollar Counts: How to Evaluate a Nonprofit
Taxpayers can benefit from QCDs even when they take the standard deduction and do not itemize their deductions. Meanwhile, even though a QCD doesn't count as an itemized deduction, tax
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Although you can start collecting Social Security at age 62, you can get much higher monthly payments if you wait as long as age 70. But many people want to or must retire before 70. If you're one of them, consider a possible strategy, backed by recent research, to use your retirement savings to put off receiving Social Security.
Build a Social Security Bridge
New research from the Center for Retirement Research explores retiree appetite for a "bridge" between retirement and collecting Social Security benefits, specifically one where retirees tap 401(k) assets in an amount equivalent to what they'd draw from Social Security on a monthly basis. This stream of payments would continue until age 70 or until the money ran out.
Such an option appealed to a good number of survey respondents; nearly 27% said they'd use it to some extent, even with minimal information about plan details. Among respondents provided with more information on the option, the total climbed to 35%. Researchers also propose a formalized "bridge" plan that employers could offer using 401(k) funds.
SEE MORE Feeling Insecure About Social Security? You're Not Alone.
But why tap those funds? The answer is that any chance to delay collecting Social Security benefits means you'll receive a larger monthly check when you finally do start to draw benefits.
How Much Can You Increase Your Social Security by Delaying Benefits?
As a rule, retirees must decide for themselves when to begin claiming Social Security benefits.
If they can wait to collect, though
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