|
|
ONLINE FEATURES
Book Reviews
BW Video
Columnists
Interactive Gallery
Newsletters
Past Covers
Philanthropy
Podcasts
Special Reports
BLOGS
Auto Beat
Bangalore Tigers
Blogspotting
Brand New Day
Byte of the Apple
Economics Unbound
Eye on Asia
Fine On Media
Green Biz
Hot Property
Investing Insights
Management IQ
NEXT: Innovation
NussbaumOnDesign
Tech Beat
Working Parents
TECHNOLOGY
J.D. Power Ratings
Product Reviews
Tech Stats
Wildstrom: Tech Maven
AUTOS
Home Page
Auto Reviews
Classic Cars
Car Care & Safety
Hybrids
INNOVATION
& DESIGN Home Page Architecture Brand Equity Auto Design Game Room SMALLBIZ Smart Answers Success Stories Today's Tip INVESTING Investing: Europe Annual Reports BW 50 S&P Picks & Pans Stock Screeners Free S&P Stock Report SCOREBOARDS Hot Growth 100 Mutual Funds Info Tech 100 S&P 500 B-SCHOOLS Undergrad Programs MBA Blogs MBA Profiles MBA Rankings Who's Hiring Grads | |
MARCH 22, 2004
Edited by Toddi Gutner Don't Forget To Eat A Bite Of That IRA If you're retired, you have to take an annual required minimum distribution (RMD) from your individual retirement account at age 70 1/2. Don't forget. Beginning this year, IRA custodians must report to the Internal Revenue Service which account holders have a required distribution, though not the amount. You'll get a reminder, too. So it's less likely the IRA will waive the 50% penalty on the missed distribution if you forget. HDTV For Less If high prices have scared you away from high-definition television, here by far is the cheapest way to get started. Satellite-TV provider DISH Network will set you up with HDTV for under a grand (www.dishnetwork.com, 800 333-3474). Yes, there's a catch: You have to agree to subscribe to a year's worth of programming that starts at a minimum of about $40 per month. For $999, DISH will deliver a set-top box that receives and decodes HDTV signals and either a 34-inch tube-type widescreen TV or a 40-inch projection TV. If you're not already a DISH subscriber, the company will install a satellite antenna for free as well. DISH offers eight channels of high-def programming, including ESPN, Discovery, HBO, and Showtime. If your local stations are broadcasting in HD, you can plug a regular TV antenna into the dish box to get local programs over the air. Still wavering? The same sets sell under the RCA brand for $1,200 to $1,500 at such retailers as Wal-Mart and Amazon.com. And you would still need to buy a $400 HD tuner to get HD broadcasts. By Larry Armstrong   Annuities, Burning Bright  After sliding 17.5% in 2001 from their all-time high of $137.3 billion in 2000, sales of variable annuities have been making a strong recovery. Last year, despite the stiff fees, investors poured $126.4 billion into these retirement-savings products that combine various tax-deferred investment portfolios with a life insurance feature. Add in stock market gains, and the $985.3 billion in assets at the end of 2003 beat the 1999 peak of $973.5 billion.Can the good times last? The new 15% tax on dividends makes tax-deferral less attractive. And regulators are looking into the high fees and the possibility that market-timers have been using annuities as well. Hold The Lobster One of the hottest night spots in Boston is all about slabs of beef, pigs hanging from their feet, and necklaces of $3 sausages. More than a meat locker, The Butcher Shop at 552 Tremont St. (617 423-4800) is also a wine bar, café, and charcuterie. You can sip a sangiovese and nibble on mixed grill ($20) at one end, or buy a grass-fed steak to take home from the cooler at the other. The butcher shop is open till 8 p.m., the wine bar/café till midnight. Both close earlier on Sunday. By Faith Arner
| | |
 Copyright 2004, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of Use | Privacy Notice |
Printer-Friendly Version
