Page 16 - Boca Exposure - March '24

Page 16, Boca Exposure
Healthy Answers–A Guide To Healthy Living:

‘This Will ‘Bug’ Any Traveler!’

By Dale Brown, B.S., inflammation results, or a prescription for a corticosteroid Hot Water counts: Wash clothes in hot water
M.A., C.E.C. Dale is a cream or an oral antihistamine may be needed. immediately when returning home.
motivational speaker What can you do to prevent a bedbug breeding ground? Inspect and vacuum: After you unpack and store your
who has spent many If you are traveling to a hotel or returning home you luggage, thoroughly check for signs and thoroughly
years as a Certified Life might be interested in some of the things you can do to stop vacuum out any you find.
Coach and has written the spread of bedbugs. Here are just a few: Check used goods: If purchasing used furniture or
numerous articles and Check it out first: Before you even unpack thoroughly items while traveling, carefully inspect them before
e-books relating to self- inspect the mattress and box springs for any signs of bedbugs bringing anything home.
improvement and ways to such as reddish-brown insects, fecal stains (dark spots) or If you suspect bedbugs during your travels or after
build a high-performance shed bug skins. Look behind the headboard as best you can returning home, it’s important to act promptly. Report
team. She is the author of (that’s a tough one to check easily) and in the sofas and chairs. the issue to hotel management and consider seeking
the book, “Small Steps... Keep your suitcase off the floor: Use luggage racks or professional pest control assistance. Taking preventive
Big Changes: The Personal Stories of a Life Coach.” place your suitcase on a hard surface away from the bed. measures and staying vigilant can help minimize the risk
Her education and years of experience in physical Place clothing in sealable plastic bags or travel pouches. of bedbug infestations during and after you return home.
fitness and training of elite athletes has enabled her to Keep personal items such as bags, backpacks and purses Safe travels!
sharpen her knowledge in many health-related areas. The elevated and away from potential hiding spots for bedbugs.
following introduces a new approach to Brown’s series of
columns devoted to many topics that deal with the mind/
body connection and the importance of living a healthy
lifestyle. Dale, a Bocaire resident, can be reached at
dalebrown@lovingmondays.com.
There’s one thing that can make a fun vacation turn
ugly ... and I’m not talking about lost luggage or a bad
suntan. It’s a little creature that can travel over thousands Minimizing Taxes of Highly Appreciated Assets
of miles and become your next houseguest. Yes, bedbugs
can easily warm up to be spending time in your home and Introduction
bed. Unfortunately, these small pesky insects are on the If the value of your stocks, bonds, or other capital investments has increased substantially, there are a few steps you can take to
rise once again! minimize taxation. These include timing the sale of your capital assets, using capital losses effectively, and passing assets to heirs at your
As frequent travelers, my husband and I are always death. In addition, you might consider charitable giving.
conscious of taking necessary precautions for ourselves
and our home on each of our return trips. Recently, after Timing the sale of assets is important
spending a glorious two weeks in the Galapagos Islands, Generally, you can choose when to sell your investments, potentially shifting taxes owed. Therefore, if your capital assets have
our first chore home was to safeguard our house with the appreciated substantially, you can control when you recognize the profit (capital gain) on these investments. If you are in a high tax
possibility of introducing some unwanted guests. bracket, you may want to hold on to your highly appreciated investments for longer than 12 months in order to get favorable long-
term capital gains tax treatment. Long-term capital gains are generally taxed at special capital gains tax rates of 0%, 15%, and 20%
So, as we made our way from the garage door to the laundry depending on your taxable income. By contrast, because short-term capital gains are taxed as ordinary income, the top short-term
room we immediately emptied our suitcases, dropped every capital gains tax rate can be 37%. Higher-income taxpayers should be aware that they may be subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare
piece of our bodily clothes into the washing machine and unearned income tax on net investment income (unearned income includes capital gains) if their adjusted gross income exceeds
headed to the showers in our birthday suits. Quite a sight! $200,000 (single filers) or $250,000 (married joint filers). As you can see, a little patience can pay off handsomely.
In the year 2023 two-thirds of Americans took at least Moreover, if you expect to have substantial tax deductions in a particular year, it may be wise to wait until that year to sell, so
two leisure trips and it’s estimated that 40 percent plan to that the resulting gain can be offset.
travel more in 2024. With all this increased international
travel it’s no wonder why there has been a huge influx Using capital losses effectively
of bedbugs crossing borders. They can easily be lurking You can minimize taxation of your capital gain income by using capital losses effectively. More specifically, you can generate capital
in your luggage, your jacket pocket, backpack or other losses to offset capital gains, and you can use your capital gain income to utilize unused losses. Capital losses must be netted against
personal belongings. capital gains in a specific manner. Excess losses may offset up to $3,000 ($1,500 if married filing separately) of ordinary income per year.
Losses remaining after the limit may be carried forward indefinitely to offset future income.
All about bedbugs: Bedbugs aren’t known to transmit Planning with capital losses can be an important method of minimizing taxes on highly appreciated assets. If you expect to recognize
diseases through their bites, but they can cause itching, a substantial capital gain this year, you should review your portfolio to make use of any capital losses you may have.
redness and swelling. The major concern lies with the
distress created in knowing that bugs are crawling in your Is it better to gift highly appreciated assets during your lifetime or to pass them to others at death?
sheets and mattress, thus the name “bed” bug. Bedbugs Property that has already appreciated substantially may not be the best candidate for a lifetime transfer or gift. That is because the
can be seen by the naked eye if you look closely. They recipient of a gift takes a carryover basis in the property; that is, the recipient's basis in the property is the same as your basis was. In contrast,
are small, flat and wingless, with six legs that feed on the basis of property passed at your death is generally stepped up (or down) to its fair market value (FMV) at the time of your death.
blood from animals or people. They turn rusty red after You may not want to give highly appreciated property if the donee will recognize a substantial capital gain when the property is sold.
feeding but are usually almost white to brown in color. On the other hand, you may want to make that gift if the sale of the property is imminent anyway and the donee is in a lower tax bracket.
These pests can live for 10 months and can go weeks You (the donor) may increase the basis of appreciated property by the portion of any federal gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes
without feeding. Their infestations may go unnoticed you pay that are attributable to the appreciation element. Since the donee takes a carryover basis, the capital gain recognized by the donee
will be less than it would have been without the adjustment. You cannot increase the basis of the property any higher than the property's fair
until they become severe. market value on the date of the gift.
These nasty bugs thrive anywhere and hide where there Remember, you can currently make federal tax-free gifts of $15,000 per recipient under the annual gift tax exclusion. If you exceed this
are cracks and crevices. They have become a nuisance for amount, you may owe gift tax, however, gift tax owed may be offset by your applicable exclusion amount to the extent that is available.
hotels and other public places such as dorms, hospitals,
movie theaters, and maybe even cruise ships. Since Gifting highly appreciated assets to charity
harsh pesticides such as DDT have been banned in most When you donate stock or other intangible long-term capital gain property to a qualified public charity, you can deduct the full FMV
countries, bedbugs have become resistant to the more of the property to the extent that it does not exceed 30 percent of your adjusted gross income. Any amount that cannot be deducted in the
commonly used brands, making them harder to kill. current year can be carried over and deducted for up to five succeeding years. You benefit in two ways: (1) you get a tax deduction, and
Symptoms and treatment of bedbug bites: Out of sight (2) you remove interest, dividends, and/or capital gains from your investment portfolio. If you wish to donate highly appreciated assets
during the day, bedbugs lay in wait to inject an anesthetic to charity, however, it is important to apprise yourself of all relevant rules. Also, certain types of property may be more advantageous to
type of substance that numbs the flesh so you don’t feel donate to charity than others.
their bite. They also insert an anticoagulant to keep your This information, developed by an independent third party, has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. does not guarantee that the foregoing
blood flowing as they suck. The first sign that a bedbug material is accurate or complete. This information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute a recommendation. The
information contained in this report does not purport to be a complete description of the securities, markets, or developments referred to in this material. This information is not intended as a solicitation
has bitten you is an itchy, red bite mark on the skin, or an offer to buy or sell any security referred to herein. Investments mentioned may not be suitable for all investors. The material is general in nature. Past performance may not be indicative of future
usually on the arms or shoulders. results. Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. does not provide advice on tax, legal or mortgage issues. These matters should be discussed with the appropriate professional. Securities offered through
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, an independent broker/dealer, and are not insured by FDIC, NCUA or any other government agency, are not deposits or obligations of the
Bedbug bites don’t usually need to be treated, but if financial institution, are not guaranteed by the financial institution, and are subject to risks, including the possible loss of principal. Investment Advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial
too much scratching occurs, you may need to apply a Services Advisors, Inc. The information contained within this commercial email has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the foregoing material is accurate or complete
local antiseptic lotion or antibiotic cream. See a doctor if
Raymond James Financial Services

Arthur Rottenstein

Registered Securities Principal

301 E. Yamato Road, Suite 3160
Boca Raton, FL 33431
561-241-6616
It’s The Law! Arthur.Rottenstein@RaymondJames.com

bocaratonfinancialplanner.com