The results of this presidential election could affect clients’ retirement savings.

Reason: President Obama and Governor Romney don’t agree on quite a few issues — and that includes their tax plans.

We chose a few key financial issues and outline both candidates’ views below. Who knows, maybe it’ll help you decide who you’ll pull the lever for this November:

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

• Obama: Signed the Dodd-Frank Act and still supports it.
• Romney: Opposes Dodd-Frank and says he’ll repeal it.

TAX RATES

• Obama: Proposes the “Buffett Rule,” a 30% mandatory federal income tax rate for millionaires. The President also favors limiting income-tax deductions for households earning over $250,000 year (effectively a tax increase).
• Romney: Proposes lowering all income tax rates by 20% (the 35% top rate would drop to 28%).

CAPITAL GAINS

• Obama: Supports the 2013 escalation of the capital-gains tax rate to 23.8%.
• Romney: Favors maintaining the current 15% rate for households making over $200K a year and eliminating capital-gains taxes for everyone else.

ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX (AMT)

• Obama: Would keep the AMT.
• Romney: Would scrap the AMT.

Are your clients talking about how the election will affect them? Tell us about it in the comments section.

Count on the Court striking down the individual mandate (and possibly the whole ball of wax) by a 5-4 vote.

Reason: A 2004 study shows that Supreme Court justices ask more questions and interrupt the lawyer (for one side) when they favor the other side.

Before the hearings started, most legal experts predicted the four Democrat-appointed justices would support Obamacare – particularly the individual mandate – while four of the five Republican-appointed justices would strike it down. The wild card would be Justice Anthony Kennedy.

On the day the court heard arguments on the individual mandate, Kennedy came roaring out of the gates with multiple questions for the Solicitor General representing the federal government. Kennedy questioned the limits of the Commerce Clause and whether the government could theoretically make people buy anything, if Obamcare stands.

Reading the tea leaves, it appears President Obama’s signature achievement is in deep trouble. At least one group – insurance brokers hurting for business – would welcome the end of Obamacare.

Should the Supreme Court nix Obamacare? Let us know below.

Looks like Wall St. is betting on Obama again – though it may not be as large a bet.

The Washington Post reports that Obama has raised more cash from the financial and banking sectors than any GOP candidate, including Mitt Romney.

In fact, Obama’s solicited more donations from Boston-based Bain Capital – the company Romney founded!

What’s it all mean? For starters, the financial and banking sectors apparently don’t hate Dodd-Frank. The best chance for repealing Dodd-Frank would be defeating Obama. But so far donations are going the president’s way.

Here’s another possibility: The Occupy Wall Street protesters blame the banks for the four-year recession and their mounting student debt. Yet informal surveys show the Occupiers are more enthusiastic about Obama than the general American public.

Which may explain why an Occupy Washington protest hasn’t broken out yet.

So supporting Obama may seem like a smart bet for some. But consider this: For the first two years of his term, the President traded for well over 50 cents at Intrade.

Now? The “smart money” has shifted. Obama is now at just over 49 cents.

What’s your take: Does the president deserve another term? Let us know about it below.

Consumer restrictions on using health savings accounts (HSAs) or flexible savings accounts (FSAs) for buying over-the-counter drugs.

This is good news for clients in or nearing retirement who need as much flexibility as possible to manage their healthcare costs. The Obamacare rule, if unchanged, would force some seniors who put money into an HSA or FSA to instead purchase supplemental health coverage.

The Family and Retirement Health Investment Act of 2011 would eliminate the HSA/FSA drug restriction. It would also change HSA and FSA rules by:

• Allowing a husband and wife to make catch-up contributions to the same HSA
• Letting individuals rollover up to $500 from their FSA, and
• Killing the recently enacted deductible limits of $2,000 for single coverage and $4,000 for family coverage on small employer plans.

The bill should sail through the GOP-controlled House. It may have enough Democrat support to pass the Senate – perhaps enough to override an expected Presidential veto as well.

Should Congress eliminate the HSA/FSA rule? Let us know about it below.

The tax deal brokered by President Obama and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell contains at least two pieces of good news:

1) Tax rates won’t change: Many economists and business owners say all these months of uncertainty slowed economic growth.

But savvy investors, particularly those in the $250K tax bracket, did the smart thing: They socked away money, expecting an increase.

Pre-recession, Americans saved about 1% of their income. Since late 2008, the savings rate has fluctuated between 2% and 3%.

That doesn’t mean your clients will go on a stock-buying binge come January.

However: They have more reason to start investing some of their savings now that the Bush-era tax rates are set for two more years.

2) The ‘death tax’ isn’t a killer: The President and lawmakers agreed on a 35% estate tax starting Jan. 1.

Many analysts expected the estate tax would jump as high as 55% and no lower than 45% for 2011.

Thirty-five percent isn’t as good as zero, but it sure beats 55%!

Was the tax deal a good one in your opinion? Let us know your take below.