To save on costs, last year the government stopped mailing future Social Security benefits estimates to workers each year. Now that information is online. It’s a good starting place when planning your retirement.
Estate Planning
The 7 Biggest Retirement Planning Mistakes
Retirement readiness is near an all-time low. Just 14% of adults are very confident they will live comfortably after quitting work and 60% have less than $25,000 in savings, according to the Employee Benefits Research …
Reverse Mortgages More Popular With Younger Homeowners
Once widely seen as money of last resort, reverse mortgages are fast entering the mainstream of retirement income. Boomers are turning to reverse mortgages earlier to pay off debt or improve their lifestyle, according to a report …
3 Simple Steps to the Perfect IRA
Choosing the most efficient tax-favored retirement savings strategy can be challenging. Here’s how to get it right in 3 simple steps.
Door Opens to Tax on IRA and 401(k) Gains
From the beginning, questions have swirled around the future tax standing of retirement savings. In an age of soaring deficits, would Congress really be able to keep its hands off hundreds of billions of dollars of tax-advantaged …
10 Money Moves to Make Before 2012
It’s that time of year again. Gifts to buy. Tips to hand out. Charities to support. While you’ve got your hand on your wallet, consider these 10 year-end money-saving moves designed to create a little something extra just for you.
What Separates A Pro Athlete From His Money?
When Michael Vick declared bankruptcy, it raised our eyebrows. Sure, we knew his legal defense against dogfighting charges would have cost a lot of money, but not THAT much money. He, like a host of other visible athletes, made …
Giving Season: Signs of Relief for Struggling Nonprofits
The giving season is just around the corner, and things are finally looking up for nonprofits that have struggled to raise funds during the recession.
News Flash: Longer Lives Require More Retirement Savings
Pre-retirees finally seem to be coming to grips with the financial strain caused by increased longevity. Here’s what they are doing about it.
Save for Retirement or Pay Tuition? Most Parents Are Making the Wrong Choice
With all the hand wringing over the high cost of college and amid an increasingly loud debate as to whether the expense is worth it, parents by a wide margin see saving for tuition as equally or more important than saving for retirement.
Rethinking the Role of a Fixed Annuity
With interest rates at historic lows, retirement income has become difficult to secure and now planners and retirees are even rethinking the role of the venerable annuity, which has long been a stalwart source of monthly income.
The plain truth is that unless you have boatloads of cash simple annuities alone won’t get the job done.
Got the Post-Vacation Blues? Don’t Worry—You’ll Get Used to Them!
As vacation season ends for many of us — bringing, for some, a sense of dread about the return to workday (if not actual employment) routines — we thought we’d offer a bit of encouragement, which might also help you make the …