With more than 200 ways to claim Social Security benefits, discovering what’s best for you can be a challenge. And for two benefits, in particular, there has been a lot of confusion—spousal benefits and survivor benefits. In fact, an internal audit of the Social Security Administration found that 82%...
If
you’re approaching that magic age of 65, some things are about to change and
you’ve got thinking to do, especially when it comes to Medicare. There are four
enrollment periods and if you miss deadlines there could be penalties that cost
you money for the rest of your life. And wouldn’t you...
When
naming a beneficiary for your IRA the number one choice is a spouse, a child,
or a relative. There’s something in our DNA that wants to make sure our money
stays in the family if possible, and that’s certainly understandable. But if
you’re looking at the bigger picture, the financial planning picture,...
In 2019, professional baseball player Bryce Harper signed the largest free-agent deal in the history of North American sports up to that time—$330 million dollars to play for the Philadelphia Phillies for 13 years. He had similar offers from the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. But...
One quick glance at the interest rate your bank is paying on your hard-earned savings account balance and you'll turn green. Even though the Federal Reserve has been raising benchmark interest rates for the past three years, the big banks have not followed suit. They are the biggest beneficiaries...
There
are certain questions of life we all want answered. What happens when you die?
Does my life have meaning? How long should I keep tax records? Personally, my
answer about keeping tax records is biased because I’m a safety man. I would
wear a belt AND suspenders—just in case.
But
the length of...