It’s the million-dollar question—What is my ideal retirement age? Some people retire earlier than intended because of job loss, personal health or family situations such as the need to care for an elderly parent. Just as circumstances may compel some to retire early, others may find it necessary to...
Social Security, although originally intended to be a supplement to Americans’ retirement income, has become a major source for many. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that half of senior citizens get 50% of their income from Social Security and that 1 in 4 seniors receive 90%...
It may be one of the biggest misconceptions people have about Medicare—thinking that when they’re eligible they can enroll and then they’re set for life—set it and forget it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Never changing your Medicare plan can be a costly mistake.
Every year, insurance companies...
It
sounds crazy, but if you’re healthy you probably need to save more for
retirement than people with a battery of health issues. Why? Statistically,
people who are healthy will live longer. That means more years paying for
healthcare in a system where costs continue to increase exponentially. So, the
longer you live the...
In the blink of an eye, the planet called earth forever changed because of something we’d never heard of, and a new word has been permanently added to the world lexicon—Coronavirus. Even with all the changes we know about now, caused by COVID-19, the list of changes is getting...
Remember that sage financial warning, “It’s not how much you make. It’s how much you keep.” Truer words were never spoken when it comes to retirement income. And taxes, federal and state, are one of the biggest determinants in just how much retirees have to live on.
Here are some...
This is the time of year
when leaves fall and the Social Security Administration announces the annual
cost of living adjustment (COLA) for people receiving Social Security.
For 2020 the increase will
be 1.6 percent, or about $24 per month, raising the average monthly individual
payout to $1503. It will boost the maximum...
It's that time of the year again! RMD's! Many retirees love to hate their required minimum distributions, or RMDs. What to do? When to take it out? How much to pay in taxes? There's a myriad of questions. In this video, Morningstar discusses the topic with Maria Bruno, head...