When do you want to retire? For a lot of Americans, the answer is just as soon as possible. And it’s no wonder. Only 20% of U.S. workers are passionate about their jobs. 55% don’t like what they do. It’s a means to an end. They just want to...
Isn’t it what we all plan for? At some point in your life, you’ll stop working and enter “The Retirement Zone.” It will require income that may come from Social Security, retirement accounts, annuities, investments, or any number of sources. Yes, being a successful retiree requires planning. But you...
Why make it simple when difficult will do. That seems to be the motto of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, even in its title. The SECURE Act has been the law of the land since January 1, 2020, and the 125 pages of reforms...
To claim, or not to claim! Okay, that’s
a cheesy way to begin, but it points out a dilemma experienced by many older
folks when they’re trying to decide the most beneficial time to claim their
Social Security benefits. The fact is, Americans, collectively, lose trillions
of dollars by taking Social Security at...
1975 was a big year in financial annals when Americans were given a brand new way to save for retirement in something called an Individual Retirement Account—an IRA. You could put money into the account before taxes and the money got to grow tax-deferred. You didn’t have to pay...
Worried about saving enough for retirement? You can put away more next year. The IRS has just announced the new retirement plan contribution limits for 2023.
The contribution limit for employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan increases to $22,500, up...
How would you like to waste a lot of the money you spend on Medicare coverage and miss a bunch of the benefits Medicare provides? Crazy question. But that’s exactly what’s happening to millions of Medicare beneficiaries.
In October 2021, the insurance website MedicareAdvantage.com published the results of its most...
As I sit
here Monday evening with the Dow having closed down 2000 points and the 10-year
Treasury yield around 0.5%, the title of this update seems utterly ridiculous.
With the new coronavirus still spreading and a collapse in oil prices
threatening the entire shale oil industry, recession is now the expected
outcome. Most...
There was dancing in the streets when Social Security announced that 2022 checks will go up by 5.9%, the biggest Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in 40 years. But now, the streets are empty and the cheering is gone. Most of that Social Security COLA will be eaten up...