What’s the difference? What do these terms mean for you? The COVID-19 outbreak has put tremendous pressure on stock prices, prompting some investors to blindly and indiscriminately sell positions at a time when the entire market is trending lower. Worried investors believe "this time it's … [Read more...]

A practical financial checklist for the future. When my grandmother retired, living to 75 amounted to a nice long life, and Social Security was often supplemented by a pension. The Social Security Administration estimates that today’s average 65-year-old woman will live to age 86½. Given these … [Read more...]

What you need to know. When you are in your seventies, Internal Revenue Service rules say that you must start making withdrawals from your traditional IRA(s).In I.R.S. terminology, these withdrawals are called Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). Generally, these distributions from … [Read more...]

See if you are prepared to begin your retirement by answering four key questions. How do you know you are psychologically ready to retire? As a start, ask yourself four questions. One, is your work meaningful? If it is emotionally and psychologically fulfilling, if it gives you a … [Read more...]

Things you can do for your future as the year unfolds. What financial, business, or life priorities do you need to address for the coming year? Now is a good time to think about the investing, saving, or budgeting methods you could employ toward specific objectives, from building your retirement … [Read more...]

Long-established retirement account rules change. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act is now law. With it, comes some of the biggest changes to retirement savings law in recent years. While the new rules don’t appear to amount to a massive upheaval, the SECURE … [Read more...]

Why are they made again and again? Much is out there about the classic financial mistakes that plague start-ups, family businesses, corporations, and charities. Aside from these blunders, some classic financial missteps plague retirees.    Calling them “mistakes” may be a bit … [Read more...]

Some specifics about the “second act.” Does your vision of retirement align with the facts? Here are some noteworthy financial and lifestyle facts about life after 50 that might surprise you.  Up to 85% of a retiree’s Social Security income can be taxed. Some retirees are taken … [Read more...]

Most people just invest for the future. You have a chance to do more. Across the country, people are saving for that “someday” called retirement. Someday, their careers will end. Someday, they may live off their savings or investments, plus Social Security.  They know this, but many of … [Read more...]

Don’t fall for these misconceptions. Financial generalizations are as old as time. Some have been around for decades, while others have only recently joined their ranks. Let’s examine a few. Retirement means I can stop investing. In the past, retirement was viewed as an “end” in many … [Read more...]