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Transitioning From Work into Retired Life
Tweet Share on Facebook March 29, 2013 CommentThe person who you are on the job may not be the same person you will be when you retire. After spending years in the business world, you have developed certain skills and talents that are matched to the requirements of your career. Some of these abilities are not necessary or even desired once you are no longer working.
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Market Boom or Bust? Don’t Rely on Pundits
Tweet Share on Facebook March 28, 2013 CommentIt’s hard to view the financial news without seeing speculation about whether the stock market is poised to continue its remarkable run or is about to burst and send the country into another recession. This debate is particularly insidious because it keeps you from focusing on issues you can control, like your asset allocation, costs and tax efficiency.
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9 Simple Ways to Worry Less About Retirement
Tweet Share on Facebook March 28, 2013 CommentLast week, the Employee Benefit Research Institute released their 2013 Retirement Confidence Survey, and the results aren’t unexpected. About half of the people surveyed have no or little confidence that they will have enough money to retire comfortably.
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Why to Dollar-Cost Average a Lump Sum
Tweet Share on Facebook March 27, 2013 CommentIf you receive a windfall and want to invest the funds in the markets, should you dollar-cost average or invest the whole lump sum immediately?
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Why Medical Tourism Helps Retirees Overseas
Tweet Share on Facebook March 26, 2013 CommentIf you’re considering the idea of retiring overseas, here’s an important fundamental to understand: Medicare doesn’t cross the border, and the U.S. private health insurance you have now probably doesn’t either.
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5 Tests of Your Retirement Readiness
Tweet Share on Facebook March 22, 2013 CommentAre you ready to retire? Some people spend years preparing for their second act, while others roll into retirement and take it one day at a time. Often retirees have some idea of what to expect, but are also prepared to live at a more realistic and enjoyable pace than is typically possible in the working world.
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How to Avoid Taxes on Your Social Security Income
Tweet Share on Facebook March 21, 2013 CommentThe average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker was about $1,230 at the beginning of 2012. That’s about $15,000 of income for the year. If you are receiving Social Security benefits, this means that you worked and paid taxes for at least 10 years. Wouldn’t it be nice to avoid paying tax on your Social Security benefits while in retirement? By planning ahead, you can avoid paying tax on your Social Security income and your effective tax rate will be very low.
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FINRA’s Win is Your Loss
Tweet Share on Facebook March 21, 2013 CommentFINRA is the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. It touts itself as an independent regulator governing the conduct of all securities firms doing business in the U.S. Given the predatory conduct of the securities industry, it’s obvious that FINRA is falling far short of its mandate.
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How to Maximize the Tax Benefits of 401(k)s and IRAs
Tweet Share on Facebook March 20, 2013 CommentTax tips are always abundant this time of year. But it often takes a lot of precious time to figure out how to squeeze a bit more money out of Uncle Sam's share. Instead, aim to take maximum advantage of one of the biggest and most common tax breaks: tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Here are a few ways to keep more of your hard-earned money for your retirement:
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7 Steps to Independence in Retirement
Tweet Share on Facebook March 19, 2013 CommentMost of us aspire to remain independent after we retire. We don't want to be a burden on our children, asking them to give us money or let us live in their spare bedroom. We don't want to be a burden on society either, forced to wait for a good samaritan to fulfill our needs.
