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Let's Stimulate a Recovery in Confidence
Tweet Share on Facebook December 9, 2009 Comment (1)The deep and lengthy recession has made what could be a lifelong impact on older Americans' views about retirement and their future well-being, according to a new survey by The Hartford Financial Services Group. "Today, on the heels of a deep recession and volatile equity markets, America's confidence is on the wane, replaced for many by worry and anxiety," the company said in releasing the findings. "Those concerns are especially prevalent for those who have not taken the time or made the effort to plan for retirement and who now doubt their financial wherewithal to retire."
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Aging Society Challenges Family Caregivers
Tweet Share on Facebook December 8, 2009 Comment (1)Much is said about the splintering of the American family, but that view doesn't hold up when it comes to taking care of one another. According to a major survey, more than 65 million of us spend an average of 20 hours a week as unpaid caregivers. Looking only at people being cared for who are at least 50 years old, 90 percent of them are family members. Half of all such caregiving is provided to a mother (36 percent) or father (14 percent). Grandparents and in-laws each receive 11 percent of all caregiving, and spouses care for one another in 6 percent of the cases. MetLife funded the research, which was sponsored by the National Alliance of Caregiving in collaboration with AARP. Comparable surveys were done in 1997 and 2004, and the aging of America is clearly evident over the past 12 years.
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Clock is Ticking on Estate Tax Sunset Rules
Tweet Share on Facebook December 7, 2009 Comment (7)Don't look now, but the federal estate tax is set to disappear in 2010 in a little more than three weeks unless Congress approves a measure to extend it. Most people expect that to happen, and the House did approve a bill late last week to create a new permanent estate tax. Under this measure, estates would have an exclusion for taxes of $3.5 million ($7 million for couples). The top tax rate for larger estates would be 45 percent. Estates also would enjoy a key provision that sets the the value of estate assets, for tax purposes, at their value when the estate holder dies, not when he or she originally acquired the assets. This spares heirs from hefty capital gains taxes on inherited assets.
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10 Great Dividend Stocks
Tweet Share on Facebook December 4, 2009 Comment (2)With interest rates hovering near zero and unlikely to change soon, finding attractive investment yields is tough. But stocks have been surging, and many investors have locked on to those with appealing dividends. Getting a nice yield can combine income with upside market potential.
U.S. News worked with S&P Equity Research and MarketScope Advisor to find the best-yielding dividends among the small number of stocks—only 115—that carry S&P's highest "strong buy" analyst rating. But be mindful that "strong buy" doesn't translate into "slam-dunk" when it comes to returns. The highest-yielding stock on the S&P list, for example, is Calumet Specialty Products Partners (ticker: CLMT), the dividend yield of which was recently a princely 10.1 percent. But Calumet also carries a "high" investment risk rating from S&P because it's in the volatile oil industry, where fortunes can quickly shift.
Here, ranked by dividend yield, are S&P's top 10 recommended stocks as of the market's close on November 30. Listings include ticker symbols, S&P risk evaluations, and thumbnail descriptions provided by S&P MarketScope:
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2010 Medicare Drug Plans Need Careful Study
Tweet Share on Facebook December 3, 2009 Comment (2)Four weeks remain to enroll in Medicare for 2010. For 26 million participants in Medicare's Part D prescription drug program, it's especially important to pay attention to the details of the insurance plans you're considering, especially the ways various insurers handle co-pays for specific drugs.
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How to Apply for Those 1,000,000 Census Jobs
Tweet Share on Facebook December 1, 2009 Comment (12)The prospect of up to a million temporary jobs working on the 2010 U.S. Census is drawing lots of attention in today's job-starved marketplace. So, while most jobs won't begin until the spring, it is not too early to add your application to the growing flood of job seekers contacting local Census offices. The jobs—temporary and requiring flexible hours—are perfect for many retirees. By their nature, the jobs will be based close to where you live, and your knowledge of the local community will be a plus.
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