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What to do About Retiree Healthcare Costs
Tweet Share on Facebook January 10, 2012 CommentConsumers can see a healthcare tsunami heading their way but don't know how to protect themselves, according to a new healthcare survey of middle-class consumers ages 47 to 65, sponsored by Bankers Life and Casualty Company.
[In Pictures: The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012]
"A typical married couple age 65 can expect lifetime uninsured healthcare and nursing home costs of $260,000," said the study. "There is a five-percent risk that costs will exceed $570,000. At a time when half of middle-income boomers have saved less than $100,000 for their entire retirement, it is easy to understand why middle-income Americans are concerned."
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10 Great Dividend Stocks for 2012
Tweet Share on Facebook January 9, 2012 CommentWith interest rates hovering near zero and unlikely to change soon, it's hard to find attractive investment yields. Volatile trading patterns in stocks have stabilized of late, and many investors have locked on to those with appealing dividends. Getting a nice yield can combine income with upside market potential.
[See Retirement Plans That Weather Economic Storms.]
U.S. News worked with S&P Equity Research and MarketScope Advisor to find the best-yielding dividends among the small number of stocks—about 120—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.
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How to Find the Safest Returns in 2012
Tweet Share on Facebook January 6, 2012 CommentRetirement security has always been more about playing good defense than offense. At the ages of 65, 70, and older, the risks of aggressive money strategies aren't worth taking because the costs of failure are too high. There aren't enough years to recover from investment losses. There isn't enough outside income to replenish depleted investment accounts. The safe approach is to seek near-guaranteed returns of a few percentage points above prevailing rates of inflation.
[See 6 Key Money Issues for Seniors in 2012.]
This used to be relatively easy to do, but years of near-zero interest rates have made it much harder. As 2012 gets underway, are there defensive strategies that make sense, and what do they look like?
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8 Steps for Building Solid Estate Plans
Tweet Share on Facebook January 5, 2012 CommentCombine a lackluster economy that continues to disappoint, mix in investment volatility and uncertainty, and garnish with the disappearance of trillions of dollars in home values. Voilà! You have just mixed together the ingredients for estate litigation and intrafamily feuding.
[In Pictures: The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012.]
"I think we have definitely seen an increase in family squabbles and a lot more people wanting to contest wills," says Adam Gaslowitz, an estate litigation attorney in Atlanta. The extended downturn has led to reduced asset values for stocks and real estate, making it harder to split the pie and reach amicable settlements. "We have seen an alarming increase in guardianship and conservatorship disputes," he adds. "Adult children don't seem to be waiting until their elderly parents die to begin fighting to gain control of a parent or their assets."
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Key Economic Indicators to Watch in 2012
Tweet Share on Facebook January 3, 2012 CommentAbout the only certainty in 2012 forecasts is their uncertainty. The signs that are anchored in measurable performance point to a year of modest gains—some growth, disappointing progress on reducing unemployment, and further belt-tightening for most Americans.
The uncertainties, however, are enormous—presidential elections, Congressional gridlock, European debt problems, Mideast strife, and slowing growth in many world economies are the ones we know about. Toss in what seem to be rising odds of natural and man-made catastrophes, and it's no wonder the groundhog may feel like staying in his burrow all year.
