Headlines
National Retirement Risk Index Shows Slight Improvement
The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College reports that the National Retirement Risk Index, the triennial measurement that assesses the number of working-age households that are statistically on track to maintain their standard of living in retirement, showed slight improvement…
Your Financial Needs in Retirement–The Proverbial Moving Target
So, how much of a nest egg do you need to have a comfortable retirement? Sounds like a fairly simple question, doesn’t it? Well, if you don’t consider all the variables ahead of you it can be as simple as…
Paying income taxes on your Social Security benefits
It’s an unfortunate reality, but chances are pretty good that at least a portion of your Social Security benefits – perhaps up to 85% – will be considered taxable. Benefits only actually became taxable when, back in the 1980’s, Congress…
Will a government shutdown affect my Social Security?
With all of the budget squabbling in Washington, D.C., a temporary shutdown of U. S. Government operations is looming as a very real possibility. So how will that affect you and, especially, how will it affect your Social Security benefits? …
Social Security Disability: A retired staffer’s viewpoint
Social Security Disability is, perhaps, one of the most intimidating areas of the entire program, a view fueled by numerous nightmarish stories about inherent long delays and a grueling appeals process. In this article appearing at www.cleveland.com, retired long time Social…
About the quality of service at your local Social Security office
The stories are many from those who have tried to call or visit their Social Security office. Exceptionally long hold times on the phone, even longer wait times if you venture to visit the Social Security office, and just plain…
How long will your retirement last?
Plenty of advice is available for those approaching retirement, and most of it focuses almost entirely on the financial aspects of your golden years. Mainly, most advisors will tell you, you should strive to build your nest egg as large as…
When to claim Social Security – a handy chart
The perennial question asked by those approaching Social Security’s minimum eligibility age of 62 is “When should I claim my benefits?”. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a single chart which would show the ramifications of claiming benefits at…
Social Security won’t go bankrupt, but benefits could shrink
It has been fairly well published that Social Security has it’s financial woes, and some even use the term “bankrupt” to describe the future of this important program. In fact, Social Security is critically important for those 34% of beneficiaries for whom Social…
Personal defined-benefit plan
Corporate defined-benefit plans fell out of favor a few years ago; however, and few investors are even aware that they still exist, they are called personal defined-benefit plan. A personal defined-benefit plan provides a guaranteed payout in your retirement years…