Headlines
The “New Retirement” Strategy That’s Gaining Popularity
Recent studies have shown that the impulse to file for Social Security benefits at the earliest possible age (62) is giving way to deferred filing, either at the full retirement age (66/67) or even up to age 70. Whether that’s…
2018 Budget Projection: No Cuts to Social Security
Although it’s still a work in progress, President Trump’s fiscal 2018 budget proposal is expected to avoid any major changes to Social Security and Medicare while setting the government on a path to balance the budget within 10 years. Insiders point to…
Gallup Poll Points Toward More Working in Retirement
The number of American workers planning on leaving the workforce at age 65 has risen since 2011, according to Gallup’s 2017 Economy and Personal Finance survey. Conversely, the survey found that the portion–63%–of the survey’s respondents expecting to continue working part-time…
Retirement Planning for Couples With Large Age Differences
Planning retirement finances for couples with substantial age differences requires careful attention to a number of factors, one of which is the timing of Social Security benefits and the resulting impact on spousal and survivor benefits. Dawn Doebler, wealth adviser at…
Short on retirement cash? Here are some suggestions.
If you’re following the news on retirement issues, you’ve probably noticed the frequent articles concerning the inadequacy of cash reserves faced by many folks nearing that phase of their lives. While most of these deal with the importance of Social Security…
Older Americans Month–A Good Time to Reflect on Policies
With the projected growth in our country’s senior population–the 85+ segment is expected to reach 14.6 million in just over 20 years–this year’s edition of “Older Americans Month” offers a good chance for policymakers to give thought to long-term planning in…
Dealing with retirement misconceptions
Many folks looking ahead to their retirement years tend to rely on “traditional” thinking to set their goals. Unfortunately, as Forbes contributor Elle Kaplan points out, these traditional guidance mechanisms can lead to problems when they don’t fit your individual circumstances…
Grandparents Can Play a Key Role in Mitigating a Future Retirement Crisis
“One of the greatest gifts a grandparent can give a grandchild is the gift of financial literacy.” So says a post by Social Security Public Affairs Specialist Mickie Douglas, and the essence of this gift goes beyond the basics of developing…
Procrastination and Misunderstanding Are Having an Impact on Retirement Readiness
Fidelity Investments’ first-ever Retirement IQ Survey produced some startling conclusions, one of the most significant of which is the persistent underestimation of how much is needed in the way of savings for a comfortable retirement. This, coupled with an overall failing…
Divorce, Remarriage, and Spousal Benefits…Yes, it’s Complicated!
Our Social Security system consists of over 2,700 rules, many of which cover exceptions to other rules. And one of the areas where these exceptions tend to make things a bit murky is the subject of spousal benefits and how…