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Black Market Pricing for Your Social Security Number
The severity of problems caused by inadequate security spiked again this year, with major announcements (like the Equifax breach that exposed 145 million individuals’ records) hitting the airwaves with alarming frequency. But besides making most of us uncomfortable, what’s it…
A Quick Primer On Social Security Basics
MoneyWatch reporter Jillian Harding, in a post today on www.cbsnews.com, provides a broadbrush look at some basic Social Security parameters. Understating these very basic pointers are a good beginning for anyone wishing to become conversant in the ins and outs of…
Going it alone in retirement planning? You might want to double check with the experts.
Baby Boomers are a pretty savvy bunch, especially when it comes to using the keyboard and the range of software products available to massage numbers, project end points, and conduct variable “what if” scenarios for the future. That’s a good…
Concerned about tax levels in retirement? QLACs might be worth examining.
With the pain of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) and the impact on taxation of Social Security benefits and Medicare premiums, the topic of the qualified longevity annuity contract (QLAC) has emerged as something that retirees might want to take a…
The Social Security Changes Coming in 2018
Lauren Hamer, Cheat Sheet’s money and career writer, provides a recap of some of the major changes set to go into effect in Social Security in 2018 in a post on www.cheatsheet.com. Her remarks cover, among other key points, the…
Planning for Surviving Spouse Protection
In today’s (and certainly in tomorrow’s) economy, the death of a spouse typically provides challenges for the surviving spouse. As with any other aspect of financial planning and retirement planning, it’s imperative that thought be given to steps that can…
The Changing Face of Retirement…And the Challenges that go Along With it
The continuing shift away from defined benefit programs, and the upswing in defined contribution approaches to retirement funding signals a fundamental shift in thinking about retirement. An article titled “Is It Time to Retire Retirement or Just Redefine It?” posted…
The Implications of Tax Reform—A Discussion
One of the really hot buttons right now in Washington is the issue of tax reform. The details of what’s likely to be proposed are slowly emerging, but enough has been revealed about the possibilities for some sources to speculate…
Social Security Taxes and Employment of Your Kids in the Family Business
There are some special rules that apply to family businesses–those where the enterprise is a sole proprietorship or a partnership where both spouses are partners–and the withholding of Social Security taxes. In an article posted on chicago.cbslocal.com, Small Business Pulse’s Marie…
Looking at Retirement Planning Basics
Let’s face it…retirement planning is not as simple as your thought it would be. Four decades ahead of your 60s, you probably took a simplified view that when you hit the magic age, it would be just like turning the…