Latest News
Understanding Social Security’s Survivor Benefits
The rules are complex, and unfortunately many folks (and that includes financial advisors and even Social Security Administration personnel) do not fully comprehend the inner workings and overlapping policies that can have an impact on the benefits paid to survivors.…
Managing our Finances in Retirement…Some New “Rules of Thumb”
The “rule of thumb” many of us knew in the past called for a savings rate of 10% throughout our working lives as the pathway to a well-managed retirement. Well, things have changed, and many advisors believe the 10% benchmark…
Financial Crisis? What about your retirement nest egg?
A sudden and unexpected reversal of career fortunes or an unanticipated major expense can tempt you to tap retirement savings to get by in the short run. But before you take that path, give it some serious thought says Alessandra Malito…
Retirement Saving–On An Upswing
A recent survey by Princeton Survey Research Associates International indicates that nearly a quarter of working Americans have increased their rate of retirement savings, according to a post on markets.businessinsider.com. The survey shows that workers falling into the millennial grouping–those with birth…
Social Security Basics in Four Minutes
Barbara Norman, Founder of the Women’s Financial Academy, in a four-minute video posted on San Diego’s www.kusi.com, takes a look at some fundamental aspects of Social Security. From the question of how benefits generally are calculated to the issue of spousal…
Smoothing Out the Rough Spots in Retirement–Just About Everybody Has Them!
Whether it’s being force into retirement earlier than planned, or the unexpected need to provide financial support to family members, or dissolution of a marriage, life can hit you from a variety of unexpected directions. There are ways to plan ahead…
How Women Benefit from Social Security
From their reliance on Social Security’s survivor benefits to the disproportionate percentage of women in their 90s drawing benefits, its clear that Social Security plays a big role in supporting the female portion of our population. In a post commemorating…
More COLA Watch Info: The Mechanics
Here’s another post explaining some of the facts about how Social Security’s COLA is determined. Mickie Douglas, with more than a decade of experience as a Social Security Public Affairs Specialist, provides a quick review of the process for releasing new COLA…
Your Retirement Planning Starts with Social Security
(Source: Social Security Administration) Right now is the perfect time to start planning for a secure, comfortable retirement. And you can count on Social Security to help you begin the process. First, we encourage you to set up an online my Social…
A Short-Range Projection for “Average” Social Security Benefits
With a fair number of moving parts yet to be put in motion, it becomes somewhat of an exercise in futility to project what the average American’s monthly Social Security benefit will be a decade or so from now. So,…