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HSAs Might Be a Way to Augment Your Retirement Savings
If you qualify for a Health Savings Account, you might want to examine the potential benefits the concept offers. They’re tax-deductible, the earnings are tax-deferred, and the distributions may be tax-exempt if used for qualified medical expenses. In a post…
Mistakes do happen… so it’s good to check your Social Security information
Social Security Administration claims 99.9% accuracy in its determination of individual benefits. That’s pretty good…unless you’re the one in a thousand that isn’t receiving the correct amount. Regardless of where the fault might lie, it’s a good idea for beneficiaries…
Starting your Social Security benefits…timing is important
Beyond the strategic issue of whether to file early and get a reduced benefit or let Social Security’s delayed benefit credits accumulate, the actual mechanics of scheduling the arrival of your payments can cause confusion. Tom Margenau, in a post…
Faith in Social Security on the Rebound
This quick statistical summary by Lee Barney posted on www.planadviser.com hints at a rebound in those who have faith in the longevity of Social Security. In fact, a surprising conclusion Barney draws is that “the percentage of Americans of all ages who…
Divorced and Remarried…It’s Complicated!
Social Security has some clear rules on claiming strategies for divorced people, and it also has some unclear rules on the same subject. InvestmentNews contributing editor Mary Beth Franklin reviews some situations dealing with divorce and remarriage–to the same person–along…
A Warning for “Gig Economy” Workers
The so-called Gig Economy, where long-term employment is replaced by intermittent short-term contract-type assignments, is more and more becoming the norm in today’s labor market. And since most of these workers are self-employed, tax complications can pose a bit of…
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…