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Ready to retire? Here’s a checklist
Simply stated, having a sufficient and reliable stream of income is crucial to a comfortable retirement. Whether you view retirement as an endless vacation or a chance to take on new challenges, the fact is you’ll need a decent income…
Sacrificing today to be comfortable tomorrow
Nearly everyone knows that the younger you start saving for retirement, the better off you’ll be when the time actually comes. But it’s often hard for younger workers to think of retirement savings as a priority when faced with the…
This summer’s to-do: Review your retirement portfolio
It’s probably not going to be easy to fit in, but somewhere between your summer vacation and backyard barbecues you should try to manage a review of your retirement portfolio to make sure it can survive if a market crash…
Fixing Social Security: There’s no simple solution
Social Security’s long term financial difficulties are pretty well known by now, including that the Trust Funds’ asset reserves are projected to run out by 2034, a mere 17 years from now. And while the problem is well known, there…
Trustees forecast 2.2% COLA increase next year
Following years of anemic Cost of Living Adjustments for Social Security recipients, the program’s trustees, in their annual report released yesterday, forecast that next year’s COLA increase could be about 2.2%. While the final numbers won’t be known until later…
The 2016 Social Security Trustee’s Report, and what it shows
The annual Social Security Trustee’s Report is the definitive resource for those concerned about the program’s solvency and ability to pay future benefits. The latest report, released in 2016, shows important information about the effect of recent changes made as…
Figuring out how much retirement income you’ll need
One of the most prevalent opinions about retirement planning is that you’ll need somewhere between 70% and 90% of you’re pre-retirement income, often generalized as 80%. But would a better method be to figure out what your retirement expenses are likely to…
Are you ready for retirement? You’re not if you can’t answer these Social Security questions
Social Security is a cornerstone financial program for about 20 % of America’s entire population, and about a third of those benefitciaries rely on their benefits for at least 90% of their retirement income. Given the importance that Social Security…
Maximizing you Social Security benefit: Should you worry about it?
There certainly is a lot of discussion these days about maximizing Social Security benefits, and “when should I retire?” is clearly the most frequently asked question all advisors hear. But the biggest loopholes used in the past to maximize benefits,…
When it comes to retirement planning, what you don’t know WILL hurt you
To some, putting off until tomorrow what they could do today seems to be their life’s philosophy, but in retirement planning it’s an attitude that can spell disaster. Procrastination is a real enemy for those who want to retire in comfort (and…