retirement
Avoiding the Mistakes That Produce Financial Shortfalls in Retirement
We’ve heard this before…there are some basic missteps you can take that will cost you comfort in the long run. One of the most frequently heard suggestions is to avoid filing for benefits too early, while close behind it is…
COVID-19 and Your Decision to Claim Social Security Benefits
Those who have been weighing their options for Social Security benefits know that filing early (i.e. before their full retirement age - FRA) will result in a reduction from their FRA benefit. Likewise, they know that deferring their filing beyond…
“No Brainers” for Improving Financial Security in Retirement
The Motley Fool’s Christy Bieber, in a post on nasdaq.com, outlines five basic missteps that are likely to derail your plans for a comfortable financial position in your retirement years. They’re really nothing new, in fact their pretty basic, but…
Understanding Survivor Benefits
One of the most-often questioned areas of Social Security relates to the issue of survivor benefits and what scenarios need to be considered when one’s initial filing decisions are made. For example, what will be the increase a lower-earning spouse…
More on Women and Social Security
As a follow-up to yesterday’s headline article about the retirement issues women face, we came across another a forbes.com article by contributor David Rae exploring the most significant worries women face when approaching that stage of their lives. Again, running…
Women and Social Security: The Importance of Leveling the Playing Field With Education
Effective retirement planning requires quite a bit of focused attention, but it also requires an in-depth understanding of the rules and options surrounding Social Security’s key decision points. In a post on plansponsor.com, Journalist and Editorial Assistant Amanda Umpierrez offers…
Using Social Security’s online retirement planners
Anyone looking ahead to retirement is probably aware of the importance of understanding the details needed to make effective decisions. In an effort to help those interested in acquiring this understanding, SSA Public Affairs Specialist Catherine LeBlanc has posted an…
Retirement: Tips on Dealing with the Unexpected
As one eases into their retirement years, there are many thoughts of what the time ahead will be like…leisure, family time, traveling, etc. But the reality is that there are often a few surprises. USA Today columnist Robert Powell, in…
Understanding the “Taxability” of Your Social Security Benefits
It comes as a blunt surprise to many folks, but the monthly benefits paid to them out of Social Security can be subject to federal income tax. Yes, even though the proceeds are the result of taxes they’ve already paid,…
Jump-Starting Your Retirement Savings Plan
Quite a bit has been written about the inadequacy of savings across a wide spectrum of future retirees, and many times the culprit seems to be confusion on how to accomplish the process. The Motley Fool’s Christy Bieber, in a…