savings
Times are tough!! Take Advantage of these Savings Tips
Times are, indeed, tough for many Americans, with inflation still inexorably nudging the price of everything we buy even further up. But, there are still opportunities out there to save – as explained in this Yahoo! Finance article by Andrew…
Will the Annual COLA Increase Ever Be Enough?
All Social Security recipients received a historically high 8.7% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2023, yet a recent survey found that over half felt that wasn’t enough. And this year’s 3.2% COLA will likely receive the same reception from…
About Supplementing Your Social Security Income
Social Security was never intended to be the sole source of income during retirement; rather, Social Security was developed to be a poverty-avoidance benefit. At most, Social Security will only replace about 40% of the average monthly income you were…
Ask Rusty – Will Withdrawing from 401(k) Affect My Social Security?
Dear Rusty: My full retirement age (FRA) is 66 and 8 months, which I’ll reach in September 2024. I’m still working 3 days a week. I want to cash in my 401K and want to know if I have to…
Prepared for Higher Healthcare Costs in Retirement?
Retirement planning usually focuses a lot on maximizing monthly income and that, of course, is totally appropriate. Logically, the more income we have in retirement, they more comfortable we’ll generally be. But part of that whole retirement planning exercise is…
Insufficient retirement savings affects all of us
One of the biggest fears for retirees and pre-retirees is: “outliving my savings.” Why is this the biggest fear? Many Americans working do not have access to an employer-sponsored retirement savings account. However, 15 states have implemented automatic savings programs…
The three-legged stool
The newest data from Allianz finds that 22 percent of Americans currently working hope to retire in 2024. Unfortunately, these soon-to-be retirees will discover the much talked about “three-legged stool” no longer applies to most people. What is a “three-legged…
What you should know about Social Security
The Social Security Administration states more than 50 percent of seniors aged 65 and above rely on Social Security for more than half of their monthly income. Another report finds that 40 percent of older Americans rely only on Social…
Getting the max Social Security benefit isn’t easy, but it’s doable.
The Social Security Administration states the maximum monthly benefit is $4,873 for 2024. So, how do you achieve this amount; is it even achievable? If you follow a few steps during your working career, you may be able to receive…
Retirement Planning: Building a Nest Egg is Essential, Despite the Lure of the YOLO Mindset
Many younger and middle-aged adults hear the alarm bells sounded by economists regarding the need to stay dedicated to the thought of saving for retirement. Some popular notions are that by the time you’ve reached 50, you should have accumulated…