Retirement

Pauline, a local resident in Marin County, CA just turned 114. The local senior center she attends is celebrating her birthday along with many others. She is easily the oldest person in my county and one of the oldest in the entire U.S. She’s alert, active, healthy and happy. Is it some magical run of

When Washington State legislators approved a public long-term care (LTC) insurance program in 2019, they made a last-minute change: Residents could opt out if they purchased private LTC coverage by Nov 1, 2021. Those who remained would pay an annual payroll tax surcharge of 0.58 percent starting next year and, in return, be eligible for

As economic inequality continues to grow, Social Security remains a vital source of retirement income for most older Americans. In fact, a large portion of older Americans, 40 percent by some estimates, receive retirement benefits from Social Security, but lack income from a pension, 401(k) or IRA in retirement. Why? A big part of the

If you recently retired or are planning to, you likely have questions about how to position your investments going forward. Conventional wisdom suggests investors should change their asset allocation in retirement to be more conservative. However, depending on your pre-retirement asset allocation, income sources/needs, and long-term goals, that may not be advisable. Here are a

With so many ways to pursue a higher education or increased expertise in a trade, craft, or industry, more and more parents are asking what the best way is to save for future education costs. My answer is often a combination of things. If I were forced to narrow it down, my two favorite ways

Akiva ben Yosef was an influential first century rabbi, living in Roman territory, who inspired many followers. He has a lesson to teach us that is just as pertinent today as it was 2,000 years ago, and especially applicable within the context of financial life planning.  As legend would have it, Rabbi Akiva was journeying

I was a caregiver for my dad. It was extremely rewarding. And incredibly difficult. It was, in fact, the hardest thing I ever have done. Many family care partners pay a high physical, emotional, and financial price for what they do. Now, as Congress is debating major policy changes aimed at making the lives of

By Kerry Hannon, Next Avenue In April, after 17 years at Fidelity Investments, personal finance editor David Conti, 61, opted for an early retirement buyout package. Conti, who lives in Hampton Falls, N.H. and is now a retirement editorial marketing consultant and freelancer, credits his smooth second-act transition in part to working with a career coach

By Nancy J. Altman, Next Avenue When people think of paid family and medical leave, they often think of parents taking time off to bond with their newborns. As important as that is, an often-overlooked group that also urgently needs a robust system of paid leave is older Americans — even those who are retired. Congress

By Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell, Next Avenue In August, while checking her email, Deb (she prefers not to reveal her last name) was alarmed to read one she received that looked like it came from the online payment company PayPal PYPL . It said someone had accessed her PayPal account and taken $500 from her linked bank account.

The pandemic is not over, but many of us made travel plans long ago, hoping it would be over by this time. Delayed events, rescheduled celebrations and other family gatherings are still on the calendars of families and aging loved ones. Time has passed since the first thoughts of getting together in person, traveling from

Yesterday Congress avoided a government shutdown. But the fix is temporary. And all the uncertainty caused the stock market to plunge almost 5% for the month of September. Since Republicans are adamant about not raising the debt limit; there is more trouble ahead.   What would a government shutdown mean for ordinary Americans? Since essential

Older (aka) geriatric millennials have already turned forty, while the more senior members of Generation X are hitting age 60. Regardless of your generation, you should be asking, “How much should I have saved” (at various ages). Many millennials are already on the retirement-saving bandwagon. The same could be said for a small portion of

It’s easy to quantify the pain that high levels of debt can cause to one’s finances by either looking at the opportunity cost or the squeeze on the ability to pay day-to-day expenses. But causing pain to the actual body? According to new research, the ache you may feel or the stiffness after work may

Long-term care (LTC) is expensive. Even bottom-of-the-barrel care can break the average retirement income plan. The problem is exponentially worse for married couples who face increased odds of one or both spouses needing long-term care. Depending on where you retire, the average cost of a private room in a nursing home is more than $100,000

When the Trump Tax Act was enacted in 2017, estate planning attorneys warned their wealthy clients the approximately $11 million lifetime federal estate tax exemption was not going to last forever. It was, and currently still is, scheduled to drop back down to $5 million (adjusted for inflation) on January 1, 2026 barring action by

If there’s one thing we know about the Budget Reconciliation bill that the Biden Administration and the Democrats in Congress are aiming to pass, it’s that its cost is $3.5 Trillion. Or, according to its supporters, it’s cost-free, that is, because they are defining “cost” to mean net effect on the national debt. (President Biden

Many families face the issue of a once powerful head of the family, in charge of all finances, now showing signs of dementia. Whether it is diagnosed or not, it is an issue that must be addressed. The family’s financial security can be in jeopardy. It typically starts with an aging parent who has some

Childlessness is something the U.S. Census Bureau has never bothered to explore––until now. Those of us who have a keen interest in solo aging (adults over 55 with no children and those aging alone for other reasons) have been aware for many years of the rise in childlessness among boomers. The reverberations of this rise in childlessness

There are nearly 32 million small businesses in the United States, according to the Small Business Association. Of those, 81% are single-person entities with no employees on the payroll. According to PNC, while 60% to 70% of small business owners want to pass along their business to the next generation, only 15% have an actual