Retirement

getty Yes, the Netherlands! Some time ago (almost exactly a year ago, in fact), I started researching what eldercare looks like in other countries, and had put this article together but waited to publish it until I could provide a series of such articles. At the time, my interest was in eldercare per se, and

Traders wearing masks arrive before the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on May … [+] 26, 2020 on Wall Street in New York City. – Global stock markets climbed Monday, buoyed by the prospect of further easing of coronavirus lockdowns despite sharp increases in case rates in some countries such as

Lori Lightfoot, mayor of Chicago, speaks after being sworn in during an inauguration ceremony in … [+] Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Monday, May 20, 2019. Chicago makes history Monday as Lightfoot becomes its first black, female mayor after sweeping all 50 wards by promising to reform the third-biggest U.S city. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg © 2019

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2020 — Photo taken on Aug. 27, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, … [+] shows a screen showing U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivering a speech to the Kansas City Fed’s annual Jackson Hole research conference, which is held virtually this year because of the pandemic. Jerome Powell announced

This past week, the Federal Reserve made a significant change to its policy on interest rates and inflation. While this change has significant implications for all investors, the policy shift is particularly important for those in retirement. Getty Images Before the new policy, the Fed set an inflation rate target of 2%. This meant, in

We have outlined many factors that impact deferred variable annuity performance: rollup rates and the frequency of their vesting, as well as how long they are applied, step-ups and their frequency, whether rollups stack on step-ups, guaranteed withdrawal rates, death benefits, investment choices, allowed asset allocation and the range of investment offerings, use of volatility-managed

Having more tax-free retirement income is reason to celebrate Getty Whether tax rates are high or low, I will hear people complaining about the taxes they get to pay. Let’s be real; no one likes paying taxes. 2020 is an election year, and your vote could also affect your future tax bills. But with tax

By Kerry Hannon, Next Avenue Contributor Getty Lots of retirees have regrets about their retirement choices. The primary problem: they were too optimistic about their anticipated retirement benefits, which led to them not saving enough during their working years. If they could go back in time, they’d have postponed retiring, paid off debts before leaving

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 27: Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA.), … [+] delivers remarks during a campaign event on August 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. Harris discussed President Donald Trump’s failure to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and protect working families from the economic fallout prior to the last night of the Republican

getty There are a lot of misunderstanding about the Social Security rules. Some of these rules are coming into play more than usual during the Covid-19 pandemic, so it’s important to know the rules. A misunderstanding can lead to poor decisions and lower lifetime benefits. When someone is both working and receiving Social Security benefits,

WOBURN, MA – APRIL 8: Family members participate in a drive-by birthday celebration for 102-year-old … [+] Agnes Carson outside the New Horizons at Choate independent and assisted living community. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Boston Globe via Getty Images Hundreds of thousands of older adults and younger people with

Now is a great time to refinance your home. getty Two weeks ago, both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae FNMA announced a new mortgage refinancing fee of 0.5%. The new fee was scheduled to start on September 1, 2020. However, yesterday, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both announced the new fee will be delayed until

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 22: U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks to reporters at … [+] her weekly press conference at the Capitol on August 22, 2020 in Washington, DC. The House was called back from recess to vote on H.R. 8015 Delivering for America Act to allocate funding to the US

getty Earlier this week, the Social Security Administration’s chief actuary reported, in response to a question by Senate Democrats Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden, that, if the dedicated payroll taxes to fund Social Security were removed with no replacement income source, the Disability Insurance Trust Fund would be depleted in the middle of

There are potentially serious consequences if Social Security’s payroll taxes are permanently … [+] reduced or eliminated. getty President Trump has made statements recently about the possibility of reducing or eliminating the payroll tax that funds Social Security’s benefits. Understandably, these statements are generating a lot of concern among all quarters, due to the potentially

getty In a positive development for bar applicants and the reputation of the Florida legal community, the Florida Supreme Court announced on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 that the Florida Board of Bar Examiners (“FBBE”) rescheduled the bar examination to take place on October 13th, with October 14th being reserved as a day to continue testing

Across our country, there is no uniform message about how much we can visit and socialize with others, particularly our aging parents. We know for certain that people over 65 are at greater risk for getting sick from Covid-19 than younger people but that does not tell us what’s ok or not about visiting when

By Andrea King Collier, Next Avenue Contributor getty Today was a big day in our house. My husband is a 63-year-old, African American sixth-grade teacher headed back to the classroom in Michigan for in-person instruction. But, since it’s happening during the pandemic, I’m fearful. Many other older teachers and school staffers across America who have

Young couple sitting on sofa discussing finances getty Are you starting your career or a new job and want to know if you should opt in to the company 401(k) plan? Or are you new to saving in a 401(k) and want to learn about some of the basic features?  If you just started a

getty As readers of my previous posts well know (Part 1 and Part 2), over 1,150 Florida Bar candidates have been left in a lurch because the July examination, which had been rescheduled to August 19, was cancelled on August 16 and is now going to be rescheduled to a day in October that has