Retirement

Boy amongst watermelons in Ajijic, Mexico Chuck Bolotin This morning, from the viewpoint of our master bedroom, I woke up to a spectacular view of Lake Chapala, in the Mexican highlands. There had been a light rain the night before. Scanning past our expansive, freshly mowed lawn with the newly planted palm trees my wife had the

By Randy Rieland, Next Avenue Contributor getty Not everyone who cares for a family member or friend with dementia or a chronic medical condition joins a support group. In fact, most don’t. But people who do, often have made deep connections with those with whom they’ve shared the confusion, frustration and even the anger they

Concept of harmony and balance. Balance stones against the sea. Rock zen in the form of scales getty Constructing a portfolio today is different, but not difficult This is the point of the investment market cycle where fortunes are made and lost. And sometimes, both by the same person, one right after the other. That’s

By Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell, Next Avenue Contributor getty Susie Hediger, 56, who lives in Roeland Park, Kansas, worked as a cashier for a big-box lumber retailer when her governor issued a state of emergency in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Having been diagnosed with lung cancer in July 2019 and undergoing treatment, she wasn’t sure

getty Yes, yesterday I wrote an article with the intentionally eye-catching title, “Will Trump’s Payroll Tax Cut End Social Security As We Know It? Let’s Hope So.” — because, as regular readers will know, I never miss a chance to promote my preferred Social Security reforms. In the meantime, I have received more than the

getty First, the background: With Congressional negotiations on a “second stimulus” bill going nowhere, President Trump signed a set of executive orders yesterday, of dubious legality or effectiveness, regarding student loans, evictions, unemployment benefits, and, yes, Social Security. After having called for a payroll tax cut since the start of the crisis (as far back

President Trump signed four executive orders on Saturday. They direct the Treasury to extend the federal bonus for unemployment insurance, order the Treasury and HUD to provide temporary funds to renters and struggling homeowners, extend a payment moratorium on student loans, and defer the 6.2% Social Security tax, also known as the payroll tax. All

Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about having no income in the years before filing, potentially filing early with minor children, potential effects of continuing to earn income and how spousal benefit amounts are determined. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic Security

getty Professor Marshall Ketchum eyed the young graduate student. His colleague, Professor Marschak, former director of the Cowles Commission for Research in Economics, had directed the student to get a reading list from the learned academic. That student would go on to win the Nobel Prize. And it was all because of one of the

The Deep Recession Continues getty The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest estimates for the state of the labor market on August 7. The economy gained 1.8 million jobs in July and the unemployment rate fell to 10.2% in July from 11.1% in June. Still, 16.3 million workers were looking for a job but

TOPLINE After Norwegian Cruise Line reported dismal second-quarter earnings—with revenue plunging 99% from a year ago—CEO Frank Del Rio said that he was “astonished” that people are still booking cruises, while also expressing optimism the company has enough liquidity to weather a prolonged period of no sailing. Norwegian Cruise Line reported a 99% decline in

By Liz Seegert, Next Avenue Contributor getty Researchers have launched a global effort to examine the long-term effects of Covid-19 on the brain. Scientific leaders from more than 25 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin and North America, with guidance from the World Health Organization, are looking into neurological complications stemming from the coronavirus. Many

getty A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a savings vehicle for people who are enrolled in high deductible health plans to save for future medical bills. The features of HSA accounts also make it a very good retirement savings vehicle, and in some ways, are better than a 401(k). HSA contributions are pre-tax, if made

While I discussed a variety of ways that insurance companies manage the risks around supporting lifetime income guarantees, fees are the headline mechanism for managing the guarantee risk. Fees can be used to purchase financial derivatives and support other forms of risk management for the guarantee. Deferred variable annuities generally have several types of ongoing

By Kerry Hannon, Next Avenue Contributor getty Before the pandemic, people looking for work often went to mammoth job and career fairs in nearby convention centers. These days, like just about everything else, job fairs have gone virtual. Given today’s high unemployment rate and painful Covid-19 layoffs, they’re valuable for laid-off job seekers. Attending a

Have you received a Form CRS in the mail from the investment firm(s) you do business with? This is a brand-new disclosure document mandated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Why A New Disclosure Document? I’ve been talking to my readers about Form CRS since the SEC first came up with the idea of

By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue Managing Editor getty Life transitions can be jarring at any age, but they often pile on top of each other in your 50s and 60s. Transitioning to retirement…to empty-nesterhood…perhaps to a single life…living through a health trauma. Heck, it’s partly why our site is called Next Avenue. Bruce Feiler, author

By Margie Zable Fisher, Next Avenue Contributor Rose Saulenas and her dog Sheba Courtesy of Sharon Saulenas As any family caregiver will tell you, caregiving is hard. In addition to the stress involved, family caregivers often take a financial hit. But there are ways to get a hand paying for the care you provide, including

Providing a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit is a risky endeavor for the insurance company. The insurance company must manage both longevity and market risk, as they are obligated to provide lifetime income payments at the guaranteed level if the underlying assets held within the annuity have been depleted. The greater the investment volatility and the

More Boomers are likely to face involuntary retirement with the new surge in Covid-19 cases says a new report from The New School’s Retirement Equity Lab (ReLab). Nearly 2.9 million Boomers have left the workforce since March. The number of Boomers forced into retirement since the pandemic began will probably climb to 4 million in