Retirement

Jamila Souffrant knew she needed a change. Her three-hour round-trip commute from where she lived in Brooklyn, NY to work in New Jersey had gotten on her last nerve. Meanwhile, she felt like she was missing some of her two young sons’ growth, with all the back-and-forth. That’s when she heard about the financial independence

Getty As people look ahead to their retirement years, a primary objective is to identify areas of risk, with the goal of eliminating each and every risk that they believe could cause them harm. Experienced planners are trained to listen to these concerns, and their recommendations are typically well-intentioned efforts to meet this goal of

Getty Estate planning is a complex world for most Americans. For many, the process can seem overwhelming and expensive. For others, it is uncomfortable to confront one’s mortality and requires tough decision making. But regardless of one’s feeling on estate planning, there is one estate planning document that all Americans should have: A Health Care Directive.  But what

Getty Today the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) released the winners of the Social Security Policy Innovations Challenge it sponsored along with the AARP. I’m happy to say that among the four winning proposals is one with my name on it, so I have been waiting impatiently for this press release so I could

Upset mature couple ignoring each other. Close up of a worried senior man in tension at bed. Senior … [+] couple angry with each other after a fight. Getty Brilliant bond manager Jeffrey Gundlach—aka the “bond god”—has decreed that it’s time to sell “junk” bonds. And he’s gone as far as to say that one-third

Top secret red grunge stamp Getty Since the dawn of regulation of mutual funds in America (1940) until early in the new millennium, the fund industry enjoyed a largely underserved reputation for responsible stewardship and high integrity. While I remain the only mutual fund compliance director in history to ever turn whistleblower, I can assure

WASHINGTON, D.C. – APRIL 14: Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) speaks to a crowd gathered on the West … [+] Front of the U.S. Capitol building for a rally with Teamsters Union retirees who traveled from across the country to voice their opposition to deep cuts to their pension benefits on April 14, 2016, in Washington,

Senior couple walking on a beach together Getty I’m going to hand you a dead-simple strategy that perfectly lines you up for dividends growing 150%—or more—plus safe current yields of 6.5% and higher. The kicker? This quick 3-step plan positions you for fast 70% upside, too—especially when stocks dive. And if stocks soar? You’ll very

©Андрей Яланский – stock.adobe.com The fixed income portion of your portfolio needs a hard reboot Interest rates have fallen recently. And by recently, I mean for the last 40 years! There are many ways I can show you what that looks like, to help you see what I see and why it is so important

By Mark Miller, Next Avenue Contributor Getty If you’ve ever experienced a long wait to get help from the Social Security Administration, the agency has some good news for you: the pace is about to pick up a bit. Repeated cuts to the agency’s administrative budget over the past decade by Congress have forced the

Dad Giving His Son Advice About Retirement Getty What Can Be Better Than An Inheritance? A Personal Matching Program Getting an inheritance can be a good thing – or a bad thing.  While Millennials may wish their inheritance will someday pay for their retirement, that may or may not happen. According to a 2018 Charles Schwab Study,

Getty Precept 1 of the Code of Professional Conduct for credentialed actuaries in the United States says this: “An Actuary shall act honestly, with integrity and competence, and in a manner to fulfill the profession’s responsibility to the public and to uphold the reputation of the actuarial profession.” What’s that mean? In the world of

Planning is very important so that you don’t run out of funds stock.adobe.com As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, the number one question I am asked repeatedly is ‘will I have enough money to last during retirement?’ According to a Consumer Reports’ 2017 nationally representative Financial Security Survey, 46% of baby boomers (individuals born between

Should taxes drive your decisions? Most experts say not entirely. Other factors may take precedence. Getty Along with Christmas trees, Santa hats, and office holiday parties, year-end is also a key time for financial and tax planning, especially for the millions of employees and executives who have stock compensation, participate in an employee stock purchase

Getty There are few sights more American than a minivan or SUV with a precariously packed car-top carrier on the holiday family journey. You pack your suitcase, you repack the kids’ suitcases, you hope that plastic shell and all its bungee cords will hold, and you head off into the rising sun.  You’re packing list

Getty The American Writer Isaac Asimov once said, “Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It’s the transition that’s troublesome.” It may come as a surprise to many that one of the most anxiety-filled transitions in life is going from a full time work career to full on retirement. Let’s explore why this is and how

An elderly couople smiling and drinking at a family barbecue in a courtyard. Getty Dividend growth is the secret to a comfortable retirement. Today, we’re going to discuss five stocks with big “payout momentum” heading into 2020. As dividends grow, stock prices, are likely to follow, so pay attention. How do I know? The dividend-growth

By Thomas Cole, Author, ‘Old Man Country’ Getty (We’re always interested in new research and insights about growing older in America and the new book by Thomas Cole, Old Man Country: My Search for Meaning Among the Elders, has them in spades. Cole traversed the country interviewing men in their 80s and 90s — some

Patients wait at the dispensary window for medications at the Esperanza Health Center in … [+] Philadelphia, PA. (DOMINICK REUTER/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Timed to show that they are not just about impeaching President Trump, House Democrats released a far-reaching plan to redesign the Medicare drug benefit. But the measure, which

Man with a metal detector on a sea sandy beach Getty Let’s dive straight into a trap I’ve seen many investors make in the past. And falling into this pitfall again today could cost you a 7.7% dividend in 2020, and considerable upside, too. It involves China’s stock market, which gives all indications of being