Retirement

In the first few hours of 2024, over 220 U.S. workers will have likely paid all their Social Security taxes for the entire year. In contrast, over 160 million workers will pay all year. In 2023, the maximum earnings subject to Social Security taxes was $160,200, in 2024 it is $168,600. Elon Musk earned $168,600

The S&P 500 gained 26.29% during 2023 when you include the return from dividends. This 2023 return more than offset the 18.11% loss during 2022. With numbers like that, pre-retirees and retirees may feel like they’re being whipsawed by the stock market. If you’re retired, should the 2023 return be a cause to celebrate and

The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) is upon us. January 1 all new entities have to register with the FinCEN. Unless Congress acts to defer filings for pre-2024 entities, those will be required to be filed by January 1, 2025. While there have been extensive articles discussing in some detail the new rules, there seems to

A number of CMOs either choose to retire early (their 50’s) or they transition into an entirely different career. As somebody who left the CMO world behind in my 40’s to pursue a career in academia, I appreciate the allure of change at this point in life. To understand what it is like to transition

By Ellen Ryan, Next Avenue When Irene Glowinski packs grocery bags for critically ill patients and Cheryl White brings her trained service dog to visit hospitals and “read” to children at an elementary school, they recognize the good they’re doing for others. But these volunteers don’t generally think of the good they’re doing for themselves.

You’ve heard the adage “use it or lose it”. It’s particularly apt in describing what happens as we age. Typically we move less, lose muscle strength, and suffer the consequences of losing independence, have greater fall risk and other undesirable things. At the beginning of each year, people commonly make New Year’s resolutions to lose

By Edd and Cynthia Staton, Next Avenue Bud was proud of the successful business he started 40 years ago, from his initial small store he had expanded to several locations around the state with loyal employees, vendors and customers. Everything changed when he died unexpectedly. Bud, a composite of several entrepreneurs whose next of kin

You hear the term now and again, “MCI”. Someone might say it’s what your aging loved one has. Is it a diagnosis? Doctors use the term, but no one seems to exactly pin down what it means. How mild is “mild” and what does it mean in terms of diminished capacity? Here is a way

If you don’t want to feel poor in your retirement, you’ll want to learn about inflation risk and adopt strategies to mitigate it. Inflation is a serious risk that can derail your retirement finances. What Is Inflationary Risk? Inflation increases the cost of goods and services over time. If your income doesn’t keep up with

By Ellen Neuborne, Next Avenue My book club meeting was finishing up when one of the women approached to ask me a favor. “Will you take a look at my resume?” she asked. I’m an editor by profession and I get that request a lot. “I’ve sent dozens of applications in and I’m getting nothing

One of the last things we want to think about as we finish off the holiday ham are taxes. But in years where you see your income hike, now is the time to take advantage of the last-minute tax maneuvers for 2023. It’s not a surprise, but tax time has become one of the most

By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue A great feature of traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and employer-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s is that their money can grow tax-deferred for years. But eventually, the tax piper must be paid. That’s when Required Minimum Distributions, or RMDs, kick in and federal — plus sometimes state — ordinary income

By Hanna Horvath, Next Avenue The end of the year is a great time to look back on what you’ve accomplished and set goals for the year to come. One area you should not overlook is your finances. In fact, reviewing your finances now and acting before the end of the year can empower you

Yes You Have to Update Your Planning Estate planning is about as much fun as getting a root canal. Unless there is a strong driver, like a pending change in taxes (there is with the exemption dropping in 2026) or asset protection need (can you ever know when someone might sue?) people tend to put

It’s not uncommon for CMOs to start thinking about retiring in their early 50’s. I have several acquaintances who have chosen to take the early retirement path (before age 65) and pursue new and different non-career related opportunities. I find it fascinating how CMOs are tackling these life changes (see here for one example). When

Beneficiaries of trusts sometimes need to realize how much control they actually have over a trust. That is because they are unaware of a power sometimes found in trusts that gives the beneficiary the ability to remove and replace a trustee. Trustees are the legal owners of the trust. As such, they control the management

If you’re already retired, you may think you’re finished with your retirement planning. Most likely, you’ve already made several critical decisions, such as when to retire, when to start Social Security benefits, how to deploy your retirement savings to generate cashflow to pay for your living expenses, and what your elections will be regarding health

Studies have shown that you’re much more likely to achieve the retirement you want by setting retirement goals and taking steps to achieve them. Without goals or plans, you’re apt to experience the retirement that shows up rather than the retirement you’ve hoped for and dreamed about. What Is A Retirement Goal? A retirement goal

Despite the high levels of polarization plaguing American politics today, retirement policy has remained an area for bipartisan cooperation. Congress has passed two major pieces of retirement policy legislation in recent years, and red states, blue states, and purple states have established state-facilitated retirement savings programs to help working Americans save for their retirement. It

Mother, age 85, liked freedom with her cash. She used her money without keeping track of her spending. She forgot to check her bank statements and didn’t notice that odd withdrawals had happened. Her short term memory was eroding. When she finally remembered to look, she was alarmed to see that unexplained withdrawals had happened