Retirement

What We All Agree About Social Security: Insolvency Looms Large Federal policymakers and the general public—to the extent that they pay attention—agree on the core financial dynamics of Social Security. According to the 2024 Trustees Report, Social Security’s total income in 2023 was $1,351 billion, while its expenditures reached $1,392 billion. This resulted in a

Social Security is more confusing than ever. Myths abound. Below, you’ll find a complete set of 25 facts to help you understand Social Security and its benefits more than ever. These are facts that I hope you can save and use now or in the future. You are always paid your own benefit first no

After Kisses on New Year’s Eve, 229 Americans Have Already Paid Their Social Security Tax Fifteen minutes past midnight on New Year’s eve Elon Musk will have paid all of his Social Security tax on earnings from Tesla. If all of Musk’s income was taxed he would pay all his Social Security tax in about

Don’t Let Your 529 Go To Waste If you set up a 529 education plan for your children or grandchildren that is no longer needed for education expenses, there is a new game in town. (Enacted as part of the SECURE 2.0 Act). You can now transfer money to a Roth IRA for the beneficiary

Year-end is a time for holiday cheer, introspection, and Wall Street strategist predictions for the market. As I try to emphasize to my clients, these analyst projections are nothing more than guesses, wishful thinking, and marketing. They should not be viewed as investment advice. A more practical outlook for 2025 is to focus on events

As the end of the year approaches, you should be asking yourself what tax strategies you might be missing out on. Depending on your situation, there are many different ways to reduce taxes. The best person to ask about this is your tax advisor. It helps, however, if you go into that meeting with specific

It’s always a good idea to revisit your retirement plans to see how you can make changes that can help you be more financially secure, healthy, and satisfied with life. And what better time than the start of a new year? With these goals in mind, here are five New Years’ resolutions to reflect upon

Overview The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) filing requirements have been reinstated and most filings will now be due January 13, 2025 instead of the December 31, 2024 prior deadline. The bottom line is that any entity classified as a “reporting company” under the CTA has to file with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the

There’s a Stealth Tax retirees and near-retirees often don’t know about until they inadvertently trigger it, costing them a lot of taxes that often could have been avoided or reduced. Many taxpayers who pay this Stealth Tax aren’t subject to it every year. Instead, a change in their finances activates the tax. Many people don’t

The Older Americans Act, the umbrella federal law that includes programs such as Meals on Wheels, senior transportation, information services, adult day, and caregiver support was hours from being expanded and winning congressional approval for another five years. Now, its fate has become far more uncertain. Its all because the OAA, despite broad bipartisan congressional

The ability to switch Medicare plans isn’t as available as many beneficiaries are told or believe, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wants beneficiaries to be more aware of the practical limits. In a section of new proposed regulations, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says that agents and brokers must discuss

Most workers approaching their retirement years haven’t saved enough money to retire full time at age 65 and continue their current level of spending. Let that disturbing conclusion sink in for a while. Unfortunately, many workers haven’t realized this fact and have unrealistic assumptions about when they can retire and their standard of living in

Helping aging parents can be a difficult journey as they age. Some elders are relatively simple, though always work, while other families experience a minefield with their parents. Some aging parents have always been manipulative in their lives. It can get worse with aging, when they expect more as their needs increase. Those with substantial

The gift-giving season is upon us, and if you’re like many, you’ll be looking for a last-minute gift that isn’t the same-old, same-old. This year, why not give the gift of a lifetime? Forget those faddish toys that get broken or lost within days. Give your kid or grandkid a Child IRA. “The primary benefit

It’s no secret that many people today are living longer compared to previous generations, extending their retirement years well into their mid-80s and 90s. That means that today’s older workers will need to fund longer retirements. Unfortunately, however, many are approaching their retirement years with modest savings. How can you address both of these critical

Ask family caregivers what sort of government support they want and their answer is clear: They want upfront cash. Not bigger future Social Security benefits. Not respite care or tax credits, not paid family leave, or even reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs. They want cash. That, at least, were the preferences of participants in four focus

By Rachel Leland, Next Avenue While reliable data shows that the very rich are, for the most part, getting much richer, some families go from “riches to rags” by failing to carefully pass down wealth from generation to generation. Some financial advisers tell their clients that only 30% of high-net-worth families succeed in transferring their

Another SECURE Act might be in the works in Congress. Extremely large bipartisan majorities ensured passage of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act in 2019 and the SECURE Act 2.0 in 2022. The two laws made numerous changes to qualified retirement plans, including 401(k)s and IRAs. The main goals of the

By Lin Grensing-Pophal, Next Avenue Mary has worked in marketing at a major health care organization that is committed to promoting from within and has a leadership development program that invites 20 people across the organization each year. Mary has yet to be invited, despite often telling her manager that she was very interested. Is

By Ashley Milne-Tyte, Next Avenue It’s happened twice in the last 18 months. After canceling accounts with a cable provider and a cellphone company, each said I would receive a partial refund. Having battled through multiple menus to reach a human being to cancel with, I hung up feeling satisfied. I had tied up my