Retirement

One of my most self-aware friends said of a habit he’d like to change recently: “First, I have to get sick of myself; then I have to get sick of getting sick of myself; then I have to complain about it for a while; then I’ll actually change.” He must have been reading Prochaska and

Regularly reported drug trials tell us that pharmaceutical companies have found a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Over time, none so far have been successful in either stopping or slowing the disease. In fact, the drug manufacturers are required to put that in writing in their packaging. Everyone wants a simple pill to “cure” or

The unemployment rate in November remained super low — unchanged from 3.7% in October 2022. The jobs report is hot in another respect. Earnings are much higher than expected — some predicted a much lower rate of increase, instead of the 0.6% month-over-month wage. This report doesn’t bode well for a Federal Reserve reaction. We

Key Takeaways Following on from quiet quitting and the great resignation, the latest trend in the labor market is ‘career cushioning’ This new term reflects the concern over the economy, with many workers making plans as to how they’re going to secure themselves should a recession hit It makes a lot of sense to prepare

Want to start a conversation with a small business owner? Then ask them about taxes. It’s an issue that almost always lurks in the back of the mind of an owner, sole proprietor or contractor. Despite the concern that nearly every small business owner or sole proprietor has with taxes, however, rarely does the issue

Key Takeaways Artificial intelligence (AI) is hitting the mainstream, though the first form of AI was invented in England, way back in 1951. Nowadays AI is used in a wide range of applications, from our personal assistants like Alexa and Siri, to cars, factories and healthcare. AI has the power to make massive improvements to

The Covid-19 pandemic shined a light on how hard it is for long-term care facilities such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities to balance residents’ health risks with their desire for independence and autonomy. A few have found the secret sauce. Most have not. A new study by the RAND Corporation, a California research

Discussing money with loved ones is asking for a loaded conversation. Money is basically about relationships and it is nearly impossible to be in love without money playing a role. A new book by Stanford professor emeritus, Myra Strober, who is an early feminist economist, and ‘social innovation leader’ Abby Davisson called Money and Love:

Picture this: You are age 72 or older and you are still working and participating in your company’s 401(k) plan. Did you know that you may be able to delay required minimum distributions (RMDs) until you retire, even though you are over 72? The rules are set out in Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a)(9)(C). The

Many long-retired beneficiaries are stunned when they get a notice from Social Security in November informing them that they will be subject to IRMAA (Income-related Monthly Adjustment Amount). They will have to pay more for Part B, medical insurance, and Part D, prescription drug coverage, in the new year. They want to know: Why does

Key Takeaways Elon Musk has claimed that Apple is threatening to remove Twitter from the Apple App Store, without providing a reason why. There are suggestions that it could be due to the change in moderation policies, with Musk reinstating a number of previously banned accounts. He’s hit back at Apple, stating that their 30%

The past few years have stressed the way we look at and even define retirement. With the rise of the gig economy, COVID-19 shutdowns and higher-than-average inflation and market volatility in 2022, many people are questioning the status of their retirement plans. These current conditions highlight a challenging reality of retirement planning: It’s dynamic. A

The recent collapse of the global cryptocurrency markets has exposed many previously hidden dangers related to these blackbox investments. Growing secrecy at our nation’s public pensions has turned these retirement plans into blackboxes themselves. Public pension officials have agreed to be kept in the dark about how much they’re poised to lose in cryptocurrency investments

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Billionaire money manager Ron Baron has overseen decades of stellar returns, in large part because he is an optimist. He has remained steadfastly bullish in his approach to long-term investing in stocks, which have risen greatly since he started his fund 40 years ago. The mutual

The halls of Congress work in mysterious ways. You always hear of bills with “bipartisan” support that seem to take forever to pass. The SECURE Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 20, 2019, has led to many important changes for retirement savers. Yet, you can trace the roots of this bipartisan

Most of us probably know someone who can’t hear very well and doesn’t use hearing aids. It can be frustrating trying to have a conversation with that person. particularly in a group setting, like a dinner table or in a restaurant. They say “what?” and you repeat, but they still don’t hear you much. Can

Key Takeaways The US inflation rate is currently at 7.7%, which remains high by historical standards. However, on a global scale it looks practically miniscule, with some countries currently experiencing over 200% inflation. On the other end of the spectrum, many Asian countries have managed to keep inflation down around 2%. We may not be

Two days before Thanksgiving, on November 22, 2022, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) released its much anticipated “Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights.” Between DOL Bulletins and Rules, this represents the fourth rewriting of the fiduciary definition since 2008. This new rule essentially reverses the longstanding “tiebreaker” test from 1994.

Key Takeaways Rumors are swirling that Alphabet may be the next big tech company to layoff workers, following the lead of Meta, Amazon and many others. It comes as Google faces revenue pressure from falling advertising revenue and an economic outlook which is likely to exacerbate the issue. Alphabet executives have made multiple comments about

The new year is just around the corner and that’s when new insurance costs take effect. It is Medicare’s custom to announce the next year’s premiums and other costs at different times. For example, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published 2023 drug plan information in April and the Part B premium in September.