Retirement

On this Labor Day, let’s talk about how Social Security protects workers’ old age security and how we can keep Social Security robust and delivering for all of us. Social Security turned 87 this year, and despite persistent challenges and threats, the program is holding strong because of its efficiency, political support, flexibility, and its

“I thought you retired,” I say teasingly to an old friend. He turns swiftly and in a somewhat irate tone, responds, “I am retired!” The 66-year old ‘retired’ engineer goes on, “I simply do what I want, when I want.” Pausing, he says, “And, for now, I want to work a bit.” His words sum

The headline of Wednesday’s New York Times report announces, “U.S. Life Expectancy Falls Again in ‘Historic’ Setback,” and the just-released data from the CDC is shocking: During the second year of the pandemic, life expectancy not only didn’t recover from its 2020 drop, but it dropped further, from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77 in

Life expectancy in the United States fell again, from 77.0 years in 2020 to 76.1 years in 2021, according to a recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Even worse, life expectancy has declined by a total of 2.7 years since 2019 (pre-pandemic). Should you be worried? The answer depends on who

Topline The stock market tanked on Friday despite the August jobs report coming in slightly lower than expected and dropping significantly from last month, which did little to ease investor concerns about more aggressive interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve plunging the economy into a recession. Key Facts Stocks gave up gains in the

Many people have heard that the “portability” rule essentially doubles the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption for married couples, but most people don’t know important details about how the rule works. Before portability was created in 2010, the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption was a use-it-or-lose-it benefit. When one spouse’s estate wasn’t valuable

Topline The summer stock market rally appears to have fizzled out after steep declines in August, and experts warn investors should expect more volatility in September, which is historically the market’s worst month—especially when stocks are already down for the year. Key Facts Stocks struggled to kick off September on a positive note Thursday, moving

Topline Stocks moved lower on Thursday—adding to recent declines in August—as investors continue to worry about a period of prolonged rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, while market experts warn of further volatility ahead and rising recession risks. Key Facts Stocks are on pace for a five-day losing streak: The Dow Jones Industrial Average was

All too often one partner in a relationship dies without having provided for the other. If you are not married and have not entered into any type of legal contract with your partner like a cohabitation agreement, you could be out on the street. It happens. Too many times, I have been in the unfortunate

When Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, it secured funding for a myriad of projects, from green energy to potential reduction in prescription prices and increased tax rates on certain corporations. It also allotted an additional $80 billion to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the next 10 years, including $45.6 billion for enforcement of

Who won the $1 billion+ Mega Millions lottery drawing of July 29, 2022? No announcement has been made as of yet, and in fact, it is possible that we may never know the identity of the winner. (The winning ticket was purchased in Illinois, a state that permits lottery-winner anonymity for those who win prizes

The median net worth of retirees aged 65-74 was only $266,000 in 2019, of which $240,000 was in their homes. All indications are that in the last few years, the problem has gotten worse. Bottom line, at least half of all retirees today live in fear of having to live on meager social security benefits.

Topline Stocks fell for a third day in a row on Tuesday as the recent summer market rally continues to fizzle out, with investors growing nervous about more big interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, which signaled last week that it would continue to tighten monetary policy for “some time” in an effort to

Topline Shares of meme-stock favorite Bed Bath & Beyond, which have swung wildly in recent weeks, initially jumped before moving lower on Tuesday, a day before the struggling retailer will provide investors with a “strategic update” on plans to revive slowing sales and secure new financing. Key Facts Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond at

The Georgetown AgingWell Hub recently released a fascinating report titled No Normal: The evolving retirement journey and experience. It describes six themes that will help you live a long and healthy life and will have a significant influence on your retirement journey. Two of the themes in the report—Health and Finances—should be familiar to readers

Topline Following hawkish commentary last Friday from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell—who said that it would take “some time” to bring down inflation with ongoing interest rate hikes—experts warn that there is still a long way to go before a reversal in monetary policy, meaning more volatility for the stock market in coming months. Key

If you’ve ever fantasized about embracing the good life on the Continent, this is your chance. Americans have more buying power in Europe than they’ve had in the past two decades. On Aug. 23, the euro closed at 0.9927 per dollar—the lowest it’s been since 2002. The exchange rate means that everything, from the cost

By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue While working on his memoir “Radical Curiosity” a few years ago, Ken Dychtwald, the founder and CEO of Age Wave research and consulting firm, had an idea. What if he could film interviews with a dozen pioneers in the field of aging to share their wisdom, insights and legacy lessons

By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue There’s a serious problem in America, says longevity expert Susan Wilner Golden, in the way many of us — and businesses — view people over 60: as a monolithic group. In her new book, “Stage (Not Age),” Golden makes a case that chronological age no longer defines us, especially in

How many of us can say our families were mostly calm and peaceful and without ongoing conflict? My guess is, not many. As parents age, the embedded conflict can rise up, particularly when it comes to discussing finances. The underlying causes of dysfunction in family dynamics can be many: a history of poor parenting, untreated