Retirement

Topline Stocks fell on Monday while rates surged, with investors trying to recover from last week’s volatile market swings even as experts warn that rising risks to economic growth could lead to further downturns. Key Facts The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down over 1%, around 400 points, while the S&P 500 lost roughly 1.5%

Probate courts are full of family fights about money and property. These battles can go on for years and can easily wipe out substantial sums you may have worked hard to create as your legacy. Attorneys’ fees usually come out of the estate of the deceased. Who wants that? Where the Problems Start Some problems

Social Security is the primary source of retirement income for millions of Americans. The larger percentage of your retirement income derived from Social Security, the more today’s high inflation rates will bust your budget. The only bright side is high inflation can lead to a larger than standard Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) How Big

We are headed for a major retirement crisis. If we do not act soon, the number of poor or near-poor people over age 62 will soar to 21.8 million people by 2045—up 25% from 17.5 million in 2018. In the next 12 years, 40% of middle-class older workers will become poor and near-poor elders. What

Today’s Social Security column addresses questions about who will and who will not have the 2022 COLA applied to their benefit rates, what happens to divorced spousal benefits when an ex dies and whether SSA actually overpaid benefits. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic

“We all of us have limited amounts of energy,” said novelist Doris Lessing, “and I am sure the people who are successful have learned, either by instinct or consciously, to use their energies well instead of spilling them about.” Yes, it’s true, and if you want to know why financial resolutions are made—and broken—every January,

By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue You know that feeling when you’re having a delightful time at a picnic, but you start seeing storm clouds in the horizon? That’s pretty much what prospects for retirement look like for most working Americans, according to the latest annual survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald

By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue Kerry Hannon has written for Next Avenue about work and personal finances since the site was founded in 2012. The journalist, 61, recently became a Yahoo! senior columnist; launched “The Second Act Show,” a biweekly streaming livecast with career coach John Tarnoff; and published a book, appropriately called “In Control

Topline Stocks finished lower on Friday, adding to recent losses despite stronger-than-expected jobs data, as investors continue to remain nervous about a slowdown in economic growth and experts warn of more market downturns ahead. Key Facts All three major indexes were down for at least the fifth week in a row: The Dow Jones Industrial

We’ve all heard the old adage, “A mother’s work is never done.” From surviving sleepless nights with a newborn, to navigating the tumultuous teen years, to gently guiding adult children through life’s challenges, a mother’s job is forever. Another complexity for mothers is safeguarding their family’s financial security while also saving enough for their own

By Ellen Marks, Next Avenue It might come as an email, disguised as a message from a friend who needs help buying a gift card. It might be a phone call, threatening jail time if you don’t immediately pay a fine for missing jury duty. Or it might be a budding online relationship with someone

Topline The stock market moved sharply lower on Friday, adding to recent losses despite stronger-than-expected jobs data, as investors continue to remain nervous about a slowdown in economic growth and rising recession risks. Key Facts The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down nearly 1.5%, roughly 500 points, while the S&P 500 lost 1.8% and the

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education recently released a troubling report on the state of teacher preparation. Between the 2008-09 and the 2018-19 school years, the number of people completing a teacher education program plummeted by almost a third. The analysis also found that the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in education dropped

Topline The stock market moved sharply lower on Thursday, reversing most of its gains from the previous session when the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a half-percentage point, as volatility remains elevated and investors continue to worry about risks to economic growth. Key Facts Stocks plunged: The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 2.6%,

Topline The stock market surged higher on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 0.5% in a move widely-anticipated by investors, as the central bank continues on its path of aggressive monetary policy tightening in a bid to combat surging inflation. Key Facts Stocks moved higher following the Federal Reserve’s announcement: The Dow

By Anna M. Rappaport We all want to avoid disappointment and unpleasant surprises later in life. Many people retire in their 60s or early 70s without considering some of the challenges they will likely face later in life. They save money, do their planning and retire with the feeling that all will be well. But

Running to the sidelines in today’s market environment could result in significantly lower long-term returns It was a challenging first quarter for equity investors. After a relatively calm 2021, volatility was on the rise. The Dow, S&P, and NASDAQ all finished the quarter in the red, turning in their worst quarterly performance since the first

When looking to buy a house or just needing some quick cash, it’s not uncommon for people to look to their retirement accounts for easy money. I usually advise against this and feel it can cause more damage to your financial security than good, and I’d like to explain why. Spoiler alert: we’re going to

There is a lot of discussion around the favorable benefits of Roth IRAs, but for many higher-earning Americans, contributions to Roth IRAs are out of reach. The IRS begins limiting contributions to individual Roth IRAs at higher income levels (the current maximum income for eligibility is $144,000 per year for a single filer). However, there

When you picture an 89 year old, you might think of a frail older person who maybe does a lot of TV watching. But not this 89 year old! Maureen is as sharp as any person you might meet at any age. She looks healthy, sounds clear, and knows what she wants. What’s her secret