Retirement

The year-end 2024 crunch is coming. What should you consider and do now? So much is happening that affects your estate planning, and you need to evaluate it. Your estate planning world is changing in dramatic ways. Getting a big-picture view of many dynamics can help you consider what you should be doing. Corporate Transparency

The bigger your retirement account withdrawals, the higher your tax bracket will be in retirement. The good news is that you may owe fewer taxes in retirement than when you were in the workforce. There are no Social Security payroll deductions from your retirement account withdrawals. Everyone should have a plan to mitigate the tax

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Have you noticed how much information appears in both mainstream and social media about American pensioners planning or wishing to retire abroad? If you’re among those dreaming of retiring abroad, you’re in good company. According to Fortune, “boomers are leaving America to retire abroad in droves

The new Baltimore Ravens NFL season started the same way it ended last year—with a gut-wrenching one-score loss to the annoyingly-popular Kansas City Chiefs. Worse yet, it was a literal matter of inches that kept the Ravens from tying or winning both games—with a goal-line fumble last season in the AFC Championship and a touchdown

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The IRS is asking for comments about a new way to save for retirement. The super-charged saver’s match builds on the existing saver’s credit and has been described as “an important opportunity to improve the long-term financial security for millions of low- to moderate-income Americans.” Under

This is a true story. We participated in this case, consulting at AgingParents.com. Vulnerability can come on suddenly for a solo ager. Aging veteran (AV) was living alone, and was trying to work out his life as he experienced physical changes. He was okay, he thought. Until he got Covid. He was very ill, but

Recently, I was on a company trip with my husband who is a wealth advisor. It was an awards trip for high performers. It has been fun over the years to meet people across the country and become friends. In past years, the conversations focused on sharing best practices about how they structured, built, and

There’s been a growing interest lately in phased retirement, as indicated by the results of several surveys. For example, more than half (52%) of pre-retirees wish to continue working in some way after they retire, according to The Retirement Outlook of the American Middle Class, a survey whose results were recently released by the Transamerica

Major milestones are a good opportunity to pause, reflect, and think about where we are heading. This year is a major milestone for the retirement industry as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) reaches its 50th anniversary today. ERISA is the federal law that for the first time set important standards for

A standard life presents a standard quantity of opportunities. But wouldn’t you like more than a standard quantity of opportunities? A higher quantity of opportunities equals more possibilities for you to get some good ones to choose from. So how can you be presented with a higher quantity of opportunities? The most apparent answer is

Have you ever fantasized about packing up and moving to a new country? You’re not alone. The good news? It doesn’t have to cost a fortune—if you choose the right place. So where to move? Vietnam has been named the world’s most affordable place to live for the fourth year in a row, according to

Get there first. That’s the best parenting advice I ever got, and it applies to every one of the most important values we choose to pass on to our children, as well as all the thorniest issues we choose to address—sex, alcohol, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll, and yes, money. For all of us parents, there

Japan is cool, modern and traditional. And … cheap? That is what Hannah Kirshner found to her surprise. We are talking about buying property. The young American writer and food stylist has two properties in Yamanaka, a little hot spring town in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. Kirshner always had been interested in Japanese culture. In 2015,

Updated, Aug. 29, 2024: This post has been adjusted to correct the number in the headline. By Lucy Lazarony, Next Avenue Many Americans in their 50s don’t have nearly enough savings set aside for retirement. How bad is the shortfall? According to Prudential’s 2024 Pulse of the American Retiree survey, with just a decade until

Here are the documents you need to collect before filing To make the process of filing for Social Security benefits easier, it’s important to know what documents you need when applying. Here’s a directive from the Social Security website: “You must present original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them. We (Social

Seemingly everyone agrees there’s a retirement crisis – everyone, that is, except for retirees themselves. In an April Wall Street Journal article, I noted that 86% of seniors in a Federal Reserve survey described their financial situation as either “doing okay” or “living comfortably.” Just 3% said they were “finding it difficult to get by.”

“I don’t want to be a burden on my children when I’m old.” This statement is one I consistently hear expressed by older people from all walks of life. While it’s natural and noble to be worried about how you might disrupt your children’s lives as you age, “worrying” isn’t a strategy! Instead, use any

For years, I have said that Dr. Ruth (Ruth Westheimer) is my role model. Dr. Ruth, sex therapist, professor, and author, spent her life educating people about sexual health. I heard Dr. Ruth speak in the early 1980s and again in 2014. In fact, I went to see the documentary, Ask Dr. Ruth twice because

You’ve recently retired, and you go to the doctor, and get the news. “Jim, there’s now a safe surgical procedure for your terminal medical condition. All things considered, you now have a long life to live!” This sounds like great news, right? It might be an unwelcomed prognosis if you assumed that your medical condition

By Lucy Lazarony, Next Avenue Many Americans in their 50s don’t have nearly enough savings set aside for retirement. How bad is the shortfall? According to Prudential’s 2024 Pulse of the American Retiree survey, with just a decade until the traditional retirement age, 55-year-old Americans have less than $50,000 in median retirement savings. Prudential says