MEDICARE TAKES A LITTLE TIME TO UNDERSTAND. As you approach age 65, familiarize yourself with its coverage options, costs, and limitations. CERTAIN FEATURES OF MEDICARE CAN AFFECT HEALTH CARE COSTS AND COVERAGE. Some retirees may do okay with original Medicare (Parts A and B), others might find it lacking and decide to supplement original Medicare … Read more
EXPECTATIONS VS. REALITY Predicting exactly what your retirement will be like is about as possible as a meteorologist predicting the weather correctly every single time. In fact, few retirees find their financial futures playing out precisely as they assumed. But, understanding some of the more common assumptions about retirement may help you get closer to … Read more
In the past, retirement has been portrayed as an ending, a grand exit from your years in the workplace. But the rules are shifting. Labor force participation among those aged 65-74 is predicted to reach 33.2 percent by 2029, up from just 25.6 percent in 2009. As the Boomer generation ages, more people are viewing … Read more
HOW PREPARED ARE YOU? Getting ready for retirement? Before you can cross that bridge, you’ll need to cross some important items off your to-do list. But thanks to our work together, you might be more prepared than you think! This handy checklist of ten crucial steps can help you visualize how far you’ve come. TO … Read more
Whether you’re applying for Social Security in the future or currently receiving benefits, there are some important changes to earnings limits, Medicare premiums, and other differences to keep in mind. Ready to learn more? Read on. READY FOR A COST-OF-LIVING (COLA) INCREASE? That’s right! Due to an increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W), the … Read more
Most portfolios are constructed based on an individual’s investment objective, risk tolerance, and time horizon. Using these inputs and sophisticated portfolio-optimization calculations, most investors can feel confident that they own a well-diversified portfolio, appropriately positioned to pursue their long-term goals.1 However, as a retiree, how you choose to live in retirement may be an additional … Read more
Pursuing your retirement dreams is challenging enough without making some common, and very avoidable, mistakes. Here are eight big mistakes to steer clear of, if possible. No Strategy: Yes, the biggest mistake is having no strategy at all. Without a strategy, you may have no goals, leaving you no way of knowing how you’ll get … Read more
Social Security is a critical component of the retirement financial strategy for many Americans, so before you begin taking it, you should consider three important questions. The answers may affect whether you make the most of this retirement income source. When to Start? You have the choice of 1) starting benefits at age 62, 2) claiming … Read more
For the casual observer, it sometimes seems that variable annuities are either “terrible” or “wonderful.” Commentators in the financial media seem to occupy a polarity of opinions we might see in politics. What gets lost when these commentators collide is “the individual.” Unfortunately, the discussion is rarely centered on whether a variable annuity is relevant … Read more
The reason withdrawals from an Traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA) prior to age 59½ are generally subject to a 10% tax penalty is that policymakers wanted to create a disincentive to use these savings for anything other than retirement.1 Yet, policymakers also recognize that life can present more pressing circumstances that require access to these … Read more
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