For many people, retirement income may come from a variety of sources. Here’s a quick review of the six main sources: SOCIAL SECURITY Social Security is the government-administered retirement income program. Workers become eligible after paying Social Security taxes for 10 years. Benefits are based on each worker’s 35 highest earning years. If there are … Read more
When financial markets turn volatile, some investors show their frustration by fleeing the markets in search of alternatives that are designed to offer stability. For example, in the first quarter of 2020, the S&P 500 lost nearly 20% of its value, or about $5.6 trillion, due to market volatility.1 For those looking for a way … Read more
Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), which were created in 1974, are owned by roughly 36.1 million U.S. households. And Roth IRAs, created as part of the Taxpayer Relief Act in 1997, are owned by nearly 24.9 million households.1 Both are IRAs. And yet, each is quite different. Up to certain limits, traditional IRAs allow individuals … Read more
The Social Security program allows you to start receiving benefits as soon as you reach age 62. The question is, should you? Monthly payments differ substantially depending on when you start receiving benefits. The longer you wait (up to age 70), the larger each monthly check will be. The sooner you start receiving benefits, the … Read more
In a 2021 survey, 32% of all workers reported they were either “not too” or “not at all” confident that they would have enough money to pay for their medical expenses in retirement. Regardless of your confidence, however, being aware of potential health care costs during retirement may allow you to understand what you can … Read more
Some of us share a common experience. You’re driving along when a police cruiser pulls up behind you with its lights flashing. You pull over, the officer gets out, and your heart drops. “Are you aware the registration on your car has expired?” You’ve experienced one of the costs of procrastination. Procrastination can cause missed … Read more
Social Security’s been a fact of retirement life ever since it was established in 1935. We all think we know how it works, but how much do you really know? Here are nine things that might surprise you. The Social Security trust fund is huge. It is estimated to be $2.9 trillion by the end … Read more
Retirement can have many meanings. For some, it will be a time to travel and spend time with family members. For others, it will be a time to start a new business or begin a charitable endeavor. Regardless of what approach you intend to take, here are nine things about retirement that might surprise you. … Read more
Tip: Still Selling Strong. In 2017, investors purchased $192.1 billion in annuity contracts. Most of this capital—$108 billion—went into fixed annuities.Source: LIMRA, 2018 Individuals hold about $2.2 trillion in annuity contracts; a tidy sum considering an estimated $9.2 trillion is held in all types of IRAs.1 Annuity contracts are purchased from an insurance company. In exchange, the insurance … Read more
Our Partners:
