Social Security benefits can be a boost to post-retirement income, but they can also be challenging to navigate. When and how you claim Social Security benefits can significantly change the amount you receive. Add to that the employment uncertainty that many people near retirement are feeling today and Social Security decisions can become quite complex.
Does this sound familiar? You keep meaning to increase your retirement plan contribution, but there just seem to be too many other financial priorities that get in the way. Fortunately, with a little planning, you can develop a strategy to cover those expenses and help stay on track for retirement.
Chances are, your retirement will look very different than your parents’ or grandparents’ retirements. First of all, many of us are living longer and can potentially expect a retirement that stretches 30 years or more. Second, gone are the days when the typical retiree whiled away the hours in a rocking chair. Many retirees today…
As retirement draws closer, many of us cling to a false sense of security that Medicare will cover all of our health care costs. Once we hit 65, it’s all taken care of and we don’t have anything to worry about, right? Wrong. While it’s true that beginning at age 65 most Americans become Medicare…
You’ve done your time. You’ve had a long (and hopefully rewarding) career and are ready to ease into retirement. There’s one problem. You’re not quite officially retirement age yet. You have a few years (maybe more) until you reach age 62 and can start receiving Social Security. And a few more years still until you…
When it comes to gifting assets and passing down an inheritance, too often we fixate on the “how,” but don’t consider the “why”. In other words, although the mechanics of making gifts and transferring assets are important, such setting up irrevocable trusts or net gifts and bargain sales, so too is identifying the greater purpose…
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