Breaking down the basics & what each part covers. Whether your 65th birthday is on the horizon or decades away, you should understand the parts of Medicare – what they cover, and where they come from. Parts A & B: Original Medicare. America created a national health insurance program for seniors in 1965 with two… Read More
Sometimes planning for retirement isn’t entirely about money. How many words have been written about retirement? It’s a preoccupation for many, and we devote so much time, thought, and energy toward saving for the last day we go to work. Saving and investing in such a way that we no longer have to work may… Read More
How to help your family avoid scams and other fraud. We are becoming more familiar with the notion of financial abuse targeting elders – scams and other exploitation targeting the savings of people aged 60 and older – but many may think, “it won’t happen to my family” or “my relative is too smart to… Read More
Why do so many people choose it rather than a traditional IRA? The Roth IRA changed the whole retirement savings perspective. Since its introduction, it has become a fixture in many retirement planning strategies. The key argument for going Roth can be summed up in a sentence: Paying taxes on retirement contributions today is better… Read More
The answer depends on your income. Your Social Security income could be taxed. That may seem unfair, or unfathomable. Regardless of how you feel about it, it is a possibility. Seniors have had to contend with this possibility since 1984. Social Security benefits became taxable above certain yearly income thresholds in that year. Frustratingly for… Read More
How can you find & obtain it? More than $40 billion in unclaimed cash & property waits to be returned. At first glance, that figure seems staggering, unbelievable – and, yet, it is true. To be more exact, the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administration (NAUPA), a coalition of state unclaimed property programs, puts the… Read More
Expect more volatility, but avoid letting the headlines alter your plans. Recent headlines have disturbed what was an unusually calm stock market. The political uproar in Washington may continue for weeks or months, and it could mean significant, ongoing turbulence for Wall Street. As an investor, a retirement saver, how much will this turmoil matter… Read More
It may not be what you think. How much will your family end up paying for college? Your household’s income may have less influence than you think – and some private colleges may be cheaper than you assume. Private schools sometimes extend the best aid offers. Yes – it is true that the more money… Read More
Diversification still matters. One day, this bull market will end. In the first quarter of 2017, the bull market seemed unstoppable. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared past 20,000 and closed at all-time highs on 12 consecutive trading days. The Nasdaq Composite gained almost 10% in three months.1 An eight-year-old bull market is rare. This… Read More
Too few Americans understand personal finance fundamentals. If only money came with instructions. If it did, the route toward wealth would be clear and direct. Unfortunately, many people have inadequate financial knowledge, and for them, the path is more obscure. Are most people clueless about financial matters? That depends on what gauge you want to… Read More