Small Steps and Giant Leaps Toward Retirement
July 20th marks the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. In the middle of summer vacation, Baby Boomers gathered around their TVs to watch Neil Armstrong take one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind. This milestone in human history marked many Americans’ upbringings and identities in a significant way. It was…
Read MoreFinancial Lessons from a Founding Father
July 12th marks the 215th anniversary of Alexander Hamilton’s death. As the first secretary of the treasury for America, he created the first national bank, consolidated the new country’s war debts, and established credit the country could count on. You could say he was America’s Chief Financial Officer. He was also a self-taught immigrant who…
Read MoreBeware of Sequence of Returns Risk
Times of market volatility are never pleasant, but they pose a particular threat to you as you near and enter retirement. The state of the market just before you retire can impact your returns throughout your entire retirement. This is because once someone takes withdrawals from a fund’s underlying investments, they expose themselves to sequence…
Read More3 Things to Do if the Stretch IRA Dies
The House of Representatives voted in favor of the Secure Act 417-3, and the bill is now on a fast track to vote in the Senate. The bill would do away with the tax-planning strategy for inherited IRA commonly referred to as the “stretch IRA.” “Stretching” an IRA allows beneficiaries to take required minimum distributions…
Read MorePlan to Maintain Your Independence This 4th of July
Many Baby Boomers are watching their parents age to the point where they should move out of their home – and refuse. Maybe it’s that they are stubborn when it comes to their independence, or maybe they refuse to be a burden on their children. While these sentiments are admirable, older children can be faced…
Read MoreRetirement the Machiavellian Way
When someone says “Machiavellian,” you might think of a lying schemer, a power-hungry politician, or ruthless individual who believes the ends justify the means. But this characterization isn’t quite fair to the political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli. He gave practical advice to the prince of Florence about how to rule, and was concerned with him being…
Read MoreA Plan to Help Minimize Your Taxes in Retirement
Your steady source of income might disappear in retirement, but unfortunately your taxes probably won’t. Did you know that up to 85% of your Social Security benefit could be taxed? And, retirement account distributions are taxed differently than investment income. If you’ll have multiple income sources, you should know how each is taxed so that…
Read MoreCovering Long-Term Care Costs
Some of the major expenses you’ll need to anticipate in retirement are your healthcare costs. There are many choices to make when it comes to choosing a Medicare plan, using an HSA, and qualifying for Medicaid. One healthcare cost that is easy, but possibly detrimental to overlook is long-term care. It’s estimated that 52% of…
Read MoreAre You Ready for Endless Summer?
It’s time to start planning your summer, and whether you’re going to laze around on the beach, visit friends, or take a trip, it’s important to also start thinking about your retirement plan. On average, we spend more time every year planning for vacations than planning for retirement – and retirement is much longer than…
Read MoreSocial Security’s Decreased Buying Power
Some are worried about the state of Social Security since the latest report found that starting next year, the program’s annual cost will exceed its income. Some speculate that since the program’s trust fund is expected to be depleted by 2034, cuts are inevitable. But, there should be a more immediate worry facing beneficiaries than…
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