Tag: Retirement Planning

Who is Your Trusted Contact?

Jul 3, 2023

contact information
This vital investment account question should be answered sooner rather than late

Investment firms have a new client service requirement. They must now ask you if you would like to provide the name and information of a trusted contact.1

You do not have to supply this information, but it is encouraged. The request is made with your best interest in mind – and to lower the risk of someone crooked attempting to make investment decisions on your behalf.1 (more…)

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Bypassing Probate

Jun 16, 2023

Tips on Bypassing Probate

You may have heard about the horrors of probate, but in truth, probate has gotten an undeservedly bad reputation, especially in recent years. If you bypass probate, your estate will go to your beneficiaries without any court proceeding, and you may save a certain amount of time and expenses. However, there is usually little reason for most people to avoid probate today. States continue to revise their probate laws, making them more consumer friendly, particularly for small estates. For most modestly sized estates, the probate process now costs little. In fact, there are some good reasons to distribute your property by will. Decisions are binding and have legal finality once your will is probated. Creditors who fail to file claims against your estate within a specific amount of time — usually six months after receiving notice — are out of luck.

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Investment Professionals and Advisors

Jun 12, 2023

Free Man Looking At A Screen With Stock Market Data Stock PhotoA wealth of investment information is available if you want to do your own research before making investment decisions. However, many people aren’t comfortable sifting through balance sheets, profit-and-loss statements, and performance reports. Others just don’t have the time, energy, or desire to do the kind of thorough analysis that marks a smart investor.

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Understanding Risk

Jun 2, 2023

Few terms in personal finance are as important, or used as frequently, as “risk.” Nevertheless, few terms are as imprecisely defined. Generally, when financial advisors or the media talk about investment risk, their focus is on the historical price volatility of the asset or investment under discussion.

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Rolling Over Funds from an Employer Retirement Savings Plan: What You Need to Know

May 19, 2023

401k job offer acceptance

You got the job, what do you do with your old 401k?When you leave your employer, you have several options available to you for managing your retirement savings plan assets. You can leave the money in the current plan, if allowed; you can cash out and take a lump-sum distribution; or you can roll over the funds from your current plan into another employer plan, if allowed, or an IRA. (more…)

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Estimating Your Retirement Income Needs

May 8, 2023

You know how important it is to plan for your retirement, but where do you begin? One of your first steps should be to estimate how much income you’ll need to fund your retirement. That’s not as easy as it sounds, because retirement planning is not an exact science. Your specific needs depend on your goals and many other factors.

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An Introduction to Estate Planning

Apr 26, 2023

Incapacity can strike anyone at any time. Estate Planning plans for it

By definition, estate planning is a process designed to help you manage and preserve your assets while you are alive, and to conserve and control their distribution after your death according to your goals and objectives. But what estate planning means to you specifically depends on who you are.

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Building a Healthy Financial Foundation

Apr 17, 2023

When you read about money matters, you will sometimes see the phrase, “getting your financial house in order.” What exactly does that mean?  When your financial “house is in order,” it means it is built on a solid foundation. It means that you have six fundamental “pillars” in place that are either crucial for sustaining your financial well-being or creating wealth. (more…)

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Creating a Retirement Strategy

Mar 29, 2023

Most people just invest for the future. You have a chance to do more.

Across the country, people are saving for that “someday” called retirement. Someday, their careers will end. Someday, they may live off their savings or investments, plus Social Security.  They know this, but many of them do not know when, or how, it will happen. What is missing is a strategy – and a good strategy might make a great difference.

A retirement strategy directly addresses the “when, why, and how” of retiring. It can even address the “where.” It breaks the whole process of getting ready for retirement into actionable steps. (more…)

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Healthcare Costs are Cutting into Retirement Preparations

Mar 22, 2023

 

health supplements on dollar bill
How healthcare costs affect retirement planning

You may have seen this statistic before or one resembling it: the average 65-year-old retiring couple can now expect to pay more than $250,000 in healthcare costs during the rest of their lives.

In fact, Fidelity now projects this cost at $285,000. The effort to prepare for these potential expenses is changing the big picture of retirement planning.

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More Insights

Jul 26, 2024

Key Takeaways Volatility came back with a vengeance this week as selling pressure in the mega cap space dragged down the broader market. Counterbalancing weakness in these heavyweight names poses a challenge for the rest of the market. Overbought conditions can also be blamed for the recent weakness. The S&P 500 reached a 14.9% premium … Continue reading “Market Update – Assessing the Technical Damange”

Jul 24, 2024

Life insurance can be an excellent tool for charitable giving. Not only does life insurance allow you to make a substantial gift to charity at relatively little cost to you, but you may also benefit from tax rules that apply to gifts of life insurance.

Jul 22, 2024

When you think of Social Security, you probably think of retirement. However, Social Security can also provide much-needed income to your family members when you die, making their financial lives easier. Your family members may be eligible to receive survivor benefits if you worked, paid Social Security taxes, and earned enough work credits. The number … Continue reading “Social Security Survivor Benefits”

Jul 19, 2024

Information vs. instinct. When it comes to investment choices, many people believe they have a “knack” for choosing good investments. But what exactly is that “knack” based on? The fact is, the choices we make with our assets can be strongly influenced by factors, many of them emotional, that we may not even be aware … Continue reading “Making Investment Choices”

Jul 17, 2024

As a business owner, you should carefully consider the advantages of establishing an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Generally, you’re allowed certain tax benefits for establishing an employer-sponsored retirement plan, including a tax credit for establishing the plan and a deduction for contributions you make. In return, however, you’re required to include certain employees in the plan, … Continue reading “Retirement Plans for Small Businesses”

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