Retirement rules are changing: employer pensions are disappearing, Social Security and Medicare are on wobbly legs, growth of investments is uncertain, interest rates are near zero, medical costs are zooming skyward and retirees are living longer. The premature death of retirement money is a worrisome concern. Contrary to what some would have you believe, retirement [...]

Many retirees do not plan to use their IRA money for retirement. Nevertheless, the IRS requires distributions once age 70½ is reached and eventually all the IRA is taxed. If you have IRA money earmarked for loved ones, why not bequeath your money tax free? You can with life insurance. Life insurance offers living benefits [...]

The economic crisis of the past few years has punctuated the importance of financial literacy, i.e., knowing what options are available, the risks and rewards of each and how to adjust financial positioning in response to life changes like retirement. Many retirees entrusting their money to the market witnessed significant losses while others utilizing the [...]

The stock market fluctuates wildly some days – 300 or more points, representing a change of 3% or more, is common. For a retiree with $500,000 of her retirement money in “the market”, losses could easily be $20,000 in one day, even if her portfolio is diversified. Wall Street’s recommended withdrawal strategy is 4% annually; [...]

The stock market, as measured by the Dow Jones Industrial Averages, is rising and falling by hundred of points daily, setting growth records one month and reversing directions the next. The “new normal” gyrations make retirement planning next to impossible because the next prolonged downturn could be the very time you need your money. If [...]

The stock market is dropping in a volatile frenzy, interest rates are near zero and the economy is anemic. Will there be improvement? The fact is: no one knows what will happen, ever. If you’ve been advised that “selling now would be a huge mistake” or “all will be fine in the long run”, remember [...]

When leaving an employer at retirement, changing jobs, down-sizing or starting your own business, leave behind only what belongs to your ex-employer. That means not forgetting your retirement plan money! About forty percent of departing employees, ages 60 to 65, leave their retirement money behind in former employers’ plans. They cite several reasons: loyalty, hassle [...]