Retirement Watch Weekly
Tricks and Traps in Social Security Benefits
People continue to miss significant opportunities to maximize their Social Security retirement benefits. The problem is especially acute among married couples who don’t consider the long-term effects or don’t know the interaction between personal retirement benefits, spousal benefits, and survivor benefits. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime decision, but the benefits or drawbacks of the decision will last […]
Increasing Cash by Automating Your Finances
Many people are overwhelmed by the financial options and decisions they face. That’s clear from both the feedback I receive from people and studies I read. When people are overwhelmed and uncertain, they procrastinate. We need to prevent procrastination in financial matters. It’s too expensive. One of my goals is to simplify your financial life. […]
Low-Cost Estate Planning Strategies to Help the Family
You don’t need a lot of wealth to develop a simple Estate Planning Strategy that helps your loved ones. You also don’t need large gifts or other transfers as part of good estate planning. Estate planning strategies aren’t only for the very wealthy, and your loved ones don’t have to wait to benefit from your […]
Why You Should Buy Long-Term Care Insurance Now
The changes in long-term care insurance keep coming. The latest news was Prudential Financial’s announcement that it will stop selling individual LTCI policies but will continue to sell policies through employer-sponsored programs. The Pru is the tenth of the top 20 insurers by sales to exit the LTCI market in the last five years, according […]
Thinking About Charitable Giving All Year
Many people leave money on the table when they think seriously about charitable giving only at year-end. Think about charitable giving all year and focus on how to give instead of how much. You’re likely to generate higher immediate tax benefits plus income or other benefits. I’m not talking about the small checks you might […]
7 Questions about the Stock Market and Investing
JP Morgan asked several questions about the global markets, and the question and answers were reprinted in The Financial Times’ blog FTAlphavllle. Asking such questions is a good exercise for investors. Don’t simply look at what the markets and economy are doing. Ask why. The key mistake of many investors is not asking why. It’s […]
Avoiding “Senior Moments”
Staying mentally sharp interests many people on the silver side of age 50. The New York Times Magazine explored several aspects of keeping your brain healthy recently. In one piece, the Times explored the possibility that intelligence can be increased through training, even as we age. How, then, could watching black cats in a haunted […]
Why Retirees Go Broke
Medical expenses are the leading source of debt for America’s silver generation, according to a new survey. That shouldn’t be a surprise. Many people before retirement or early in retirement report that one of their greatest fears is not being able to pay all their medical expenses. Survey also show that most people don’t know […]
