“If you will celebrate your 62nd birthday in 2017 or soon after, you’re in the vanguard of a big change in Social Security,” notes today’s article. That change? The raising of the full retirement age from 66 to 67. The author examines the impact this big change – as well as other tricky Social Security math you may encounter –…
Outliving their money, Social Security being reduced or eliminated, and declining mental health necessitating long-term care. These are the top 3 retirement fears of Americans, as identified by a recent survey – and today’s article acknowledges that these are all serious risks worthy of attention. However, the author argues that “instead of living your life in fear, you can take…
For investors in their 50s looking to both grow their retirement nest eggs and build a steady stream of passive income, today’s article highlights one stock which, “with its powerful wealth-building combination of increasing dividend payouts and share-price appreciation”, may be one of the best picks for achieving both of these goals. To find out what this stock is –…
Issues relating to retirement did not receive much focus during the presidential campaign. However, the incoming Trump administration (and the Republican-controlled Congress) are positioned to affect a number of issues of importance to impending retirees – including the fate of the fiduciary rule requiring that investment advisers handling retirement accounts act in the best interests of their clients. So what…
When it comes to target-date funds, today’s article states that the popular retirement investment vehicles may become more interesting and less expensive this year. Specifically, the article examines how some fund sponsors are going about trying to reduce volatility, boost returns, lower fees, and even select more socially conscious investments, all in an effort to attract more investors. To read…
Looking back on the year that was, it may seem like 2016 was more ridiculous than educational, but the author of today’s article states that, “when it comes to takeaways that can improve your retirement planning and investing, I think there’s one big lesson we should all draw from 2016.” From the markets’ worst start to a year ever, to…
December 31st is the deadline for those over age 70½ with tax-deferred retirement accounts to take their required minimum distributions (RMDs) and, after outlining the rules relating to RMDs (such as that hefty 50% penalty the IRS imposes on those who fail to take their distributions on time), today’s article provides some tips for taking RMDs. When – if ever…
While ’tis the season for spending, the author of today’s article notes that “this is also the time of year when a few simple moves could also save…some coin”, and he proceeds to outline three such moves to consider before January 1st. Move #1? Think about tax-loss harvesting (including how you can take advantage of the IRS’ “wash rule” to…
While it may not be something you are eager to do amongst holiday festivities, the financial planners cited in today’s article believe “the end of the year is the perfect time to take a look at where you are when it comes to retirement and make adjustments.” So, assuming you are willing to set aside a couple of hours before…
Today’s article notes that, with the Fed finally moving to raise interest rates, “retirees will soon be able to park their money somewhere safer than dividend-paying stocks.” However, the author does not advocate abandoning these stocks altogether, with there still being “under-the-radar dividend payers that offer considerable value for investors willing to take a little more risk.” Three such stocks…