The author of today’s article – who is fortunate enough to have a pension – is concerned about the majority of Americans (including his own children) who are not so fortunate, and who will have to rely on Social Security and their investments to fund their retirements. His fear? “Even if these folks are saving regularly, they don’t really understand…
If you’re one of the fortunate Americans with a pension, you are faced with a critical question: are you better off receiving it as a lump sum payment or as an annuity? In attempting to answer this question, the author of today’s article runs some numbers to illustrate the costs and benefits of each payout method at different points of…
The old three-legged stool for retirement consisted of a pension, Social Security and personal savings. However, with pensions now largely obsolete and the future of Social Security in question, the author of today’s article outlines “the new three-legged retirement stool”, which he sees as consisting of personal pre-tax savings, personal after-tax savings, and income from personal hustle. For more on…
When it comes to withholding taxes in retirement, the author of today’s article advises that you want to withhold just the right amount: over-withhold and you miss out on earned interest; under-withhold and you risk getting hit with a penalty tax by the IRS. However, despite the importance of getting your withholding as close as possible to your actual tax…
While traditional pension plans are largely becoming a thing of retirement past, 25% of pre-retirees are still fortunate enough to participate in one – but the author of today’s article warns those individuals not to get too comfortable with their apparent advantage when it comes to funding their golden years, cautioning that “there’s a good chance your pension plan is…
To lump or not to lump? When it comes to how they want to receive their pensions or 401(k)s, many Americans are choosing lump sums over guaranteed monthly installments – and proceeding to deplete that money within 5 ½ years on average, according to one survey. Why are so many people choosing lump sums over annuities, and where is that…
Uncle Sam wants (to help) YOU! Today’s article highlights several ways in which the federal government, “mindful that a lot of people are falling behind in financial matters, or never really got started, … has been making efforts just to get more Americans to Square One” in terms of retirement readiness. From new tools (e.g. myRA accounts) to established programs…