Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about receiving spousal benefits after receiving retirement benefits, whether it’s possible to reduce a benefit amount to remain under a limit and applying for disability benefits while working and receiving survivor’s benefits. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president
Retirement
A retiree walks up stairs after voting at the Greenspring Retirement center during the mid-term … [+] election day in Fairfax, Virginia on November 6, 2018. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images What Older Voters Want Might Want To Hear From Candidates
getty Benjamin Franklin was arguably the most successful person who lived in colonial America. There are many lessons to learn from his biography, but the following nugget of wisdom about choosing principles over luxury is timeless. The story goes that a man came to Franklin wanting to publish an article in Franklin’s newspaper, The Pennsylvania
Americans receive emergency payments stimulus checks government US 100 dollar bills currency on … [+] Global pandemic Covid 19 lockdown getty The House and the Senate haven’t been able to come to terms on the next stimulus bill. This month promises to be busy with next year’s spending bill, the possible vote for a new
Topline Wall Street analysts warn that the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—and the ensuing battle over her successor—will engulf Washington and further decrease the likelihood of another fiscal stimulus bill to help the economy recover from the coronavirus recession. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate
By Diane Eastabrook, Next Avenue Contributor Blue and Bill Reeves, of Starkville, Miss., and friends Courtesy of Blue and Bill Reeves Autumn is making its way into State College, Pa. home to Penn State University. The days are shorter, the nights are cooler and trees are beginning to burst with color. But for local retiree
M How contact tracing works. getty My friend Chris recently told me that she got a call from the city health department. She may have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The city official asked about symptoms and encouraged her to self-quarantine for 14 days. This is called contact tracing, a way
The end of the era of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has meaning for many. Trailblazer, fierce advocate for equal rights for women, and icon of dignified feminism, RBG will be deeply missed. Her personal life was an example of a marriage on equal footing for both partners. Her husband Marty did many of the tasks people
By Marguerite Lorenz, Professional Trustee and Executor and Next Avenue Contributor getty When do you need your estate plan to “go to work” for you? While you may think the right answer is “after I die,” the actual answer is “if I lose the ability to manage my own affairs.” That means having the right
getty We’re approaching a crossroad in estate planning, and those who might be affected need to take action before we reach it. Few people today have to worry about federal estate and gift taxes, because of the high level of exemptions. But there’s a high probability of significant changes in the estate tax law in
getty Your investment future is, in part, tied to the futures Earlier this year, Bespoke Investment Group published a study that said something many investors will find either confusing, disappointing or both. All of the S&P 500’s gains since 1993 have not occurred during the main trading day. Specifically, they said that buying the S&P
getty On March 18, 2020, the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (“FFCRA”) was enacted. This means that the Government will pay Employers to provide paid time off for certain virus related situations. As discussed in my blog post dated March 20, 2020, two separate provisions were established to provide paid leave for employees absent from
Charlie Campbell accompanies his mom Dorothy Campbell to see her husband Gene Campbell through his … [+] room window at the Life Care Center nursing home in Kirkland, Washington. (Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images A national Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes has identified more than
Will COVID help or hurt your finances? Emma Slater, Sharna Burgess and Peta Murgatroyd are seen … [+] arriving at ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Studios on September 17, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by fupp/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) GC Images The impact of the Coronavirus on people’s finances may vary, depending on who you speak with.
By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue Managing Editor getty A huge concern for people as they approach retirement and when they’re in retirement is: How can I ensure I don’t outlive my money? One way to try to avoid that unsettling prospect is to figure out ways to spend less in retirement so the money you
getty When investors are seeking to maximize current income within a portfolio to live on, it is natural to seek out fixed income securities with higher yields. This is especially true today with interest rates near zero and high quality bonds offering little yield to maturity. Reaching for yield is a mistake we see often,
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 17: U.S. President Donald Trump walks to members of the press to answer … [+] questions before departing the White House on September 17, 2020 in Washington, DC. Trump is scheduled to travel to Wisconsin for a campaign event. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Getty Images When the Senate returned from
By Chris Farrell, Next Avenue Contributor getty What is the largest uninsured financial risk older Americans confront? The potentially crippling cost of long-term care. Approximately half of Americans turning 65 on the day you read this column will need some kind of long-term care and support services sometime. You might think that most of them
By Kerry Hannon, Next Avenue Contributor getty When you’re doing your retirement planning, it’s easy to ignore one vital topic: How much taxes will I owe on my retirement income? Frankly, it’s a hornet’s nest. But the topic of taxes and your retirement income is vitally important for your retirement planning. Anqi Chen and Alicia
getty When Congress passed the SECURE Act in December of 2019, it included a controversial provision that required the Department of Labor (“DOL”) to include estimated monthly retirement income at least once a year in 401(k) plan participant statements. In its August 18, 2020 News Release, the DOL stated “retirement plans would provide lifetime income