Retirement

Forensic investigations reveal that public pensions in states such as Pennsylvania, California, Tennessee, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and Ohio have long abandoned transparency, choosing instead to collaborate with Wall Street firms to eviscerate state public records laws and avoid accountability to stakeholders. Predictably, billions that could have been used to pay government workers retirement benefits

Most of us seem to have a general realization that elder abuse happens but few really understand it until it happens to your own loved one. It’s shocking. The most common abusers in our country are the elder’s own family members. Caregivers are next in frequency, followed by professionals, such as financial managers. Is there

President Joe Biden has recently proposed a 39.6% top marginal income tax rate, up from 37%. The top tax rate is scheduled to be increased to 39.6% after 2025 when the current Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is set to expire even if Congress doesn’t pass the President’s proposal. If Congress does pass the legislation to

“No one enjoys being wrong,” Daniel Kahneman told Adam Grant, who recounted their conversation during a recent interview, “but I do enjoy having been wrong, because it means I am now less wrong than I was before.” Grant describes Kahneman, the psychologist seen as the originator of and greatest contributor to the field of behavioral

By Kerry Hannon, Next Avenue There’s nothing small about the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Isabella Casillas Guzman, who was sworn in March 17 as its 27th Administrator and the first Latina in that role, gets it. “I want all small businesses to feel like the giants that they are in our economy,” Guzman told me

By David Jarmul, Next Avenue Reed Kimbrough, 70, a former Army pilot and management executive, and his wife Charlcye, 65, who worked in broadcasting and sales, traveled widely before he retired in October 2018 and she in March 2020. They leapfrogged from Colorado to New York City and internationally from China to South Africa. A year

The Covid-19 pandemic has had far-reaching financial impacts. It is important to understand the pandemic’s effects to help mitigate additional financial consequences that may develop in the future. One big revelation is that the pandemic exacerbated the growing economic inequality our society experienced over many decades. The negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been

By Ivy Eisenberg, Next Avenue Countless people have launched a second act in their 50s. But how many have attempted a third? Had I not been kicked to the curb at 56, I might not be living my best life now in my third act — eight years later. Prologue I knew half a century ago

Today’s column addresses questions about potential survivor’s benefits available to spouses and children based on a worker’s record, how disability benefits are calculated and the availability of benefits based on an ex’s record. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic Security Planning, Inc, which markets

Leading cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has partnered with small-time 401(k) plan provider ForUsAll to offer employees crypto exposure through their retirement plans. Employees of participating companies will be allowed to use a “crypto window” — similar to the brokerage window offered in many conventional 401(k)s — to invest up to 5% of their retirement funds in

In this new, post-pandemic, economic environment, I believe tax-efficient investing will be more important than ever. We’ve seen common loss-harvesting tactics, perhaps even the advanced idea of tax alpha, but frequently overlooked is the concept of tax location: where to put the assets to maximize after-tax return. With the upheaval in quicker-term investing (think meme

Just about everyone will agree that dealing with Medicare can lead to a whole lot of confusion. One of the first confusing points is figuring out who is eligible to get or enroll in Medicare. Here are three relevant queries submitted to me recently.  I am 52 years old with serious health problems. How can I

When parents reach a certain age, or level of need, perhaps you want to find someone to help them as they lose independence. Advertising abounds about how wonderful a home care agency is or how enticing life in assisted living can be. Maybe you know someone who took care of another relative or friend and

The global pandemic has changed the way lawyers interact with clients. Meetings are now routinely held virtually and many people have adapted to the convenience of meeting from home. While virtual meetings will become part of the new normal, there is often no substitute for in person interactions. Many people prefer in-person meetings, and for

There seems to be a notion floating around that elders in Europe and parts of Asia have access to services we do not have here, that we in the United States have overlooked our older citizens’ welfare and happiness where other developed countries have systems and services we do not. Is that the case? Maybe.

Are you considering converting part or all of your traditional IRA or 401k accounts to a Roth account because you’re worried that future income tax rates will increase? If you are, you’ll want to conduct a careful analysis to determine whether it’s realistic to expect that you’d be paying taxes at a higher rate in

Retiree Sylva Coppock had some strong interests and hobbies before she left the workplace in her early 70s. She had worked as a desktop publisher, graphic designer, and executive assistant. When she retired, the plan was to just pursue hobbies. “I loved doing ancestry research,” said Coppock. “I spent a great deal of my free

If you inherited an IRA recently — or are following tax developments after the enactment of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (SECURE Act) — you’ll be pleased to note that an IRS Publication error has been fixed. IRS Pub. 590-B Error Fixed IRS Publication 590-B for tax year 2020,

Earlier today, the FDA gave its approval to a new Alzheimer’s medication, the first to be approved in nearly 20 years: aducanumab, given the brand name Aduhelm. The wife of one patient, cited in the New York Times NYT credited it with slowing disease progression “enough to allow him to participate in tasks like choosing

You’ve got to be on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram—and have a newsletter, blog, podcast and a YouTube channel, right? If you’re a financial advisor today, this is likely the message you’ve gotten from what feels like an onslaught of self-styled financial advisory consultants and coaches. But while I absolutely agree that each advisor should