Retirement

Even small fees can wreck your retirement portfolio getty Investment fees are easy to ignore. You don’t get billed for your advisor’s fee or the expense ratio of a mutual fund. They quietly take it out of your investment portfolio every quarter. Yet fees can have a huge impact on your wealth.  In this article,

By Kathleen Doheny, Next Avenue DANVERS, MA – FEBRUARY 1: A man is given his vaccination by pharmacist Joe Borge. Feb. 1, 2021 was … [+] the first day of Phase 2 of the COVID-19 rollout for seniors, 75 and over, seen here vaccinated inside the Walgreens Pharmacy, at 107 High Street, in Danvers, MA.

By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue Managing Editor getty Philip Moeller, author of the helpful new book “Get What’s Yours for Health Care,” says you need to be your own advocate to save on health care expenses. “If people act like sheep, they’re going to get fleeced,” he told me. In the new episode of the

Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about whether spousal benefits are automatic or not, the possibility of receiving spousal benefits after taking retirement benefits at 62 and an unexplained delay in Social Security processing an application. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic

GameStop logos displayed on a phone and a laptop screens are seen in this illustration photo taken … [+] in Poland on January 28, 2021. In the last days the GameStop stock short squeeze continues. (Photo illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images There’s a new form of shareholder activism being

getty Yes, I have been calling for a comprehensive Social Security reform ever since I began writing at this platform. And, yes, that plan calls for a change from the current formula to a flat benefit for all, or, as I’ve also called it, a “basic retirement income.” The catch, of course, is this: how

The world’s best buys on beachfront property in 2021 are to be found in Northern Cyprus, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Belize. These are the findings of Live and Invest Overseas’ 2021 Global Property Survey, an annual index that details what it costs to own property in the world’s top locations for living or retiring overseas.

By Chris Farrell, Next Avenue SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 19: A firefighter tries to put out the wildfire on August 19, 2020 in … [+] San Mateo, California. (Photo by Liu Guanguan/China News Service via Getty Images) China News Service via Getty Images Do you get the sense that disasters like blizzards, hurricanes, wildfires,

Click here to read the previous part of this article. The most natural use for permanent life insurance is to fund a legacy goal. Exhibit 7.4 compares the effectiveness of two strategies for meeting a legacy goal during retirement: “buy term and invest the difference” in Scenario 1 and using whole life insurance in Scenario

If you find yourself in need of funds to support a new addition to your family, your 401(k) plan … [+] might be able to help. getty Welcoming a new child to your family is an exciting time. However, if money is tight or your income has declined due to the pandemic, what should be

What is a Swap Power and Why do you Care? A “swap power” is also called a “power to substitute.” It is a special right reserved to you (or someone else) in a trust you create while you are alive. This right gives you the power to swap an asset of yours, say cash, for

Corporate Profits Quickly Recovered From the Initial Shock. getty The country is experiencing two quite different paths since it plunged into a recession in the spring of 2020. Many families struggle with widespread and increasing job losses, long-term unemployment, more debt, hunger, poverty and the threat of evictions among a surging pandemic. In contrast, corporations

getty There are three risks that are most likely to derail retirement plans. The risks are real and substantial, almost regardless of an individual’s net worth. Fortunately, the potential damage from the risks can be reduced. Longevity risk is talked about a lot by economists and financial advisors but not by many retirees and pre-retirees.

getty The $15 minimum wage, on the agenda of activists for upwards of a decade and now a part of President-Elect Biden’s covid-relief plan, is, depending on who you listen to, either a boon to workers or the source of substantial lost jobs. After all, a CBO analysis from 2019 concluded that both effects would

The latest round of stimulus has offered help to individuals, but includes some desperately needed, … [+] and hopefully, very helpful stimulus aimed at small businesses. getty The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) gave us some last-minute fiscal relief, notably $600 stimulus checks for individuals and provisions for some hard-hit areas aimed at mitigating the continuing

getty Who would you rather show you how best to save and invest for retirement? An accomplished advertising copywriter? A radiant teacher? A celebrated movie director? If you answered “Yes!” to the above multiple-choice question you’re far more astute than you might give yourself credit for. This is about the above choice in terms of

Estate planning documents. getty An unimaginable number of people are still dying from Covid complications, while others are dealing with life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, heart attacks and strokes. When it is your spouse who is ill, the pain is intensified by the anticipated loss of your life partner. It is heartbreaking.  Planning for the

Be cautious when shopping for Medicare insurance. getty The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, from January 1 through March 31, brings with it many, many commercials. These focus on the low cost and benefits one can get simply by calling the phone number on the screen. Enrollment couldn’t be easier. However, a smart shopper will realize there

The stock market scorecard can help you invest for retirement with confidence. Getty Images, contributor gopixa If a baseball or basketball team had a win/loss record of 70-25, you’d say it dominated the field. Well, 70-25 has been the win/loss record for the annual rate of return on the S&P 500 since 1926.  Impressive scores

With this understanding about how life insurance is priced, I can create a simple model to consider four different potential roles for this whole life insurance policy in retirement income planning. First, the death benefit for life insurance provides a method to meet a legacy goal using risk pooling and tax advantages that is distinct