Retirement

Mistakes seniors make with HECM Reverse Mortgages getty FHA insured reverse mortgages, called HECMs, allow seniors to withdraw cash from their home while retaining the right to live there indefinitely. They are a potentially powerful tool for helping seniors live better lives during their retirement years. However, the benefits can also be frittered away, with

For most investors, Target-Date (TDFs) or Lifestyle Funds are a great idea. They reside in your 401(k) as a basket of mutual funds. Professional managers pick them and adjust risk based on your age. The closer you are to retirement — your “target date” — the lower the stock market risk in a TDF portfolio.

By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue Editor getty You might not think there’d be much difference between the way members of Generation X (who are 40 to 55) and boomers (56 to 74) feel about money, since they’re age-adjacent. But truth is, survey after survey is showing that Gen Xers are far more financially fragile and

Seneca the Younger Universal Images Group via Getty Images Running out of money is an anxiety that keeps even well-prepared potential retirees in jobs that they hate and keeps many fresh retirees in a state of perpetual dread. The ‘what-ifs’ and ‘buts’ of living on savings or a fixed income keeps untold thousands from making

getty Social Security is an important source of income for most U.S. retirees. On average it accounts for almost 40% of retirement income. Social Security becomes more important the longer a person is retired, often accounting for 50% or more of income for older retirees. Yet, many retirees make decisions that cost them additional lifetime

getty Test your hand to see how well you know the December COVID-19 stimulus package. Tis’ the season for economic relief! It looks like Congress was in the giving spirit as they delivered a much needed COVID Stimulus package just in time for the New Year. It took a few months of negotiations but there

Many Households Borrow From Friends and Family In the Current Recession getty Misery loves company or so the saying goes. In the current recession, it is more accurate to say that misery creates company. Millions of households struggle amid the onslaught of rising health care risks, growing childcare costs, and a deep recession with massive

By Kerry Hannon, Next Avenue Eldera When S. Jay Olshansky, 66, a professor of public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, virtually met math and science whiz Hyunseung Lee, 11, in May, something “sparked,” he says. “It was special. He just reminded me of myself at that age,” Olshansky adds. Olshansky, a renowned

Within the last 12 months, we have essentially seen the passage of three major pieces of federal legislation that impact retirement planning. Far and away the biggest retirement planning bill of the three was the SECURE Act, passed at the end of 2019, and mostly going into effect in 2020. However, due to COVID-19 and

Organize a compilation of your 2020 trust planning now! getty So, you created one or more trusts in 2020 with interesting sounding acronyms: SLAT, DAPT, SPAT, etc. And now you are just happy to be done. Well, you are not done yet! You and your advisers should prepare a compilation of the planning documentation you have

Blueberry vendor at Lake Chapala, Mexico Bryan Clark Although you don’t know me, here’s a fun riddle that could apply to lots of people, and maybe even you: “Guess what these four things have in common for the author of this article: blueberries, shrimp, and the services of Raul (my local auto body shop owner)

Social Security is falling short because of persistent wage inequality and political inaction; President-elect Biden has comprehensive plans to strengthen Social Security. A woman with her children walks with a placard reading ‘Social Security, not Global Security’. … [+] Thousands protesters marched again against the ‘Global Security Law’ bill promoted by French President Macron and

getty The clock is running out on 2020. If you’re like the 83% of Americans who think that 2020 was either just “OK,” “bad,” or “terrible,” you’re probably looking forward to ringing in the new year. But if you have an hour or so to spare before the ball drops, a smart money move before

“If I have seven figures in a retirement account, is it possible I’m saving too much for … [+] retirement?” getty In my line of work, I meet a lot of people who are concerned they haven’t saved enough for retirement. But interestingly, I’ve also heard the opposite. “If I have seven figures in a

FEBRUARY 29, 2020: A set of gold-plated tea cups (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images) Getty Images Most likely you will pay your Social Security taxes all year round. But some high earners will stop paying before their hangover headache hits in the wee hours of New Year’s Day.  Social Security benefits are paid by the

Young graduates wearing rented gowns and mortarboards applaud a speech in the central hall of their … [+] university during their graduation ceremony, on 13th July 2017, at the University of York, England. (Photo by Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images Images) In Pictures via Getty Images Before my wife and I got

Senator Brown helps a small group of workers protect their pensions. Now is time for pensions for all American workers. UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 16: Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, speaks to a member of the United Mine … [+] Workers of America during an event in Dirksen Building with workers and retirees to call on

Getty Images This week Congress agreed in principle to the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act which brings much needed relief to small businesses affected by the harsh economic realities associated with the Coronavirus pandemic. One of the prevailing features of the Act is the fact that it creates the opportunity for “second draw”

getty The Economic Impact Payments, or stimulus checks as they’ve come to be known as, were one of the most hotly debated aspects of the COVID-19 relief package Congress agreed to earlier this week. When the CARES Act was passed back in March, qualifying individuals received $1,200 checks. That amount is down to $600 under

getty How do you write about something that didn’t happen? On Sunday night, President Trump, after much delay, signed the combo Covid-relief and omnibus appropriations bill. Since I had been bookmarking a variety of articles that anticipated the inclusion of retirement related provisions in that bill, and even more voices calling for the need to