Social Security and Medicare Decisions on the Horizon for Baby Boomers
Two of the biggest concerns for aging baby boomers are longevity risk (i.e., not outliving your money) and rising healthcare costs. Social Security and Medicare are programs that we all pay into and expect to partially address these concerns. Social Security is often a cornerstone of a well thought-out retirement plan. It is adjusted for […]
Evaluating Your Social Security Options
As retirement age approaches many questions arise about Social Security including the following: Should I start drawing benefits as soon as possible or postpone? If I do postpone, how long should I wait? If I am married or divorced, how can that impact my decision? When will I “breakeven” on my decision to postpone? Rules […]
Planning for Medicare
Why would an investment advisor’s website contain a blog about Medicare? The cost of health care is an increasingly important piece of retirement planning, and it is a shock to many who have been covered under an employer plan that is often subsidized by the employer, sometimes at 100%. Most employers either reduce the subsidy […]
Retirement Income Strategies
I was recently challenged by an investor couple attempting to determine the amount of annual spending they can make based on their portfolio. How, they asked, can we make a rational decision when we do not know the future return in investment markets, the future rate of inflation or their life expectancy? My general rule […]
The Folly of Active Management and TV Gurus
Last year I wrote an article about where to invest in 2010 and took that opportunity to remind investors not to fall into the excitement of active management and stock trading. Instead I cautioned them to focus on what you can control, like investment cost, risk, and asset allocation and to ignore the rest. So […]
Investing for Retirement Income – Part 2
One of today’s biggest challenges facing investors in retirement or in semi-retirement is obtaining enough income and growth from their portfolio to match annual expenses. Is it possible to create a mix of steady income, upside potential and longevity protection by a blend of 80 percent bonds and 20 percent stocks? My definition of income […]
Investing for Retirement Income – Part 1
A sense of security comes from seeing a regular monthly income from your investment portfolio. Especially when one is retired or is dependent on investment income to meet everyday expenses. In the investment community, bonds are considered second class citizens. Investors are told that holding bond funds is done primarily to reduce the overall portfolio […]
Expert Answers To Your Roth Conversion Questions
From time to time we will be sharing insights from some of the people in our network of professional advisors who assist our clients with tax advice, estate planning, and other issues. Following is an interview with Michael J. Reilly, CPA, Partner in Charge of Tax Services at Dannible and McKee, LLP—Certified Public Accountants and […]
Following a Fiduciary Standard of Care
Meeting new people or reconnecting with acquaintances often leads to the question of where I’m working these days. I reply, “I work for Rockbridge Investment Management, which is a ‘Registered Investment Advisor’ (RIA).” With that response I usually get a nod and a change of subjects.
