401(k) Fee Disclosure Coming Soon . . .
If you have a 401(k) account, your next statement may not look much different, but it will contain some very interesting and powerful information. During the last several years, increased focus has been given to the expenses and fees charged to retirement plan participants. The Department of Labor (DOL) recently published regulations under the Employee […]
Maximizing Social Security benefits requires financial planning
Social Security planning has become an increasingly complex area of financial planning. As more couples reach retirement age, it’s important to review all the scenarios to maximize your hard earned Social Security benefits. Mary Beth Franklin, editor of Investment News, explains how “with the right elections, married couples can dramatically up their (Social Security) payouts.” […]
Is our retirement system broken?
Professor Teresa Ghilarducci has an opinion piece in the NY Times this week lambasting our evolving approach to retirement. She has some good points. Our Ridiculous Approach to Retirement By TERESA GHILARDUCCI Published: July 21, 2012
Planning for Medicare – Part Deux
The new 2012 Medicare & You booklets have been mailed and Medicare eligibles are receiving mailings from insurers daily about their products. This booklet contains over 150 pages of details about Medicare and the related Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans. Here are some of the key things to consider when choosing coverage for 2012: Medicare […]
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 […]