The first question you need to ask yourself is, what are your financial goals? An annuity may be a good option if you are looking for stability in retirement. There are 13 types of annuities, each with its pros and cons. Reasons why an annuity makes a good investment...
KEY POINTS This holiday season, it may be possible to lower your taxes while supporting your favorite charity, experts say. If you itemize deductions, consider donating profitable investments or selling losing assets before gifting the cash proceeds. Donors age 70½ or...
Are emotional health and personal fulfillment part of your retirement portfolio? Retiring successfully requires careful planning to ensure financial and physical health, but what about other important aspects of retirement, such as emotional health and personal...
If you have a dream destination in mind, careful planning and a willing boss could help you make the move ahead of schedule Rob Nehrbas was winding up his career as an executive at an Arizona-based laser device company he’d sold to a bigger competitor when he realized...
Tax changes, RMD rules, Social Security COLA and more will affect older Americans’ finances You might have heard about big changes coming to retirement finance due to Secure 2.0, a package of provisions included in the massive spending bill enacted by Congress and...
KEY POINTS Longevity can have a greater impact on how long retirement money lasts than today’s record high inflation, according to a new report. Surya Kolluri, head of the TIAA Institute, recommends a three-pronged approach to savings combining Social Security...
KEY POINTS All U.S. workers ages 45 to 62 would benefit from waiting until beyond age 65 to start receiving Social Security retirement benefits, recent research finds. The best age to claim is 70, when benefits are 76% higher than retirement benefits taken at 62. The...
KEY POINTS Retirees can push back RMDs to age 73 in 2023. The penalties for not taking RMDs will drop significantly. A big change is coming to workplace accounts with a Roth designation in 2024. The $1.7 trillion spending bill that Congress passed last week includes...
In most cases, if you have no dependents and have enough money to pay your final expenses, you don’t need any life insurance. If you want to create an inheritance or make a charitable contribution, buy enough life insurance to achieve those goals. If you have...
AARP Financial Security Trends Survey: Wave 2 In January 2022, AARP launched its Financial Security Trends Survey, which is designed to monitor the financial experiences, behaviors, and attitudes of adults age 30-plus. The survey examines perceptions of overall...
AARP Financial Security Trends Survey: Wave 2 In January 2022, AARP launched its Financial Security Trends Survey, which is designed to monitor the financial experiences, behaviors, and attitudes of adults age 30-plus. The survey examines perceptions of overall...
Tax changes, RMD rules, Social Security COLA and more will affect older Americans’ finances You might have heard about big changes coming to retirement finance due to Secure 2.0, a package of provisions included in the massive spending bill enacted by Congress and...
KEY POINTS Increasing emergency savings is a top financial goal for many Americans heading into 2023, a new survey finds. Here’s how to increase the cash you have set aside. When it comes to financial resolutions for 2023, there’s one goal at the top of many people’s...
IRS adjustments may save you some money in 2023 Are expensive gas and groceries busting your budget? The Internal Revenue Service feels your pain. In one of the few silver linings of the highest inflation rates in four decades, the IRS announced inflation-adjusted...
The income ranges, adjusted annually for inflation, determine which tax rates apply to you Even though we’re still in the 2022 tax year, and you filed your 2021 tax returns back in April, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Gosh! I wonder what the tax brackets are...
Surprisingly, some things are bargains today — but not many Remember 1972? Richard Nixon was president, the Oakland Athletics were on the way to winning the first of three consecutive World Series and All in the Family was the number 1 television show. Still, what you...
Whether you opt for a real or a faux one, expect to pay 5 to 15 percent more this holiday season Christmas tree prices, whether for faux or real ones, are rising this holiday season as inflation spills over into decorations. How bad? Expect to pay anywhere from 5 to...
Economic downturns are inevitable. Here’s how to protect your retirement nest egg Is the U.S. in a recession? The media was filled with speculation after the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) announced that the nation’s economy had contracted in the first...
If these actions sound familiar, you may want to make some changes If worrying about running out of money in retirement is keeping you up at night, you aren’t alone. Untold numbers of older adults have that concern, and for good reason. Inflation is soaring, gas...
Limits adjusted higher for soaring inflation A 401(k) plan is a great way to increase your retirement savings. Your employer will deduct your pretax contributions from your paycheck, and your savings will be tax-deferred until you take withdrawals during retirement....
The answer requires a realistic look at your savings and spending Inflation is soaring and the stock market is falling, putting a wrench in many people’s retirement plans. That’s particularly true of those gearing up to retire this year. Instead of planning their...
How to prepare for those rare occasions when a large sum falls into your lap For most of your life, money comes in at a slow and somewhat steady pace. Maybe you get a paycheck every two weeks or a Social Security payment once a month. Now and then you might get a bump...
Answers to your most pressing questions about the rising cost of living — past, present and future Prices crept up, then surged higher in the first half of this year. In June, the consumer price index rose to become 9.1 percent higher than it had been a year earlier —...
Your needs are unique if you are divorced, widowed or never married Ah, the single life. You can do as you like. There’s no need to deal with a spouse who has opposing views, a different vision of retirement. A spouse who spends too little or too much, or has...
Older adults are concerned about the impact of inflation on Social Security retirement benefits. Americans have real concerns about being able to make ends meet with Social Security retirement income, even as many admit they have not done much financial planning for...
