There’s no question that Social Security is a cornerstone of retirement income for many Americans. Yet, deciding when to take Social Security benefits is something that many people struggle with. As with most financial decisions, the right move depends on a variety of factors unique to each individual. If you are contemplating when to pull […]
1. You might live a longer life than expected The Social Security Administration (SSA) reports that the average 65-year-old man today will live until 84.3, while the average 65-year-old woman will live until 86.6. These are just averages, however, so if your health is great and you have a family history of longevity, there’s a […]
The basics of annuities are the same no matter what type you purchase: You pay an insurance company a set amount of money in return for regular payments, a guaranteed income that can help fund your retirement. But when these payments arrive, how long they continue, and how big they are all depend on the […]
In some ways, saying that workers favor a four-day week is as obvious as saying that most high school students would prefer the same. Who wouldn’t want a longer weekend and more time to spend with family and friends? Wanting something and being able to make it work, however, are different things. While 72% of […]
As a manager, it’s your job to ensure that your workers are as productive as possible. After all, the better your team’s output, the better you all look collectively. But if you’re not happy with your employees’ performance on the whole, it could be that you’re the reason they’re not as productive as they could […]
Many households come to experience their share of financial challenges over time. Some folks lose their jobs and struggle to find work. Others encounter costly medical issues that cause them to rack up debt. And while these and other financial shocks might easily come out of the blue, the fact of the matter is that […]
If you’re making plans to save for retirement, it makes sense to take advantage of generous tax breaks. There are different kinds of accounts in which you can make tax deductible investments, which effectively amounts to the government subsidizing your retirement savings. IRAs are among those types of accounts. What is an IRA? While many […]
Millions of seniors rely on Medicare to pay for their health-related needs. But many near-retirees make one dangerous assumption: that they’ll be eligible for Medicare coverage the moment they leave the workforce. If you’re wondering whether you can get on Medicare as soon as you retire, the answer is that it depends on when you […]
The midterm elections could represent the peak for a U.S. stock market that has so far been resilient to political risks and trade fears. That is according to analysts at Société Générale who see President Donald Trump’s economic plans pausing after the November midterm elections, when the Democrats are likely gain a majority in the […]
Stocks could be bucking for new highs, even as the market deals with negative cross currents in what historically has been a weak month. The S&P 500 closed out a positive week Friday with a gain of 1.2 percent to 2,904 and is now 12 points away from its all-time high. But traders are perplexed […]
The Americans who can least afford it are spending the highest percentage of their income on what the folks at Bankrate describe as “financial vices.” People in the lowest income bracket — those earning under $30,000 a year — spend “an average of $2,118 annually on restaurant food, prepared drinks (such as such as coffee, […]
As employers phased out traditional pensions, 401(k) plans were introduced to fill in the gaps. Named for the subsection of Internal Revenue Service code that allows for them, these accounts have become the primary retirement savings vehicle for many people. The tax benefits of traditional 401(k) plans are important. For 2018, contributions of up to […]
