General retirement planning advice says that you’ll need about 80% of your pre-retirement income in retirement, but this may not be the case for everyone. Inflation, taxes, and long-term care costs are easily overlooked - but these expenses could be high. When creating your retirement budget, don’t forget to include these three expenses. Taxes: How [...]
The Federal Reserve voted to raise interest rates for the first time since 2018 and has several more rate hikes planned for this year.[1] Rising interest rates can have significant effects on the economy and your finances. Between a volatile market, high inflation, and rising interest rates, know how you’ll respond. The Federal Reserve Raising [...]
As we approach Tax Day, you may be gathering your important documents and preparing to file or file for an extension. Once you have everything sorted out, it’s important to consider how your tax situation could change as you near and enter retirement. Here are three important tax questions to answer this year. Why May [...]
Taxes could be one of your biggest expenses in retirement. But once you have an estimate for your tax burden in retirement, you can consider ways to minimize it. The first step towards creating a tax minimization strategy in retirement is looking at how your different sources of income will be taxed. Pensions If you [...]
As we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic, what happens somewhere halfway around the world can have a major impact on us. Now, the global economy faces new threats as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including spiking energy prices, inflation, and a volatile market. Know how you could be affected and what strategies you [...]
When we think of milestone birthdays, we often think of ones that are already behind us – like 18 and 30. But there are plenty of important birthdays ahead of you, especially as you near and enter retirement. Starting at age 50, several birthdays are critical to acknowledge because they can have implications for your [...]
Retirement planning can seem overwhelming, even if you feel you’ve saved enough to retire. It’s hard to know where to begin because a comprehensive retirement plan involves so many elements, from an investment strategy to tax minimization strategies. When faced with a complex problem, we can often end up procrastinating. But a better approach is [...]
There are always a few people who are hard to shop for on your list. Sometimes someone just seems to have everything or says they don't want anything for Christmas this year. Consider these alternative gift ideas this year instead of continuing to fill your house or someone else's with new objects. Refurbish Something Old [...]
Even though you're a long time away from needing long-term care, now is the time to plan. An estimated 70% of Americans currently age 65 will need long-term care at some point, and costs can be staggering.[1] If you have a 70% chance of needing long-term care, you should think about how you would like [...]
We've all heard the saying, "you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but is it true? Maybe it is for dogs, but not for people. You can always learn new habits, no matter what age you are. It starts with understanding how the brain works and building on success. You can go from seeing [...]