Retirement and Estate Planning
Best Social Security Claiming Strategies For Working Spouses?
By: Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA Q: My husband retired from the military after 30 years of service. He turned 72 November 24, 2018. He receives his Social Security check, a check from the Veterans Affairs, and he also receives multiple pensions. I still work but I...
How Women Can Help Fill the Retirement Savings Gap
By: Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA There is certainly a gender gap issue that women face in pay, but there is also a larger one they face in retirement. Having left the workforce to raise families or care for aging parents, possibly having gone through a divorce and...
Increase Tax-Free Retirement Income With an HSA
By: Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA What’s an HSA? I have heard some say it’s like a Roth IRA on steroids. Health savings accounts (HSAs) are becoming more popular as high-deductible healthcare plans (HDHP) with this option become the norm. According to the IRS, a “...
5 Retirement Assumptions You Can’t Make Anymore
By: Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA We've all heard the adage "nothing can be certain, except death and taxes." This line of thought also applies to retirement, as society and financial markets change. Here are a few assumptions many Americans used to be able to make...
The ‘stretch’ option for maximizing IRAs
By: Elliot RaphaelsonBecause most employers have eliminated defined-benefit retirement plans, future retirees will depend more than ever on 401(k) plans, traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs.To plan for a successful retirement, you must understand the fundamentals and...
Downsizing in Retirement
By: Allison PearsonDo you and your partner share the same goals & expectations for the future throughout your changing life phases?My son recently headed off to college. It was an important life transition, not just for my son, but for me and my husband as well....
Your indispensable guide to Social Security
By: Elliot RaphaelsonThere is no question that Social Security issues are important to the American public. It is not unusual for me to receive more than 100 responses from readers when I write a Social Security-related column.Regular readers know that I frequently...
How to Not Go Broke Supporting Adult Children
by David RaglandYou’ve worked hard, you’ve saved, you’ve downsized, and the nest is finally empty. Life is good. But then one of your kids loses his job. Or she starts falling further into debt. Or decides to send your grandchild to a private school he can’t...
Women & Retirement: Don’t Wait, Start Saving Today
Poor and alone isn’t the retirement any of us dream about. And the following statistics conjure up some very scary images:(Sources: Dee Lee’s Everywoman’s Money: Financial Freedom; Social Security Administration.)More than 50% of all marriages fail.After a divorce,...
Grief: How to Help Yourself & Others Without Losing Your Mind
Grieving is a painful, scary, and devastating for just about everyone. Here are some useful tips for those of you helping someone through the grieving process.
