Social Security After Divorce
There are some special Social Security benefits for married couples. What if you divorce? What happens to those advantages? While married, both spouses are eligible to collect Social Security based upon their own earnings. A lower-earning spouse has the opportunity to collect ½ of the higher-earner’s benefit, or their own… whichever is higher. It is […]
Tapping Home Equity for Income
You’ve heard the concept before – the kids are out of the house – Mom and Dad retire… so it’s time to sell the big ole house and downsize. Equity in the home that exceeds the price of the new place can be used to create retirement income. I’ve been through this with several couples, […]
Penalties for Missing Your RMD
For those who are 73 and older – the IRS requires you take a minimum distribution from your retirement account. There are some exceptions – but for the most part… the IRS has allowed the money to grow tax-deferred and now they want you to take monies out and pay some taxes. If you don’t […]
Young, and Smart Enough to Plan
In your 20s or 30s – it’s difficult to get excited about retirement. It’s difficult to fathom that money that could be spent on experiences, things and travel now is being sacrificed for retirement decades away. Younger investors who experience success with their investments can become engaged and begin enjoying participating in the growth of […]
Reasons To Continue to Check Credit Reports
Lenders and landlords and even employers rely upon credit reporting agencies to help them with decisions on whether to do business with you. If your credit report shows that you don’t handle your own money well – they are wary you’ll handle theirs prudently. It can pay to keep your credit spotless… even after you […]
The Secret To Long-Term Wealth Building
There’s a big difference between saving and investing. Generally – saving is for a very short-term goal like putting money away for a vacation in a few months – or a new tennis racket. Investing is placing your money so that it’s in a position to grow – often dramatically. There is generally some risk […]
What Fed Rate Cuts Mean For You
We’ve seen recent Federal funds interest rate cuts and are likely to see more following the unprecedented raises that the Fed used in ’22 and 23’ to curb inflation. What does that mean for the average American? As with just about anything – there are two sides to interest rates. Those who need to borrow… […]
Brushing Off Financial Curveballs
When investing for retirement or financing another long-range goal there will be good times, and pullbacks. The good thing is that over the course of the history of the stock market- there has never been a time whereby the markets didn’t reach new highs. If you experience a roadblock on your retirement investment journey – […]
We Need Immigration
From an economic perspective – America needs immigration. Unfortunately, the word ‘immigration’ has become emotional. It has been twisted by politicians into a bad word, because it’s being confused with unlawful immigration. Yes – the borders are a mess, and Congress needs to get off their butts to put policies in place to control it. […]
Is a Roth Conversion Right for You?
A big part of managing your money – particularly in retirement – is keeping it as tax efficient as possible. That means taking advantage of several strategies that the IRS allows to lower or even eliminate taxes on asset growth. One such strategy is the use of a Roth IRA. Even when you don’t have […]
