People who are getting ready to wrap up their careers and leave the working world often refer to retirement as “a new chapter” or “the next act” in their lives – and rightly so. As a pre-retiree, you may have even used those analogies yourself. But do you also realize that it’s possible to play a leading role in determining how your retirement story will unfold? An Outline for Success You can start by plotting out exactly which options, resources …
Your retirement plan is designed to help you meet two important objectives — beating inflation and pursuing your retirement savings goals. The challenge is finding the right mix to strive for both. Why Be Concerned With Inflation? Technically defined, inflation is the rising cost of goods and services over time. Like termites invisibly gnawing at the foundation of a house, inflation slowly eats away at the value of a dollar over time. Inflation can also impact the success of your …
Maintaining a portfolio with a mix of stocks and bonds that suits your risk tolerance and time horizon, a practice known as asset allocation, has been a fundamental tenet of investing for a long time. Although asset allocation does not assure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market, investors who base their investment strategy on a target asset allocation may find it easier to stick with it when the stock market experiences significant ups and downs. One …
A stretch IRA is a traditional IRA that passes from the account owner to one or more younger beneficiaries at the time of the account owner’s death. Since the younger beneficiary has a longer life expectancy than the original IRA owner, he or she can “stretch” the life of the IRA by receiving smaller required minimum distributions (RMDs) each year over his or her life span. More money can then remain in the IRA with the potential for continued tax-deferred …
Want a way to flex some retirement planning muscle? Then consider a “stretch” (inherited) IRA. Not only can this strategy preserve wealth for future generations, it also has the potential to keep assets growing in a tax-deferred account for years to come. Here’s the inside scoop, based on one hypothetical family situation. One Scenario Imagine that George has accumulated $50,000 in a traditional IRA. His wife, Amy, should be well cared for through a $500,000 life insurance policy, his work …
If the current income restrictions associated with Roth IRAs prevent you from using one for your own planning purposes, consider taking steps to ensure that your children or other younger family members establish and fund a Roth IRA of their own. Roth IRAs offer ample tax benefits for retirement — particularly for younger investors. Yet perhaps the more long lasting benefit of the Roth IRA can be realized when it is used as a wealth transfer mechanism. Roth IRAs for …
Nearly 50 million American households own an individual retirement account (IRA).1 While the IRA has evolved into a popular retirement savings vehicle — with more than $4 trillion in total assets — it is often an overlooked component of most investors’ financial planning strategies. In fact, over the past two years, only 15% of households that were eligible to contribute to an IRA did so. 1 Have you forgotten your IRA? Should an IRA be part of your overall investment …
Thinking about the need and the costs of long-term care is enough to make anyone uncomfortable. But while it’s a difficult subject to talk about, it’s also a topic that often generates lots of questions and misunderstanding. Consider this: The average cost of nursing home care in the United States now exceeds $70,000 per year, with wide ranging variations from state to state.* Who Pays? For the most part, those who need long-term care are left to foot the …
As a business owner, you need to ensure that you have adequate insurance coverage to protect family, business partner(s) and key employees, so that no matter what the future holds, the business can continue to provide for those who depend on it. With the right insurance strategies in place, you can guard your business against financial loss due to illness, disability or death. Here are some tips for putting in place a proper plan that will help protect your …
An annuity is a contract between an investor and an insurance company in which the insurance company promises to make payments to the investor either immediately or at a future time. An immediate annuity, as its name suggests, offers payments that start immediately. With a deferred annuity, payments are delayed to a future date. You may be able to purchase an annuity either with a single payment or with a series of premiums. Details of annuities vary considerably, and it …