Retirement Watch Weekly
How to Write a Last Will and Testament
About 74% of Americans lack a last will and testament, often because they find it a confusing or difficult topic. Writing a will is not as difficult as many people believe, and many people can do it with or without a lawyer. A lawyer is not required for a valid will, but many people […]
Last Will and Testament Template
About 74% of Americans lack a last will and testament. However, the last will and testament, is fairly easy to prepare. A last will and testament is a legal document that describes how the estate is to be distributed according to the wishes of the testator and sometimes covers other issues. You […]
Bob’s Journal for 11/5/20
What Are the Basics About Retirement Planning? What are the basics of retirement planning, and do you know them? Most older Americans describe themselves as at least “moderately knowledgeable” about retirement income planning, according to a study recently released by the American College of Financial Services. Yet, when the same people were asked about basic […]
How Do Reverse Mortgages Really Work?
You can’t flip through your TV channels these days without seeing a reverse mortgage advertisement… Which is my so many Retirement Watch Weekly readers are writing in for my take on them. Truth is, a reverse mortgage can be a good idea for some… or a bad idea for others. Today we’ll set the record […]
Bob’s Journal for 10/29/20
We received the first official estimate of the state of the Social Security trust fund, and it is not good news. The trustees of Social Security issue an annual report of the financial condition of Social Security and Medicare. The latest report, issued in April and based on data as of the end of 2019, […]
How Much Stimulus Does the Economy Need?
The big question now is by how much will economic growth decline? The economy had a strong bounce off the bottom in April because of significant stimulus from both the Fed and Congress. The United States probably had the most significant stimulus measures of any economy, and they were put into effect quickly. The stimulus […]
What You Need to Know About the Prescription Coverage Gap
Medicare beneficiaries need to under-stand the prescription drug coverage gap, also known as the “doughnut hole” or “donut hole.”The coverage gap was part of the original Part D prescription drug program, but it has been changed several times since its inception in the 2000s. There were additional changes that took effect in 2019, and it […]
Stop Spending Too Much on Prescription Drugs
Prescription drugs are a major spending item for many retirees, and the cost of prescription drugs is expected to increase faster than other categories of spending, including medical expenses in general.Older Americans tend to spend more on prescriptions, and the annual cost increases each year. Though some of the spending is due to price increases […]
