Retirement Watch Weekly
Why Not to Use a Single Piece of Data
Investors recently were given another good reason why not to rely on one piece of data to make decisions. For years, we’ve been told that Americans weren’t saving enough money and that the savings rate was declining, even after incomes and asset prices recovered from the financial crisis. As it turns out, that was all […]
Finding Lost Retirement Money
This article discusses the problem of people who lost track of 401(k) accounts and other retirement benefits. It explains how big the problem is and gives some advice on how to find if you are owed any money from a former employer. If you don’t have any luck finding your 401(k) with your former employer […]
Downsizing vs. Aging In Place
This article does a good job of explaining the issues and the dilemma faced by many older Americans as they decide where to live the rest of their lives. It uses anecdotes to show how many people’s plans are thwarted by some practical realities. Carrying mortgage debt may offer one explanation as to why many […]
State Taxes And Migration of Retirees to Low Tax States
Are people leaving high-tax states for low-tax states and will tax reform affect decisions? This paper argues that through 2016 there was a substantial movement of people from high-tax states to lower-tax states and argues that’s likely to continue and perhaps accelerate after tax reform. Interstate migration flows are influenced by many factors, including retirement, […]
7 Tax Mistakes Many Retirees and Pre-retirees Will Make This Year: How to Save Thousands of Dollars by Avoiding Them
In my new Retirement Watch Spotlight Series, I’ll share my newest breakthrough strategies for protecting your assets and growing your portfolio, including how to prepare for the next market downturn. Click here now to learn more. […]
The New Rules of Social Security [Retirement Watch Fact Check]
Almost everyone has a Social Security number, and is eligible for Social Security benefits (starting at age 62). Yet, survey after survey indicates people know little about the program and its benefits. Moreover, a lot of what people think they know is wrong. Let’s take a look at some of the key misunderstandings and oversights […]
The Long Lasting Benefits Of Retirement
Two researchers at Clemson University, where I spent my undergraduate years, concluded that retirement brings long-term happiness and better health to most people. There are exceptions of course, but their studies found that most people benefit from retiring, and the benefits last. “Unlike happiness, improvements in health are realized over time. Because health typically changes […]
Bob’s Journal
Investors soon will be reminded that index investing isn’t the same as passive investing. Standard & Poor’s and MSCI, the leading constructors of market indexes, will be overhauling their indexes. This isn’t the typical periodic change in which they move a few stocks in and out of the indexes. Instead, the firms are overhauling the […]
