Retirement Watch Weekly
Phone-Based Scams Directed at Seniors Soaring
Telephone scams targeting seniors are soaring, largely because technology makes the scams easier and cheaper to operate. The scams mostly are variations of the classics. The technology, however, allows crooks to be more prolific and make the scams appear more legitimate. Two types of technology have become cheaper and more readily available to crooks. Voice-over-Internet-Protocol […]
Saving Money in the Changing Auto Market
Transportation is one of the largest expenses for most seniors, as I pointed out in our May 2016 issue. Major changes are underway in the U.S. auto market. Consumers who know about them and adopt the right strategies will reduce their transportation costs. Others will be caught in the sea change and increase the percentage […]
Taxing Social Security Benefits
I call them the stealth taxes because people often don’t know about the taxes before getting bitten by them. One of the stealthiest taxes for retirees is the income tax on Social Security retirement benefits. Some aren’t aware of the tax when they retire. Others are exempt from the tax when they retire and don’t […]
Avoiding the Major Rollover Mistakes
Retirement plan rollovers are in the news. Specifically, rollovers of 401(k)s and other qualified retirement plan accounts to individual retirement accounts (IRAs) have been making headlines. Last month we addressed the new fiduciary standard the Department of Labor imposed on those who work with IRAs. The rules were generated because the government disapproves of the […]
7 Missing Estate Planning Mistakes You Must Identify
Your estate plan is likely to have gaps. Most people, especially those with at least modest wealth, have engaged in some Estate Planning. But few people have complete plans, even many people who think their plans are complete. There are plenty of anecdotes to support the statement, but there also is concrete evidence. I regularly […]
Preparing for a Likely Turn in the Markets, Economy
Investors are facing another surprise. This will be the opposite of the surprise many experienced in early 2016. You remember that in 2015 and as we rolled into 2016, most investors were expecting steady increases in U.S. interest rates, rising inflation and a growing economy. All of that was priced into the markets. Instead, economic […]
Re-Evaluating the Traditional Investment Portfolio
I’ve long argued that buy-and-hold investors should avoid the traditional portfolio, which is 60% stocks and 40% bonds. Here’s an article making the same argument but using different reasoning. He says investors can’t expect anything like the returns the traditional portfolio’s delivered over the last 30 years. They need to look elsewhere for decent returns. […]
Lessons in Financial Literacy for Teens
Here’s a good list of five concepts that teens should know by the time they graduate from high school. Unfortunately, in most states you aren’t going to learn anything like this in school. Most teachers aren’t even qualified to teach the topics. That’s why financial illiteracy is so widespread and people have such a hard […]
