Retirement Watch Weekly
7 Common Estate Planning Mistakes to Overcome
The simplest acts often turn out to cause the most problems for estates. Beneficiary designations and titles to assets are the most likely sources of mistakes and problems. Though estate planners are aware of the common mistakes and the consequences, many people aren’t. Simple, well-intentioned actions and failures to act often result in major problems. […]
A New Flexible, Affordable Long-Term Care Plan
The revolution in planning for long-term care continues. Longtime readers know that traditional stand-alone long-term care insurance (LTCI) policies aren’t the only way to go. Many people don’t like LTCI because of its use-it-or-lose-it nature. If you never file a claim on the LTCI policy, then you and your heirs don’t receive a financial benefit […]
Is a Five-Star Medicare Plan Right for You?
Medicare has a star rating system for Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans. A top rating could benefit both plan members and sponsors. The plans are rated from one to five stars (with half stars awarded) based on a number of measures of quality of care, member experience, and plan administration. Five stars […]
How IRAs Benefit You, Loved Ones, & Charity
There are many ways an IRA can benefit you, your loved ones, and charity. In fact, charitable strategies might leave every-one better off than traditional IRA strategies. These strategies are appropriate for traditional IRAs, not the tax-free Roth IRAs. I’m also not talking about the $100,000 IRA charitable contribution law that has moved in and […]
October 2015
October 30, 2015 04:35 p.m. Your Retirement Finance Week in Review There definitely are divergences in the global economy, with the U.S. separating itself from most of the rest of the globe. Within the U.S. the manufacturing sector is lagging while the rest of the economy is doing well. I expect these divergences to continue, […]
Being Sure Your Will Does What You Want for your Estate Planning
As we roll into the last months of the year, many people take time to update their financial estate planning and put their financial houses in order. Revising or writing a will is an important part of the Estate Planning process. A will can decide who receives your property, on what terms they receive it, […]
Knowing When Community Property Laws Matter
Each state controls how estates within it are transferred and settled. That means there are 50 different estate laws in the U.S. (More when the territories are counted.) There are both major and minor differences between these laws. There really are two very different major systems. One group of states uses community property laws, and […]
Getting Ready for Medicare Decision Time
Many people make the wrong choices for Medicare. They choose the plans that aren’t best for them and consistently pay more out of pocket than they should. That’s been clear from a number of studies over the years. Some advisers conclude that 90% or more of Medicare beneficiaries spend more of their own money than […]
