Retirement Watch Weekly
Reading the Stats on Long Term Care
There are a lot of misleading and incomplete statistics quoted about long-term care. You need the complete story to estimate your future LTC costs and establish a plan. A frequently-quoted statistic is that 50% to 70% of Americans over 65 will need some LTC. The key word is “some.” LTCI covers care required when a […]
Examining Continuing Care Centers
A few years ago the rage in silver years’ housing was the continuing care community (CCC). Sales were soaring, and new projects were planned or popping up. As with other forms of real estate, the financial crisis damaged the finances of many CCCs and also reduced demand by dragging down the finances of many of […]
Monitoring Converted IRAs
In 2010 a record number of traditional IRAs were converted into Roth IRAs. Financial services firms report a stampede of IRA owners rushed to convert in December. Now, it’s time for the next stage. Those of you who converted shouldn’t completely move on to other matters. You should monitor converted IRAs and re-evaluate whether you […]
Overcoming the Fear of Financial Advice
People need financial advice. People don’t trust financial advisors. That’s the unfortunate conundrum facing most Americans these days. Americans now are responsible for much of their support during their post-career years. Employer-provided pensions and medical expense reimbursements are fading into the past. Even those who retire with those benefits should expect them to be reduced […]
Do You Want a Private Pension Plan
Immediate annuities solve the problem most people say is their biggest fear: outliving their money. Buy an inflation-adjusted immediate annuity and you ensure the lifetime stream of income retains its purchasing power for the rest of your life. Yet, sales of immediate annuities are low among those who are in the age group of likely […]
The Working Retirement
For a long time, the average retirement in the U.S. steadily declined. It started to rise again around 2000, and in recent years many people below retirement age said they planned to work after age 65. The number of people who said they planned to delay retirement rose after the 2000-2002 bear market and rose […]
Protecting Wealth from the Silver Effects
Living to the far side of 50 increases the odds each of us will make financial mistakes, and the odds are much higher than most of us realize. Losses, both from mistakes and being victims of scams, are more likely because of changes in the brain, according to recent scientific research. Fortunately, you can take […]
Still More Changes in the New Tax Law
Congress passed a big tax law in late December 2010. We cover parts in this month’s Estate Watch and IRA Watch, and we reveal other key provisions here. – The big news is the individual income tax rates from 2010 are extended for 2011 and 2012. The tax tables will be indexed for inflation in […]
