Retirement Watch Weekly
Boosting Social Security Income
Most people begin taking Social Security retirement benefits at the wrong time. The decision can cost them and their survivors quite a bit of money over their lifetimes. It’s not surprising. Several factors must be considered to make the right choice, and some key elements changed over the years. A majority of people claim Social […]
Playing the New Credit Card Games
Congress passed a couple of laws to save you from being ravaged by credit card issuers and banks. In late 2009 there was the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act to restrict credit card fees and interest rates. In the Fall of 2010 there was the financial reform law. Not surprisingly, banks and credit […]
How to Complete Your Estate Planning Strategy
Most estate plans are woefully incomplete, and heirs and loved ones often suffer. Of course, too many people don’t have any estate plan. Of those that do, some think a living trust or joint title to assets with their spouse is all they need. Others think a will and trust is a complete estate plan. […]
Crisis in Long-Term Care Insurance?
Headlines the last couple of months pointed to serious problems in long-term care insurance (LTCI). The Wall Street Journal blared: “Long-Term-Care Premiums Soar.” This shortly was followed by news that a major player in LTCI, MetLife, was stopping the sale of new policies. The first article detailed sharp proposed premium increases on existing policies by […]
Stretching Retirement Accounts to Last
A major fear of retirees and those nearing retirement is running out of money. You can stretch your retirement funds by planning the order in which to spend your different investment accounts. Paying attention to the drawdown order increases after-tax wealth and makes your money last longer. Most people have more than one type of […]
Dealing with Seniors Preying on Seniors
The silver generation is where the money is. That’s why seniors so often are targets of scams and why one estimate says one of five of those over 65 have been scammed one way or another. What many seniors don’t realize is that a potential scammer is likely to be a contemporary. In more and […]
December 2010
December 29, 2010 11:00 a.m. TCW Strategic Income Fund You might have noticed that yesterday the price of TCW Strategic Income declined substantially and the closing price was below our sell price. I’m recommending that you hold on to the fund if you haven’t sold it yet and consider repurchasing if you sold it. Here’s […]
Building a Retirement Income Stream
Maintaining Retirement income is the top priority of more and more retirees. As retirement nears their investment focus shifts from increasing the value of a portfolio to replacing their income stream. With baby boomers entering their retirement years, interest in managing retirement income is, well, booming. The potential for significant capital gains doesn’t interest investors […]
