Retirement Watch Weekly
Is It a Good Time to Buy a Second Home
In our Feb. 2002 visit I advised, “If a second home interests you, now is a good time to take a serious looking at buying one.” Those who took my advice have done well. Vacation and second home prices were stagnant then because of the economic downturn but doubled in many areas between 2000 and […]
How to Ensure Inflation Protected Lifetime Income with Annuities
As the Baby Boomers age, financial services firms are interested in meeting their needs. One need is for guaranteed lifetime income that replaces old-style defined benefit plans. Another need is for that income to retain its purchasing power over the years. Some investment advisors used to say that owning stocks for the long term met […]
How to Avoid Frequent IRA Mistakes
Mistakes and over-sights by IRA owners prevent their heirs from maximizing the after-tax benefits of the accounts. The source of many problems is the IRA beneficiary form, a document to which most IRA owners devote only a minute or so. This form should be an important element of an estate plan, and some IRA owners […]
Retirement Planning: How Are You Doing?
Financial and retirement planning start with answering the question in the headline. After determining how you are doing, the next step is to define the actions that are needed to either help you do better or at least maintain your current status. Answering the first question is not as easy as many people suppose. Traditionally, […]
The Multi-State Estate Plan
Readers with homes or other property in more than one state should take special care in their estate plans. There are lawyers who advise drafting separate wills and other Estate Planning documents for each state involved. You shouldn’t need to do that much work. The estate plan, however, does need to recognize that multiple states […]
How Annual Family Meetings Help You Leave a Legacy
In the financial and estate planning industry a current rage is The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall, a book that recently was made into a movie. The novel is about a very wealthy man who realized that his wealth could not buy him what really matters. Throughout his life, he attempted to make his loved […]
6 Ways to Cut Prescription Drug Costs
The Part D Medicare Prescription Drug program is doing well after its first year. Surveys show that it is very popular with its beneficiaries. Premiums and other costs to beneficiaries are lower than forecast. Yet there still is room for mature Americans to reduce their prescription drug costs. Retirees who aren’t yet old enough for […]
