Retirement

Most economists who had to describe healthy, stable growth would end up largely describing today’s GDP numbers. The economy expanded at an annual inflation-adjusted rate of 2.8% in the third quarter of 2024, after expanding at 3.0% in the previous quarter. Outside of volatile inventory build ups, economic growth actually accelerated. Income growth from continued

For decades, the desperate need for government to help support middle-income frail older adults, younger people with disabilities, and their family members has been clear. Until now, lawmakers largely have done nothing about it. But that finally may be changing. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for President, has proposed an ambitious expansion of

Daughter of elderly mother (EM) called in a bit of a panic. She had just found out that her 80 year old mother, living alone in another state, had been giving thousands and thousands of dollars to a campaign. This was done with recurring donations she had unwittingly signed up for on her cell phone.

When’s the last time you made a friend? Not just someone you see at work, or someone who is an acquaintance – a real friend. Someone you can call on and confide in, and who has your best interest at heart, and who can lean on you as well. In a previous article, I described

If you asked 100 people what the purpose of financial planning is, the reflexive answer of the majority would likely be to have more money. And this underlying belief, spoken or not, is likely why financial planning so often results in under-implemented plans and satisfaction levels that score just marginally above “meh” on a scale

There are significant tax-reduction opportunities available when employer stock is held in a 401(k) plan. The opportunities are more significant now, as are the potential consequences of a suboptimal decision, because prices of many stocks increased significantly in recent years. Yet, many people diminish their benefits by rushing their decisions. The key tax break is

The whole point of retirement is to improve your life—at least, that’s the case for most people. However, many people assume that if they stop working, their life will somehow magically be better. While not working does give you time and energy to pursue your goals and interests, you’ll need to do more work to

Most people at or near retirement age will say they want to remain at home as long as possible. That means not going to a care home of any kind “with all those old people”. It sounds fine when one is 65 or so and in reasonably good health. But of course, aging takes its

The IRS is filling gaps, fixing glitches and answering questions about the SECURE Act and SECURE Act 2.0, and about required minimum distributions (RMDs) in general. Most of the discussions about the laws focus on the end of the Stretch IRA, the 10-year rule, and related issues. But a lot more ground is covered in

Given recent trends in longevity, there’s a good chance you could be retired for 20 to 30 years, which might mean you’ll be retired for a third of your life—or more! You’ll want to plan ahead and take steps to help yourself be financially secure, healthy, and happy for the rest of your life. This