Retirement

Retirement waits for no one; it’s coming fast for the youngest Baby Boomers and oldest Gen-Xers. The stark reality is that many people are not ready, and studies show that more than half of us wish we’d saved more and had a solid retirement plan. With retirement looming, financial stress is a constant companion for

Earlier this year, a family member had a screening colonoscopy. He’d seen the news stories about the Affordable Care Act mandating no out-of-pocket costs, such as co-pays or a deductible. So if this test is supposed to be “free,” why did he get a bill? This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of people receiving

Medicare Advantage plans are popular. They’re estimated to have enrolled more than half of Medicare beneficiaries for the first time in 2024. But changes are underway. Those enrolled in Advantage plans or considering them need to pay careful attention when evaluating plans in this fall’s open enrollment season. There could be significant modifications to existing

One of the most knowledgeable financial advisors I’ve ever observed had one of the worst communication tendencies one could have in such a role: He constantly interrupted when clients were talking. But it was worse than you think. Although I’m fairly sure it was subconscious, it was almost as though he was gamifying client communication—seeing

The decisions you face as you transition into and through retirement are more complex, with higher stakes, compared to the saving and investing decisions you’ve had to make for retirement throughout your working years. The trouble is, usually you won’t get any “do-overs” with many of your retirement decisions. If you’re like most people, you’ll

This article is for those individuals who are single and have never been married. Most articles written about Social Security claiming strategies address the analysis for a married couple. This is simply because planning for married couples revolves around these 3 criteria: Maximize the high earner Social Security benefit. Coordinate the benefits between the spouses.

Nowadays, you can find many people who call themselves “financial planners” or “retirement advisers.” Unfortunately, there aren’t consistent definitions and professional requirements for these common terms, unlike the situation with professionals such as doctors, dentists, accountants, or lawyers. Another problem is that many people confuse investment advice with retirement planning. While investing can be an

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of the IRS On June 6, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion on a closely held business valuation case that will have significant impact on many family and closely held businesses. Connelly v. United States, U.S., No. 23-146, Opinion 6/6/24. The case addressed the valuation of stock

One of my favorite reads this year has been Michael Easter’s Scarcity Brain. In chapter four, “Why We Crave More,” he describes how we’re hardwired to think that having more—food, money, what have you—makes us safer. To illustrate the point, Michael uses the example of Dr. Leidy Klotz playing Legos with his son. Despite multiple

A new study published in the New York Times demonstrates some startling findings about loss of ability to make money decisions in older people. The study approaches the issue by looking at debt accumulation and reduced credit scores in elders long before being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. The team of economists and