Your identity is priceless. That’s why so many people are hacking, breaching, phishing, and trying to steal your information. The last thing you want is to wake up and find your bank accounts empty, your credit cards maxed out, and/or the police knocking on your door. A highly recommended strategy to foil identity thieves is freezing your credit. Once it’s [...]
Nobody has a crystal ball, but it’s certain that the American landscape is changing and the change is driven by the Millennial generation. Millennials are changing attitudes, workplaces, work ethics, what’s acceptable and what’s not. They’re driven more by technology than relationship. They see things from a different perspective than previous generations. And as Millennials come of age, what does [...]
To say there were some ticked off folks after-tax returns were filed for 2018 is an understatement. Border-to-border and coast-to-coast people who normally don’t have to send the IRS additional money were first shocked, and then angry that the government was demanding more. People who got a smaller-than-usual refund weren’t happy either. The tax reform act was passed in 2017. [...]
How do you know if your financial adviser is acting in your best interest? It’s ashamed that the question even has to be asked—but it does. Are you truly working with a financial adviser, or are you dealing with a financial salesman? In its simplest form, a financial adviser is someone who places your best interest ahead of their own—they [...]
When the Social Security and Medicare Trustees’ Report was released a few weeks ago, the news that the Medicare Part A hospital insurance trust fund is expected to go broke in 2026 obscured other important information in the report. In particular, the report contained preliminary numbers for an increase in Medicare Part B premiums and a slight cost-of-living increase for [...]
It’s shocking to say, but a large percentage of future retirees are woefully misinformed about Social Security—how they claim benefits, when they claim benefits, and how much they’ll receive—just to name a few Social Security topics. Financial author Mary Beth Franklin just reviewed the latest annual survey of people retired and those who will be in the near future and [...]
If you have an IRA then you know that at age 70 ½ the government forces you to begin taking distributions so they can tax money that has, up to now, escaped their clutches. Most people use the Uniform Lifetime Table to figure their Required Minimum Distribution. Find your age, get the life expectancy factor and divide it into the [...]
Can you find happiness without giving up Social Security benefits? Millions of widowed and divorced baby boomers are finding love after loss and looking for guidance on how to update their financial plan to suit their new romantic status. According to financial writer Mary Beth Franklin, the good news is that surviving spouses have more claiming options than other types [...]
Stay In Touch