Mutual Funds

The Medicare Plan Finder and Open Enrollment in 2020. 65 Incorporated Last fall, just in time for the 2019 Open Enrollment Period, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced the new Medicare Plan Finder. The press releases almost made it sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread. However, once those who help Medicare beneficiaries

Fargo, North Dakota getty It’s election day. Last night, Trump supporters gathered at rallies in Kenosha and Grand Rapids. In my own hometown, Biden supporters gathered near the commuter train station to wave their signs at passing traffic. They’re enthusiastic, that’s for sure. But will their enthusiasm translate into participation in community organizations that require

I spend a lot of time telling people to save for college, and to save as soon as possible. But there are situations where saving for college doesn’t make sense. Recently I received a call from a parent whose son was entering college. They were frantic, “When should I take money out of my 529

By Nancy Collamer, Next Avenue Getty Between Covid-19, record-high unemployment numbers and the collapse of entire industry sectors, 2020 has been a miserable year for older workers. In fact, for the first time in nearly 50 years, older workers face higher unemployment than mid-career workers, according to The New School Retirement Equity Lab. And a

getty The Main Street New Loan Facility Program was established as a part of the CARES Act earlier this year to provide banks with a 95% guaranteed re-payment when they extend credit under this program to a business borrower. In an apparent reaction to the delay in extending new PPP loans the SBA announced on

Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about whether benefits lost to the earnings test can ever be recovered, how soon spousal benefits are available after marriage, the effect of birth date on spousal benefits before retirement benefits and being eligible for more than one benefit at a time. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor

If you’re 55 or over, your retirement may be more uncertain than ever before. Despite that more people than ever are retiring early in the face of an ongoing pandemic, uncertain economy and record low interest rates. 2020 has brought unprecedented change getty A recent report released by the Retirement Equity Lab at The New

A vintage flag of the United States of America for Veteran’s day getty Every Veterans Day, many organizations recognize the service our country’s military members have given our nation. The tradition dates back over 100 years, to the original Armistice Treaty signed at the end of World War I. Armistice Day, as it was originally

By John Endris, Next Avenue getty (Transitioning from someone who creates art to someone who sells his or her art for profit can be difficult. As David Deeds, Schulze Professor of Entrepreneurship at University of St. Thomas, wrote in “To Turn Your Art Into a Business, Learn to Manage Your Time,” you may want to

getty Are you concerned you’ll never be able to retire? You have saved in your 401(k) or company retirement plan and picked up a company matching contribution. As you are getting closer to the end of your career, you wonder, “Will it be enough?” Every individual’s goals and finances are different; some people may have

Could a positive financial trend be emerging as a result of the pandemic? Could it be that women are stepping forward more to lead family financial decisions?  A new study (“The Pandemic’s Impact on Women”) released last week by Fidelity brought this statistic to light: The majority of women surveyed (67%) said they are now

Briana called AgingParents.com in distress. She was feeling panicky and angry. Her 80 year old mother, Rhonda, had just bought another new car she could not afford. Briana explained that her mother’s funds were limited, but she kept insisting on living the life she had before her husband passed. Her parents had depleted their assets

Sanibel Island, Jerry’s Foods, grocery store, breakfast cereal aisle. (Photo by: Jeffrey … [+] Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images I am interviewing Gaurav Sharma, who has launched a new venture to solve an old problem. Gaurav, ever since we started our national experiment with do-it -yourself pensions with

getty Charitable individuals always have a multitude of choices with respect to how to best benefit charities and charitable purposes, while having Uncle Sam subsidize the gift with tax savings. 2020 is the first year in modern tax history that an individual can get a tax deduction for up to 100% of his or her

Cloud storage getty The pandemic has shone a light on the need for families and older individuals to ramp up their game in preparing for the unexpected.  One of the ways we should all be doing that is by locating and reviewing our estate documents and securing them in the safest place possible. Adults of any

Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about what happens if you delay filing for Social Security retirement benefits past 70, whether someone can falsely claim spousal benefits on someone else’s record and when survivor’s benefits can be paid and why they may not be. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston

By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue Managing Editor getty Jeff Gothelf, a Barcelona-based (by way of New Jersey), 47-year-old business consultant, author and public speaker, believes we can make ourselves “forever employable” if we follow his advice. He’s written how to do it in “Forever Employable,” his new book. Frankly, I was skeptical about the title.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker answers questions from the media during his daily press briefing on the … [+] COVID-19 pandemic from his office at the Illinois State Capitol, Friday, May 22, 2020, in Springfield, Ill. (Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP, Pool) ASSOCIATED PRESS It was going on two years ago, back in February

Father and daughter out for a walk getty Health is retirement’s biggest wild card, the difference between activity, independence, and financial security – or worry, constraint, and financial insecurity. Today’s newly minted Boomer retirees can look forward to longer and healthier retirements, perhaps extended by medical breakthroughs. But at the same time, more of them

Biden picking Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo as next Secretary of the Treasury makes as much … [+] sense as picking Dracula to oversee the national blood bank. getty Apparently Joe Biden’s transition team is considering Gina Raimondo, the hugely unpopular governor of Rhode Island as the next Secretary of the Treasury should Biden win.

As 2020 gives way to 2021, here’s what you need to know about tax planning. getty I think we all wish we could have $10 for every time the word ‘unprecedented’ is used in 2020. It’s been a year of incredible upheaval and rapid change. I know I’ve been gobsmacked more times than I care

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 30, 2013: The Charles Schwab office in San Francisco’s Financial … [+] District. The Charles Schwab Corporation is an American brokerage and banking company based in San Francisco, California on September 30, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images) Getty Images The Congressmen who introduced a bill

By Christina Leimer, Next Avenue getty I turned 60 last year, and within months learned that the job I’d hoped would be my last before retirement was being cut. I was angry, afraid, sad, anxious and felt betrayed. My confidence was punctured. But I felt relief too, and an elated sense of freedom and lightness.

We have all seen the heartbreaking stories about people dying in hospitals from Covid-19 without family present. And, we’ve heard about the tragic decisions healthcare workers must make when time and resources are spread thin. Compounding these sad situations is that often the person who can speak for the individual suffering from Covid-19 is not

The burden is on you to stuff your retirement piggy bank. getty How much can you save for retirement in 2021 in tax-advantaged accounts? How does $58,000 sound? The Treasury Department has announced inflation-adjusted figures for retirement account savings for 2021.  The basic salary deferral amount for 401(k) and similar workplace plans remains flat at

It’s smart to think ahead and plan for the time in your life when you might need care. getty Pre-retirees face several potential risks during retirement that require their focused attention and planning, such as outliving their money, stock market crashes, inflation, and the high cost of medical bills. Now the COVID pandemic has exposed

getty Trusts are an essential part of most estate plans, even the plans of people with moderate wealth. You need to know the basics of trusts, especially the key terms and concepts of the most widely-used types of trusts. Keep in mind that some of these trusts are given different names in some regions or

You can’t assume that your bracket will go down in retirement. It could easily go the other way. Give and take getty Among fans of 401(k) plans it is taken as axiomatic that people’s tax rates go down after they quit work. So you should max out your salary deferral. That way you’ll effectively pay

Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about early filing and restricted applications, retroactive spousal benefits, choosing which ex’s record to file on and potential effects of foreign pensions on divorced spousal benefits. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic Security Planning, Inc, which

getty Do you need 500 stocks when only 30 will do? I have written extensively on the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average. They are perhaps the 2 most common answers to the question “what do you consider to be the stock market?” They help put a framework around investing in U.S. stocks. They