Congress recently began to phase out file-and-suspend Social Security claiming strategies that married couples have used to maximize their lifetime benefits. The upshot is that married couples will be treated like singles: the combination claiming strategies are now generally eliminated. But if you are at least 62 in 2015 and you haven’t claimed Social Security […]
You may be wondering what to do in a stock market sell-off (a “correction”). Domestic and international stocks have been down sharply since last Monday, August 17th. As of the market close on Tuesday, August 25th, the S&P 500, which tracks 500 of the largest US companies, was down 11.1% in six trading days, while […]
Here are seven tips to help you purchase a long-term care insurance policy that fits in your retirement plan. Long-term care insurance has many moving parts and features, but basically you are buying a daily dollar amount that pays for care in different settings for a certain amount of time. The more the policy pays for […]
One of the toughest decisions to make concerning your retirement is how to deal with long-term care should you or your spouse need it. Long-term care is generally synonymous with custodial care that is received in a nursing home, assisted living community, or at your home. Long-term care is required when you need help with two […]
Are you thinking of retiring and trying to figure out how to maximize your Social Security benefits over your lifetime? Glance through these five tips and you’ll be in a better position to understand how you can claim the biggest lifetime benefit based on your (and your spouse’s) work history. For a bit of history, […]
Are you thinking of leaving your job soon but unsure whether you are retirement ready? Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to a financially secure retirement. But before the financial tips, the most important part of retirement is how you spend your time now that it is not structured as when you were […]
What is the best way to match asset classes in your taxable and tax-deferred investment accounts? For example, should you put your actively managed stock funds in your taxable brokerage account or in your Roth IRA? Follow these handy rules to avoid adversely altering your portfolio’s overall risk and return profile as well as unnecessarily […]
It is time to construct a diversified portfolio once you have decided the percentage of your portfolio that will be invested in stocks. But what is the best way to decide which funds to choose among the myriad of stock mutual funds and exchange traded funds available? The approach I outline below can be used […]
On February 24, 2015, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could alter the selection of mutual funds in your employer’s 401k plan for the better. At issue is whether a claim is barred by ERISA’s statute of limitations against an employer plan sponsor that allegedly breached its fiduciary duty of prudence […]
I often ask my clients two questions to help them obtain a low-cost stock investment strategy: What level of return are you seeking and how much should you pay to buy that asset? Of course, these two questions come after you have decided on your investment horizon (https://www.financialadvisorforyou.com/how-should-i-invest-my-money/) and risk tolerance (https://www.financialadvisorforyou.com/2-reference-points-can-help-you-assess-your-risk-tolerance/). The short answer […]
