Now that the paper chase is over for paper social security statements unless you are 60 and over, its appearing that retirement dreams are vanishing as fast as the old paper statements. It appears that people on Social Security have a real problem for Lent. What more is there to give up? The paper  social [...]

With the tax season getting off to a late start because of the “fiscal cliff” negotiations, there are creative ways to maximize your contribution as a business owner. In 2012, the maximum you could contribute to an eligible SEP IRA was fifty thousand dollars, or twenty-five percent of your salary or employees salary whichever is [...]

Imagine a massive paradigm shift where a saver or investor reviews what an adviser offers along with their regulatory history and makes a call to secure an appointment. The appointment goes well and the financial advisor is hired because of social media.  As Ellen Uzelac points out in this month’s Research Magazine, this is the [...]

The cost of waiting for a higher yield, along with the impact of taxes and time control ,has taxed the patience of many a CD or annuity saver robust Quantitative Easing programs or “easy money” has suppressed rates for nearly 4 years and led to a huge bond market bubble. This bubble that has left [...]

Tax season is back and bringing with it many changes.  As discussed in a recent article by James Haggerty from the Times-Tribune, many workers have already seen some of the changes in their paychecks starting in 2013.  The social security payroll tax holiday ended in 2012 which sends the 4.2% rate back to 6.2%.  Many [...]

Saving for retirement is a challenge.  Saving for retirement has shifted over the years from the responsibility of the employer to the responsibility of the employee.  People are faced with many challenges while trying to save for retirement.       How much do I need to retire? How much do I need to save [...]

When Social Security withholds benefits if your earnings exceed a certain level and if you are under your full retirement age, this is referred to as a retirement earnings test.  It is important to note that the retirement earnings test only applies to people under full retirement age.  Depending on the year an individual reaches [...]