Will the sequestration bring about entitlement reform?  Obama reached out to lawmakers over the weekend regarding exploring options to end the automatic budget cuts that were put in place on Friday as no deal was reached.  As the argument in DC has intensified and agreement seems out of reach, the President is now proposing to [...]

When to elect Social Security is a critical decision for many retirees.  Here are a few Social Security myths that we hear today.   Social Security is going broke – This statement does hold true if the government doesn’t do something about the program to stop it from paying out more benefits than it receives [...]

Many times we see seniors talking about and focusing on the phrase “What’s my number?”  Many believe that focusing on accumulating a fixed dollar amount by a specified date will be sufficient enough to last them thru retirement.  More often than not, we see this plan fail, especially during the economic wave we have seen [...]

Most pre retirees have high hopes for retirement. Almost two-thirds of Americans believe retirement to be many days of traveling, enjoying their favorite hobbies and living the rest of their days with their families. Facts say that most retirees will fall short of the income needed to enjoy this comfy lifestyle in retirement.   Actually [...]

Seniors have been getting warned for months and the time has come.  March 1 was the official launch date to the end of paper Social Security checks.  Many receiving paper checks will need to sign up to receive the benefits via direct deposit into a checking or savings account.  If one doesn’t have a bank [...]

With your house paid off and your kids no longer living under that same roof, you are limited in the deductions you can take from your income in retirement.  It’s important to understand how your retirement income is taxed in the state you live in so you can make your retirement savings go farther.   [...]

An indexed annuity is a great retirement tool for someone looking to protect their downside, but participate partially in any market upside.  An indexed annuity is an annuity which is linked to one of the market indexes.   The pros to an indexed annuity are that you may participate partially in market upside.  This is [...]

Search online for “Retirement Planning Software” or “Retirement Calculator” and you will find thousands of results.  Almost every advisor uses planning tools of some kind to assist them in developing your retirement planning strategy.  Every financial and insurance company offers much of the same programs on their sites.  These tools are vital to calculating some [...]

Everything seems to be going digital these days, even the Social Security Administration is. Social Security statements can now be viewed online because the Social Security Administration has decided to stop mailing paper statement in the attempt to cut down on costs.   You can now view everything online that you need to help you [...]

Did you know that only 38% of couples plan for retirement together?  It’s not that people don’t have a picture of how they want their retirement to look.  It’s just that they are not sharing this with their significant others.  Since this is something that will impact both spouses, it is extremely important that both [...]