Retirement Blindspots Some life and financial factors that can sometimes be overlooked. We all have our “blue sky” visions of the way retirement should be, yet our futures may unfold in ways we do not predict. So, as you think about your “second act,” you may want to consider some life and financial factors that can suddenly arise. You may end up retiring earlier than you expect. If you leave the workforce at “full” retirement age (FRA), which is 67 [...]
Building a Healthy Financial Foundation How many pieces do you have in place? When you read about money matters, you will sometimes see the phrase, “getting your financial house in order.” What exactly does that mean? When your financial “house is in order,” it means it is built on a solid foundation. It means that you have six fundamental “pillars” in place that are either crucial for sustaining your financial well-being or creating wealth. #1: A savings account. This is [...]
2020 IRA Deadlines Are Approaching Here is what you need to know. Financially, many of us associate April with taxes – but we should also associate December with important IRA deadlines. December 31, 2021 is the deadline to take your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from certain individual retirement accounts. April 15, 2021 is the deadline for making annual contributions to a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and certain other retirement accounts.1 Some people may not realize when they can make their [...]
What’s the Buzz with Bitcoin? Look before you leap. Hardly a day goes by that the topic of bitcoin or other cryptocurrency assets doesn’t come up in meetings with clients and prospects or from friends and relatives who want to know, “what all the buzz is about?” The message is the same, regardless of who’s asking. Cryptocurrency is not a currency at all. It’s a speculative asset class that is not appropriate for everyone. Only people with a high-risk tolerance [...]
Managing Drug Costs How can households meet the challenge? Are prescription drug costs burdening your finances? Some people find it a challenge to manage the cost of prescription drugs. Americans pay an average of $1,200 per year for medicine. For those facing greater and more dangerous ailments, some drugs can cost $10,000 per month or even lump sums in excess of $80,000 for certain drug therapies. Yes, health insurance and Medicare Part D can help you, but not everyone has [...]
