Divorce Steps to Know Before the Dance
How do they divide their assets, memories, and life between the two of them in an equitable fashion? Who gets custody of the kids and who pays for what? These are the contentious questions asked during a divorce. It is an unpleasant experience but if it must happen, thankfully, there is a smarter way to proceed for all parties involved.
A Few Words Before You Go; Estate Thinking and Planning
I wanted to talk with you about a topic most people don’t want to discuss, planning for death…more politely known as Estate Planning. It’s a troublesome subject because most of us don’t know when it will happen. But it will happen to all of us, and when it does, you can’t ask the Grim Reaper for ten more minutes while you make quick arrangements.
Cyberattacks Specifically Targeting Seniors
In this post, we will walk through a couple of the key action items seniors can be taking to be safer in a digital world, especially when it comes to your online financial accounts. We are not experts but by working with our technology partners and through resources from Schwab and Fidelity, we have organized these best practices.
Staying Focused During Times of Conflict
When something “big” happens in the global universe, our natural tendency is to ask, “What happens next?” The markets ask the same question and they usually have an adverse initial reaction because the markets don’t like uncertainty. However, the ultimate effect on the marketplace may not be what you might think.
The Long Game
We all know that life can throw the unexpected at us…just look at the past few years for example…who could have predicted? You’ve reviewed your plan dozens of times and see nothing wrong. Then you read an article which stokes your concerns…one that states that 70% of people over age 65 will have some sort of disabling event that will require assistance of 2 months or longer.
Estate Planning Considerations for the New Year
As we welcome a new year, it is a good reminder to review your estate plan to see if it actually reflects your desires and wishes. Here we’ll discuss a few of the common errors we see and some considerations that may not seem as obvious.
Is Inflation the New Paradigm?
The holiday after Turkey Day, Black Friday, is the traditional kickoff to the holiday buying frenzy. Of course, way before the starter’s pistol was fired, we all noticed the increase in prices; not just in the more obscure goods and services, but in everyday wants and needs. It’s like everything is more expensive, and not just a little…but a lot! What gives?
Understanding Inflation
With the rise in prices, we thought a brief primer on inflation was warranted. The simple definition of inflation is the sustained upward movement in the overall price level of goods and services in an economy. The result of inflation is it takes more money to buy the same amount of goods and services than it did in the past.
The Annuity Comeback
On October 6, 2021, BlackRock announced that it would be introducing annuities as a built-in option within BlackRock’s 401(k) plans. I believe that this latest product introduction in defined contribution retirement savings plans is a huge shift in the retirement planning industry and a bellwether for the state of personal retirement savings plans for most Americans.
Are Military Health Benefits Enough?
Many people are already comfortable with their post-retirement healthcare situation and those who spent time in the armed forces may think that their current Veterans Administration (VA) or Tricare For Life (TFL) coverage is adequate. However, limiting your coverage to only the military-sponsored programs may cost you in terms of time, energy and, most importantly, coverage!
Moving Considerations for Military Retirees
So you’re retiring from the military and are moving to your dream home… here are a few tips and things to remember.
Fund Your Trust!
The following article summarizes the conversation with Amar Shah, Founder of Client First Capital, and Alex Rodriguez, Principal Attorney at Rodriguez Law Offices, as they discuss the importance of funding a trust.
Medicare Advantage Versus Medicare Supplement
October 15th is the beginning of the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) for Medicare. But what is Medicare anyway? There is much confusion around the topic, particularly between Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement. Generally speaking, Medicare is our national health insurance program in the United States.
Service-members’ Group Life Insurance
So, I’m leaving the Military. Can I keep my SGLI? You can keep it for 120 days, then the answer is ultimately “No”.
Roth Conversions: When and How to Use Them
Many of you know that I view Roth IRAs as simply the best type of retirement account. However, there are instances where it does not make sense to overfund a Roth IRA. In this post, I want to share the top three reasons I see for clients in retirement to limit the funding of a Roth IRA.
Survivor Benefit Plan
Retired pay for life is one of the great retirement benefits a qualified Military member is entitled to. A percentage of it can also continue as a benefit to your spouse should you predecease him or her. One of the most important factors for a married service member as they consider retirement is whether they wish to provide an annuity to their spouse should they predecease their spouse. This is called the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP).
Should You Use a TOD Designation on Your House?
The following article is a summary of the conversation with Amar Shah, Founder of Client First Capital, and Alex Rodriguez, Principal Attorney at Rodriguez Law Offices, about titling your house and the pros and cons of a TOD (Transfer on Death) designation.
Being Prepared: Planning for Diminished Capacity
This article will walk through the importance of estate planning, setting up a living trust, power of attorney and medical attorney and what key steps to take with your financial advisor to tackle each one. We are also going to provide a brief overview of long-term care insurance and the benefits and considerations.
Beware of Scammers
Especially with the pandemic, scams are on the rise. Very often, senior citizens are targets for fraud and with that in mind it we thought that it would be important to round up the most common retirement scams that you should be on the lookout for.
5 Risk Management Strategies for Protecting (and Growing) your Wealth
This article dives into five ways you can be on the offensive side of managing risk and protecting and growing your wealth in the years to come.