What Is Financial Health? Financial health is a term used to describe the state of one's personal monetary affairs. There are many dimensions to financial health, including the amount of savings you have, how much you’re putting away for retirement, and how much of...

Few are prepared as financial decision-making grows more complex Many consumers have little understanding of finances, how credit works, and the potential hit to financial well-being that poor financial decisions can create for many, many years. In fact, a lack of...

What to do now, as the pandemic surges yet again in the U.S. COVID-19 is once again raging throughout the U.S., and in much of the world it has never stopped doing so. Safe and highly effective vaccines are available, but not everywhere, and even where they are, not...

KEY POINTS The Covid-19 pandemic has hurt some Americans’ confidence that they can meet their retirement goal date on time. Among those feeling the most negative effects are women and pre-retirees. Even so, many Americans say the pandemic was a financial wake-up call...

Studying behavioral economics has taught me that our brains don’t make it easier for us to save. Psychology is often just as important in personal finance as are the numbers — the way we save, spend and invest are all influenced by the way we think and feel,...

If you earn money from the sale of a capital asset — your home, part of a business, stocks, or bonds, for example — that profit may be subject to capital gains tax. There are two categories of capital gains: short term (assets held for a year or less) and long term...

Most people over 65 will eventually need some form of paid care. Here are some ways to plan ahead. Many people are frightened of long-term care costs — for good reason. Most people over 65 eventually will need help with daily living tasks, such as bathing, eating or...

If you want to retire in the next 10 years, lower your spending and increase your income. Paying off debt can give you more money to save and invest, and free up your budget later. Increasing your income with a raise or side hustle could give you more money to save....

More people are retiring with less savings than they need to be comfortable. Much less. According to Northwestern Mutual, 21% of Americans have no retirement savings at all. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says around 29% of households age 55 and older have...

Going from saver to spender is mostly a matter of psychology It's Time to Wind Down You've done all the right things—financially speaking, at least—in saving for retirement. You started saving early to take advantage of the power of compounding, maxed out your 401(k)...

No matter what stage of life you’re in, one thing will always remain the same: You’re never too young — or too old — to save money. Using your age can be a helpful way to calculate your potential savings and estimate how much money you should save for various life...

If you want to retire in 10 years, it might be possible. But it'll require some work. Getting your finances in order now can help you meet your goal later. While everyone has a different budget and circumstances, it might be possible to retire comfortably sooner than...

More people are retiring with less savings than they need to be comfortable. Much less. According to Northwestern Mutual, 21% of Americans have no retirement savings at all. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says around 29% of households age 55 and older have...

Annuities are contracts issued and distributed (or sold) by financial institutions where the funds are invested with the goal of paying out a fixed income stream later on. They are mainly used for retirement purposes and help individuals address the risk of outliving...

IDENTIFY RETIREMENT STRATEGIES TO PUT IN PLACE NOW—LIKE ANNUITIES— TO LIVE RETIREMENT ON YOUR TERMS. As the pandemic thankfully wanes, we are starting to see its impact and long-term repercussions on retirement planning and security. One thing that hasn’t changed is...

YOU MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR with annuities, but they have a rich history dating back to Ancient Rome. In fact, millions of Americans currently use annuities to help their retirement savings grow and to create protected income that can help cover essential expenses and...

Workers want to retire at 55, but are they positioned to successfully do so? The category of “pre-retirees” is being redefined as more than one-third of workers younger than 54 saying they aspire to retire by age 55. In 2020, more consumers (39 percent)...

Like previous pandemics, COVID-19 has touched off profound changes for our societies, economies, workforces, and overall life models, not least of which are people’s shifting expectations for later-life work, purpose, health, and finances. Bank of America’s Lorna...

Retirement planning is a multistep process that evolves over time. To have a comfortable, secure—and fun—retirement, you need to build the financial cushion that will fund it all. The fun part is why it makes sense to pay attention to the serious and perhaps boring...

Like previous pandemics, COVID-19 has touched off profound changes for our societies, economies, workforces, and overall life models, not least of which are people’s shifting expectations for later-life work, purpose, health, and finances. Bank of America’s Lorna...

How to Retire in 2021 When you are ready to retire, there are certain basic things you should do before you leave the comfort and security of your old job. You need to make final adjustments to your financial plan and make important decisions about Social Security and...

New rules for savers, beneficiaries and taxpayers Most people will miss 2020 about as much as they miss mosquito season. For many retirees and retirement savers, the year had a few benefits, such as some COVID-19 relief measures. Even without those, however, most of...

The pandemic may have hit your wallet hard. Here are some lessons we can learn from this unprecedented time. he reverberations of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been a wake-up call for many of us as we scratch our heads over our finances: Are our wallets in...

Pandemic-related job losses forced many older Americans out of the workplace in the past year, perhaps permanently. But the COVID-19 crisis also seems to have delayed some retirements. Remote work eliminated commutes and often allowed more flexible schedules with...

For many Americans, retirement may look different in 2021 than it has in years past. The severe economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic could push many people to consider retiring early, with less saved than they may need. Whether or not your retirement plans are...

The 401(k) has become the go-to retirement plan for many Americans and continues to gain traction. The flexibility, tax savings and scale of 401(k) plans have made it attractive to employers and employees alike. But A 401(k) plan doesn’t need to be just for large...

The Covid-19 recession, like all recessions, threatens the wealth and retirement security of millions of workers. Job loss prompts people to stop saving, raid their nest eggs or go into debt by falling behind on their rent and mortgage payments. Most workers nearing...

You now have an extra month to lower your tax bill with contributions to your individual retirement account (IRA). Just like last year, the IRS has extended the 2020 tax filing deadline to May 17, allowing Americans an extra month to make IRA contributions that can...

A year has come and gone since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States in March 2020, upending all of our lives. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost their lives, millions have lost their jobs and practically every kid (and parent) in...

See how the benefits of a fixed index annuity work together to keep retirement income planning on track. We look at six top fixed index annuity benefits: principal protection, tax deferral, growth opportunities, liquidity, guaranteed income and beneficiary payments....

Figuring out if you can retire securely can sometimes feel like the most complicated math problem ever.  Just figuring out which retirement number to worry about can be perplexing.  And then there is the further complication of knowing how they all fit together. Here...

his story is part of a series in support of America Saves Week 2021. Since 2007, this initiative has provided a call to action for U.S. consumers to save intentionally. Today’s theme is: Save to Retire. Once you reach a certain age, nearly every dinner party you...

These changes in Social Security taxes and benefits take effect Jan. 1 Every October, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announces its annual changes to the Social Security program for the coming year. Here are the Social Security changes that were announced in...

CORONAVIRUS Reactions to COVID-19 and the impact on consumer confidence is prompting many consumers to reassess their retirement and financial plans. A majority of today’s workers and retirees range from feeling cautious to pessimistic about the economic outlook for...

FERS INFORMATION Eligibility is determined by your age and number of years of creditable service.  In some cases, you must have reached the Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) to receive retirement benefits.  Use the following chart to figure your Minimum Retirement Age....

Your Social Security benefit may be taxable. Try these strategies to reduce your tax bill in retirement. MOST WORKERS PAY INTO the Social Security program throughout their career. Many people also pay taxes on part of their Social Security payments in retirement....

Why you should look for other solutions first More than 4 of 10 jobs lost during the pandemic may never come back, the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago predicts. That grim statistic means many pre-retirees may not find work again....

The author offers an introduction to how annuities can help. For investors, the last twenty years have been something of a roller coaster. The dot-com bubble, 9/11, the financial crisis, and now the recession associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have roiled stock...

For many Americans, retirement may look different in 2021 than it has in years past. The severe economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic could push many people to consider retiring early, with less saved than they may need. Whether or not your retirement plans are...

Considering annuities, insurance, new investments and delaying Social Security? With all the changes 2020 brought and a new year around the corner, it may be time to revisit traditional approaches to retirement planning. The pandemic and near-zero interest rates...

It's a pivotal age for retirement planning — even if you aren't ready to retire yet Gone are the days when most people retired at 65, received a gold watch, then lived off their pension and full Social Security benefits. But 65 is still an important age financially...

Over the last year, both before and after the current pandemic, there have been multiple law changes that have impacted retirement plans and retirement benefits. There have been many articles and constant commentary on these changes, but as we reach the end of 2020,...

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended just about everything this year, including retirement planning. Enough new rules governing Individual Retirement Accounts and workplace 401(k) plans were introduced that a year-end review is in order. Congress enacted many of these...

Should US retirees delay claiming Social Security until age 70, even if they have to spend savings until then? The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College proposes that strategy as a default option in retirement plans. What do Social Security benefits and...

Fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) address many basic retirement concerns: protection of hard-earned dollars, tax-deferred growth, balance, and lifetime income. Get some peace of mind — no matter what happens in the market. Consider these five key benefits: Guaranteed...

And one other reason to keep working Being ready to retire means more than being ready to stop waking up at 6:00 a.m. to put in long hours at a job you're not thrilled about. If it were that simple, most of us would retire at 25. What it really takes to retire is a...

Durable power of attorney is one of the most important and useful documents you will ever sign. It is also one of the most dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. Your will controls what happens to your money after your death. But the power of attorney can...

It’s a way to hedge against uncertainty The COVID-19 pandemic is making many Americans — whether they’re approaching retirement age or just starting out in their career — anxious about their finances, and retirement savings and plans. As a result, people are...

Millions of Americans expect their efforts to save for retirement to be derailed, perhaps permanently, by the coronavirus pandemic. That’s the main takeaway from several surveys released in October that begin to create a snapshot of the retirement landscape in the...

Don’t let the pandemic derail your plans for retirement These days, older workers and retirees are understandably concerned that their retirement plans will be disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn. There are concerns that pre-retirees...

Workplaces have grown steadily less friendly to older employees, and the pandemic has pushed more of these workers from the labor market. Joey Himelfarb estimates that in his 25 years in sales, hawking everything from Hewlett-Packard computers to cars and swimming...

Motivating people to save for retirement isn’t easy. Fraught decisions around when to start a nest egg, how much to set aside, and where to invest can be so overwhelming that inertia often sets in. Increasingly, economists who study this paralysis have shown that...

The world has been in a panic since the outbreak of coronavirus, causing almost unprecedented market volatility. Some have been quick to compare this to the credit crisis of 2008 that lasted five years. Depending on the duration of the health crisis, I foresee it more...

The old line about retirement goes something like: “My problem is not that I have too little money left at the end of the month, it’s that I have too much month left at the end of the money.” For many people, though, the real issue could be having too little money for...

Section 2202 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), enacted on March 27, 2020, provides for special distribution options and rollover rules for retirement plans and IRAs and expands permissible loans from certain retirement plans. Q1....

As the Coronavirus has spread in communities around the country, Americans are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of the virus on jobs, the economy and their own financial security – but most importantly about the health and safety of their loved ones....