Jim Sloan & Associates, LLC

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Financial Health

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...

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Why Financial Literacy Is So Important

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...

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Should COVID-19 Change Your Retirement Strategy?

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...

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What Will Long-Term Care Cost You?

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...

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4 ways to save enough now to retire in 10 years

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....

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27 Tips for Saving Money After Retirement

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...

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When It’s Time to Stop Saving for Retirement

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)...

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When It’s Time to Stop Saving for Retirement

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)...

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4 ways to save enough now to retire in 10 years

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...

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27 Tips for Saving Money After Retirement

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...

read more

What Is an Annuity?

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...

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HOME SWEET HOME – AMERICANS WANT TO AGE IN PLACE

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...

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HOW AN ANNUITY WORKS

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...

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Trend: More Americans now want to retire early

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)...

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How to Retire in 2021

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...

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What Every Retirement Saver Needs to Know About 2021

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...

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Financial lessons learned from COVID-19

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...

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How the pandemic has shaken up retirement

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...

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Top 10 Retirement Tips For 2021

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...

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The How-Tos And Benefits Of A Minor Participating In 401(k)s

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...

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Covid-19 Is Most Certainly A Retirement Story

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...

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Benefits of Fixed Index Annuities

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....

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16 Retirement Numbers You Need to Know for a Secure Future

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...

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Times Have Changed: How To Save For Retirement Today

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...

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6 Social Security Changes for 2021

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...

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How COVID-19 is Affecting 2021 Retirement Planning

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...

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Retirement Services

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....

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How to Minimize Social Security Taxes

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....

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Equity Growth and Asset Protection

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...

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Top 10 Retirement Tips For 2021

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...

read more

How retirement planning needs to change in the new year

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...

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5 Things You Need to Know About Finances When Turning 65

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...

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2020 Year End Review of Recent Retirement Plan Changes

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,...

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Marshmallows and Social Security

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...

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Benefits of Fixed Indexed Annuities

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...

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9 Signs You Are Not Financially OK to Retire

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...

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5 retirement planning mistakes to avoid during COVID-19

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...

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When Retirement Comes Too Early

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...

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How a simple nudge can motivate workers to save for retirement

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...

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How COVID-19 may impact your retirement planning

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...

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In Danger of Living Too Long? Welcome to “Longevity Risk”

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...

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COVID-19 and retirement: Impact and policy responses

COVID-19 has shaken America and the world, causing widespread social and economic upheaval. The most obvious and distressing cost is the tens of thousands of lives lost to the pandemic, but attendant costs range from shuttered businesses to an unprecedented hole in...

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Lock It In

Using Annuities to Cover Basic Living Expenses for Life The names and numbers may vary but the situation is all too common. Approaching retirement at age 65, John and Jill Smith realized their monthly income from Social Security and pensions total $700 less than their...

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Time Claims to Maximize Social Security Benefits

Know your full retirement age, coordinate the timing of benefit claims with your spouse, and weigh the advantages of delaying your Social Security benefits. Social Security benefits have long been a critical part of Americans’ retirement income plans. After all, the...

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Older Adults Can Jumpstart the Covid-19 Economic Recovery

Even in light of an all-consuming pandemic, there are some mega-trends that continue their powerful and profound impact on global society. One such trend is global aging, which has led to a reimagining and a reframing of the relationship between age and health,...

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How To Maintain Financial Health During COVID-19

With COVID-19 making headlines around the world, it’s normal to feel uncertain about many aspects of life right now, including your finances. Even if you don’t catch COVID-19, you could be financially impacted by the fallout. Throughout this tumultuous period, your...

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My Retirement Plan Is You

Americans without retirement savings are increasingly moving in with their millennial children. Sian-Pierre Regis, 35, is used to living with roommates. For the past 10 years, he has split the rent on his apartment in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan with two (in...

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5 easy ways to manage your money during COVID-19 pandemic

Right now, spending habits are changing, for better or worse. With unemployment at an all-time high and many people working from home, your budget could be totally different from usual. You may be tight on money or have a little extra cash in your pocket. Regardless...

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A Devastating Jobs Report For Older Workers

“Jobs Friday” is usually a nerdy day for financial types and economists only. But everyone was watching the most recent jobs report. I had a big drink and told my family to remember May 8. For labor economists, it will be a day to remember. For the first time, even...

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Weekly Market Commentary

May 4th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Can April's Rally Continue, or is More Economic Disruption on the Horizon? Equity markets finished off April with the biggest monthly gain since 1974. The huge rally followed an even bigger decline in March. Face-ripping...

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3 Ways COVID-19 May Hurt Your Retirement

Here's how the ongoing crisis could wreck your long-term plans -- and what you can do to prevent that from happening. COVID-19 has turned the U.S. economy on its head, battering the stock market and forcing millions of workers into unemployment. But while the crisis...

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Here’s Why COVID-19 Is Your Retirement Fire Drill

Dick has worked as a hospital administrator for 30-plus years. He was planning to retire in a few months. COVID-19 just delayed his plans for many months, or perhaps for years. Reflecting on what the market decline has done to his retirement savings, he conceals his...

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Here’s Why COVID-19 Is Your Retirement Fire Drill

Dick has worked as a hospital administrator for 30-plus years. He was planning to retire in a few months. COVID-19 just delayed his plans for many months, or perhaps for years. Reflecting on what the market decline has done to his retirement savings, he conceals his...

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Safety vs. Probability: Planning For Retirement

As we progress through life, we find there are certain things we can control and others we cannot. However, even with the things we can’t control, we can exercise good judgement based on facts, due diligence, historical patterns and a risk/reward calculation. These...

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7 Smart Money Moves for 2020

New federal legislation made sweeping changes in retirement plans. Here's what you need to know. The new year has brought a number of changes in financial rules affecting consumers. Many of them are in new federal legislation called the Secure Act, which mostly...

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Is retirement good for health or bad for it?

For many people, retirement is a key reward for decades of daily work—a time to relax, explore, and have fun unburdened by the daily grind. For others, though, retirement is a frustrating period marked by declining health and increasing limitations. For years,...

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Fixed vs. Fixed Indexed Annuities: What’s the Difference?

Among the various kinds of annuities, which are contracts you sign with an insurance company to pay a premium for guaranteed income later, two of the most common are fixed and fixed indexed annuities. The former offers a fixed rate of return; the latter ties your rate...

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