Retirement Newsletter – September 2021 September 20, 2021 Possible changes for catch-up contributions. Since 2002, Americans aged 50 and older have been permitted to make annual “catch-up” contributions to popular retirement accounts – but according to Vanguard’s 2021 How America Saves report, just 15% of retirement savers do. One factor may be the limits on these contributions. Many pre-retirees who are old enough [...]
Retirement Newsletter – August 2021 September 20, 2021 Can having three good friends promote a happy retirement? We can reasonably say that the more money you retire with, the more potential you have to enjoy retirement. Now, what about friendship? If you maintain some strong friendships and an active social circle after age 60, can that make a big difference in the quality [...]
Retirement Newsletter – July 2021 July 20, 2021 Is financial health a factor in your overall health? Data from a newly released Harris Poll of more than 1,000 U.S. Workers suggests that a majority of pre-retirees might answer “Yes” to that question. Sixty-six percent of respondents to the poll identified their financial health as a component of their overall well-being. In fact, financial [...]
Retirement Newsletter – June 2021 June 16, 2021 Could a Second Secure Act Tweak Retirement Rules? When the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act became law in 2019, it altered retirement plan contribution and distribution rules. There may be an encore. The Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021, nicknamed SECURE Act 2.0, has bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, and [...]
Retirement Newsletter – May 2021 May 17, 2021 Pandemic economy or not, some are aspiring to retire early. A new study from hearts and wallets, a research firm founded in 2010 to study American retirement saving and investing trends, hints that the dream of retiring in late middle age is alive and well, although perhaps in need of a reality check. [...]
Retirement Newsletter – April 2021 April 19, 2021 Are your federal income taxes due in may? Maybe, maybe not. In March, the Internal Revenue Service announced that it was pushing the deadline for 2020 federal tax returns ahead to Monday, May 17. This extended due date does not apply to all individual taxpayers, though. For example, if you live in Texas, Oklahoma, or [...]
Retirement Newsletter – March 2021 March 15, 2021 Need cash? Avoid tapping your retirement account. Imagine if your 35-year-old self magically appeared in front of you one day and asked for a percentage of your retirement savings or a bit of your retirement income. While this would never happen, something financially analogous happens in the lives of too many people. They withdraw assets [...]
Retirement Newsletter – February 2021 February 15, 2021 Evaluating an opportunity for an early retirement. The pandemic has hastened the retirement of some baby boomers, and the linked furloughs and layoffs in many industries have led others to wonder if a retirement transition might come sooner than they think. Buyouts became common last year as businesses cut costs. What if you receive one [...]
Retirement Newsletter – January 2021 January 20, 2021 To retire, or not to retire? For some of us, the coronavirus pandemic has complicated the question. As yahoo! Finance reports, a harris poll study conducted this past summer found that 25% of gen xers and 14% of baby boomers think they will retire later than they planned, because of the pandemic’s financial impact on [...]
Retirement Newsletter – December 2020 December 28, 2020 This year, there is more incentive to give. When the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act became law in March, it broadened charitable tax deduction opportunities. These special 2020 tax provisions are worth reviewing before they expire on December 31, 2020. [...]