In June 2012, the city of Stockton, CA filed for bankruptcy. One result is that current retirees will see their pension plan payments reduced. Cutting current retiree benefits used to be unthinkable! But in today’s economy, government employers—just like private … Continue reading
There is a lot of focus on how we Americans can save money, especially in this economy. Clip coupons for the grocery store, pay off a credit card balance every month to avoid finance charges, brown bag your lunch, make … Continue reading
A recent survey of 100 centenarians (folks who are age 100 or older) revealed five keys to a long, healthy and happy life. Those five items included: exercise, laughter, spiritual activity (such as worship or prayer), social connections (with family … Continue reading
A 2012 study from the consulting firm Aon Hewitt shows mixed news for 401k retirement plan participants. On the plus side, the average retirement saver puts away a little over 7% through their employer’s retirement plan. While that’s a decent … Continue reading
Here’s a short parody of the “romantic dinner” ad by AT&T where the guy is trying to clandestinely split his focus between his date and his 4G phone. I’ve attempted to humorously adapt it to fit certain financial types who … Continue reading
First, my apologies to Shakespeare. But modifying one of his famous lines seems oh so appropriate given all the media hype over the stock market swoons here and abroad this summer. Will Greece will pull out of the Eurozone? Will … Continue reading
A tongue-in-cheek parody of those “get rid of cable” commercials but with Social Security as the subject. In all seriousness, there are some real downsides to starting Social Security benefits as early as age 62, especially if you are married.
Okay, boosting your retirement income by 33-75% is rather a grandiose claim to make. Can it really be done, in a safe way? The answer is yes, and the vehicle is Social Security. When it comes time to claiming Social … Continue reading
A study sponsored by the Social Security Administration earlier this year indicated that married couples are about twice as likely to save for retirement as singles (male or female). But a recently-released survey by the American Institute for CPAs … Continue reading
