Retirement

The National Council on Aging reports that financial scams targeting older adults are on the rise. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2021, there was a 74% increase in losses to older victims of fraud compared to 2020. Why is this? Con artists and fraudsters tend to go after older adults because they […]

Often when we ask ourselves ‘Have I saved enough for retirement?” we’re really just asking if we can afford to give financial gifts or assistance to our children or grandchildren. The difficult part in answering this question is due to the uncertainty of planning for long-term care. Not to mention, you really don’t know what

We are often asked about “financial literacy.” The phrase refers to the ability to understand and use various financial skills, and is the foundation of your relationship with money. A strong foundation of financial literacy will generally make you less vulnerable to financial fraud, and can help support you in deciding what goals are the

We’ve received some inquiries this past month about a few topics. “What if” you end up having to go into a nursing home? “What if” you’re living in an independent living facility and need to move over to assisted living? Are your financial products going to pay you in a different manner, or will they

Even if you’re able to add up what you spend today, trying to determine what you will need when you retire is difficult because your spending is sure to change. While perhaps you won’t have a mortgage payment anymore, you may be asked to contribute to your grandchildren’s education, or perhaps you will want to

As we’ve seen from the news over this past week, many were caught up in the hurricane, and many did not have insurance that suited their needs. This is the case for many people because a natural tendency when purchasing something that pays money for a future event is to weigh the cost against the

Someone asked us this past week if we would explain what the “Four Percent” rule is and how it came about. The Four Percent rule is based on a study by a financial advisor named William Bengen. His study suggested that one could safely withdraw 4% of their starting portfolio value for 30 years without

There was an interesting article the other day in the Wall Street Journal. The article discussed a recent survey of workers in their 60’s who were asked about their retirement preferences. The author found that the assumptions that are usually embedded in retirement income calculators–for example, good health, not wanting to make a bequest, and

“Money can\’t buy happiness” is an adage that some people live by, and others ignore. According to a recent Purdue study: “income can correlate with emotional well-being and life satisfaction.” But, as a recent GoBankingRates article tells us, the price of happiness differs (apparently) depending on the State you live in. We may have some