“Study the rules so that you won’t beat yourself by not knowing something.” – Babe Didrikson Zaharias Have you watched nervously as the the investments in your 401(k) rise and fall amid a volatile market leading into the years you plan to retire? There’s a good chance the value of your home is rising in … Read more
It’s enticing – you’ve built up a nice balance in your health savings account (HSA). Should you tap it for non-medical expenses? No! The thing is, you contribute to an HSA—tied to a high-deductible health insurance plan—on a pre-tax basis. You don’t EVER pay income tax on the money you contribute and withdraw, including any … Read more
In many cases, it can still make sense to delay filing for your social security retirement benefits. The longer you wait, the greater your monthly benefit becomes, which can also mean receiving more money over your lifetime. Keep in mind, you need ten years of work for full benefits and they use your top 40 … Read more
Each payday, we all have a choice on where each dollar will go (after taxes have been ripped out of course), and many smart investors know how this works. For example, utility bills, car payments, mortgage/rent, food, credit card payments, insurance, entertainment all show up to collect a share of that total paycheck. I believe … Read more
I wrote about this issue in 2014, and have updated for 2016 as it continues to be relevant. With 10,000 people in the United States entering full retirement age every day for the next eighteen years, long term care (LTC) is one of the things we should consider as we age. Nobody knows when healthcare … Read more
How much money will you need for retirement? Who hasn’t wrestled with that retirement question? But many people don’t know the answer. Forty-five percent of people just guess how large their nest egg must be, according to the 2013 Employee Benefit Research Institute survey. Yet relying solely on guesswork can be a path to disappointment … Read more