mbeals

1/14/2014 - Are You Thinking About End-of-Life Care? You Should Be. (Huffington Post)

Most working Americans are aware of the benefits of saving money with a 401k or IRA so that they are prepared for retirement. They might not have the greatest understanding about how to invest the money in those funds, but they know that they really can’t consider retiring without one. A Living Will, on the… Read more 1/14/2014 - Are You Thinking About End-of-Life Care? You Should Be. (Huffington Post)

1/8/2014 - Four Questions To Ask About 401(k) To IRA Rollovers (Forbes)

Let’s say you are either switching companies or ready to retire. Should you roll over your 401(k) into an individual retirement account (IRA)? The natural answer is to roll over into an IRA. But IRA rollovers can put you in a worse retirement savings account than your 401(k). Here are key questions to ask: Read… Read more 1/8/2014 - Four Questions To Ask About 401(k) To IRA Rollovers (Forbes)

1/7/2014 - Filing early for Social Security? Therapy may be in order (Reuters)

Deciding when to claim Social Security benefits is one of the most important retirement moves you will make. Social Security is by far the largest retirement asset for all but the wealthiest Americans, and the only source of guaranteed lifetime income – with incredibly valuable annual inflation adjustments. And most of us are flubbing it.… Read more 1/7/2014 - Filing early for Social Security? Therapy may be in order (Reuters)

1/7/2014 Older Americans Shun Retirement at 65 for Risky Startups (Bloomberg)

On his 65th birthday, physical therapist Gary Kinsey incorporated a company that makes medical devices. Older Americans such as Kinsey are increasingly shunning retirement to start companies because they see job opportunities limited after age 55, don’t have enough savings to retire comfortably or want to work for themselves. Read the full article at Bloomberg.

12/18/2013 - 4 Questions to Ask About Your Health-Care Costs in Retirement (Fox Business)

Health-care costs must be an integral part of a retirement financial plan because if they aren’t part of the equation, they can easily drain your nest egg.  But here’s the problem: They are impossible to predict accurately. Read the full article at Fox Business.

12/17/2013 - A Way to Stay on the Job (NY Times)

Does your employer offer back-up elder care? Hundreds do, among them corporations (Home Depot, Yahoo, Hewlett-Packard), universities (Columbia, Northwestern), hospitals (Houston Methodist, Memorial Sloan-Kettering), law firms, nonprofit organizations and several government agencies. They collectively cover millions of employees. It is not the solution we all want to the long-term care crisis and the over-reliance on… Read more 12/17/2013 - A Way to Stay on the Job (NY Times)

12/17/2013 - Should the U.S. force citizens to save? (Reuters)

Americans aren’t saving enough to retire. This gap poses a problem for everyone, not just people who will face near-poverty when they can’t work anymore. Does that merit forcing people to save more? Read the full article at Reuters.

12/17/2013 - Don't blame pensions for cities' woes: New study (CNBC)

Detroit’s recent high-profile trip to bankruptcy court—allowing it to break decades of costly pension promises—has prompted other city officials to blame “legacy” retiree benefit costs for their dire financial conditions. But pension costs have played only a minor role in the current financial plight of the dozens of U.S. cities that find themselves unable to… Read more 12/17/2013 - Don't blame pensions for cities' woes: New study (CNBC)

12/12/2013 - Column: Why minorities are losing the retirement race (Reuters)

The issue of retirement inequality has caught fire in Washington, D.C., and a report issued this week throws a new log on the flames. The report comes on the heels of a legislative proposal from progressive Democrats to address retirement inequality through an expansion of Social Security benefits. They want to increase benefits for everyone… Read more 12/12/2013 - Column: Why minorities are losing the retirement race (Reuters)

12/11/2013 - ‘My Money’ credit cards can boost 401(k)s (MarketWatch)

I have been thinking about two issues – how to reduce leakages from 401(k) plans and whether low-wage workers who are auto-enrolled into IRAs will stay put or opt out.  The link between these issues is the employee’s need to access funds before retirement.  Some suggest that people establish a buffer – or short-term –… Read more 12/11/2013 - ‘My Money’ credit cards can boost 401(k)s (MarketWatch)