Finances
When Aging Parents Lack Health Insurance
A hospital waiting room is a lousy place to discover that Mom and Dad are broke. Unfortunately, a parent’s health crisis often provides the first warning sign that the folks have made a major financial blunder by dropping or downgrading their Medicare supplement health insurance to save money. “In a lot of cases, this comes up at the la...Read More
Fraud Happens. To US. Here’s What to Watch For…
Seniors lose $36.4 billion each year to financial abuse — $16.8 billion of which comes from deceptive investing tactics designed specifically to take advantage of older Americans.¹ Also known as “financial exploitation,” this type of investment fraud is defined by the use of misleading language to obtain account information and permission to access...Read More
6 Signs That You’re Ready (Maybe) to Retire Early
You may dream of retiring long before a traditional 60-something retirement age, but be careful about making that leap too soon. If you're not emotionally ready to quit working, you may not be ready to retire.
Reduce Your Health Care Costs: 6 Great Tips!
Key Points Medical costs typically go up as you age and can account for a large portion of your overall expenses in retirement. There are many health-care related expenses that are not covered by Medicare or Medicaid. Your health and wealth can be closely tied – especially when it comes to planning for retirement. The actions you take...Read More
Prevent Tax ID Theft – Here’s Your Checklist!
Key Points The IRS estimates that it paid $3.1 billion in fraudulent identity theft refunds in a recent year. Identity thieves can use your information to file fraudulent returns in your name while they pocket the return. Get your personal identification number (PIN) early and keep your paperwork secure to help prevent your personal financial infor...Read More
Long-Term Care Insurance: Pros, Cons and Why It Matters
Key Points Long-term care insurance costs can be managed by adjusting your daily benefit levels. Costs vary by location, so it’s best to get local estimates and determine what benefits you may need. New hybrid insurance products can help you or your family benefit from the policy regardless of whether you use the long-term care coverage or not. Lon...Read More
Talking Money with Siblings: Beyond Rivalry
Key Points Nearly two-thirds of siblings talk about money with each other While financial conflicts are rare, they usually involve issues regarding parents Uniting to deal with money issues can help protect family assets Talking about money with immediate family members is not always an easy conversation to initiate. Why? For starters, the conversa...Read More
Need a Lifestyle “Do-Over?” Here’s 8 Great Steps – Just for Us!
Here’s a truth. It’s simple. After Fifty, opportunities for “do-overs” are few and far between. A friend colored my hair for me. Kind of a friend. And, thank heavens I know someone who can strip out this awful color. Ahhhh, thanks for do-overs! But other situations, sometimes with far reaching implications, just can’t be R...Read More
3 Financial Tips for After Fifty
As we get older, the odds of accumulating wealth diminishes simply because the number of remaining years are decreasing. Many seniors today find themselves in dire straits because of a failure to institute sound investment and savings strategies, but also because of outside factors such as the Global Financial Crisis of recent years.
Annuities: 5 Pros and Cons
At face value, annuities offer a solid deal: guaranteed income for life. But they are not the most straightforward of products. Annuities can be a cash cow for insurance companies and the people who sell them — making it important for you to understand them and trust your source of information.
8 Costly Regrets You Should Avoid When Planning Retirement
Over 70% of adults have financial regrets, according to a Bankrate report, and their biggest financial worry is that they didn’t start saving for retirement early enough. Even high earners reported guilt over not saving for retirement early enough. Of course, there is much to consider when preparing for retirement. However, the source of regret for...Read More
7 Secrets To Social Security Benefits
When it’s time to claim those social security benefits, depending on the Social Security Administration may be a mistake. Social Security employees generally don't give case-specific advice. This means you are on your own to make the most important financial decision of a lifetime.