by Kenny | Jul 14, 2022
Thinking about retiring? The keys to contentment are at your fingertips Some might say that an ideal retirement would find you waking up in a private Mediterranean villa on a mattress made of freshly ironed $100 bills. And it’s true: Money is a big part of a...
by Kenny | Jul 8, 2022
Caregivers can play a key role in keeping criminals at bay It’s a sad fact of life: Criminals target older Americans for fraud. Many older folks have nest eggs. Cybersecurity is not their second language. They came of age during more trusting times. And they may be...
by Kenny | Jun 29, 2022
Steep rises in energy, housing, food WASHINGTON — Inflation soared over the past year at its fastest pace in more than 40 years, with costs for food, gasoline, housing and other necessities squeezing American consumers and wiping out the pay raises that many people...
by Kenny | Jun 23, 2022
Economic downturns are inevitable. Here’s how to protect your retirement nest egg Sooner or later, the economy will fall into a recession, because that’s the nature of the economy: Busts follow booms. For many retirees, the biggest challenge is the investment...
by Kenny | Jun 10, 2022
Social Security retirement benefits are primarily based on two factors: your average income over your working life and your age when you claim them. You get to decide when to start collecting benefits, within an eight-year window from age 62 to age 70. The longer you...
by Kenny | Jun 2, 2022
How to get control of what you owe For Gail and Tony Dean, the crisis came as they approached 50. Living in South Florida, they decided to move north, near Orlando, where they bought land and began to build their dream home. Then the debts piled up. The couple — she...
by Kenny | May 25, 2022
5 things loved ones will have to do to settle your accounts How many times have you told your loved ones that you don’t want to be a burden, and saddle them with a financial mess at the end of your life? It’s a common sentiment. Despite their good intentions, however,...
by Kenny | May 20, 2022
The answer: $1,000 more than you could in 2021 A 401(k) plan is a great way to increase your retirement savings. Your employer will deduct your pretax contributions from your paycheck, and your savings will be tax-deferred until you take withdrawals during retirement....
by Kenny | May 16, 2022
For many financial documents, just 3 years — for others, practically forever You may be starting at a heap of paperwork when you finish filing your 2021 federal taxes, which are due April 18. Your first urge may be to sweep them all into a paper bag and put the bag...
by Kenny | May 5, 2022
You’ll get better savings rates but higher borrowing costs this year The Federal Reserve is raising borrowing costs to cool the hottest inflation readings in 40 years. The Fed on Wednesday hiked its key short-term fed funds rate to a range of 0.75 to 1 percent,...
by Kenny | Apr 28, 2022
There are probably thousands of articles published every day on how and why to eat well and exercise. And yes, these are critical endeavors for healthy aging. But, they don’t cover everything you need to do to live your best life for as long as possible. What might be...
by Kenny | Apr 21, 2022
Benefits are going up, but so are the Medicare premiums deducted from monthly checks Social Security beneficiaries will have a lot to cheer about in 2022 — but they may have a few things to grouse about as well. Here’s a rundown of what will change for Social Security...
by Kenny | Apr 15, 2022
Making a retirement plan requires more knowledge than you might think. You’ll need to understand how inflation affects your investment account; how much income Social Security provides, and how much you need to subsidize it; and how much you can withdraw from...
by Kenny | Apr 6, 2022
Fixed index annuities can help you accumulate money for retirement and provide guaranteed income after you retire. A fixed index annuity may be a good choice if you want the opportunity to earn indexed interest, but don’t want to risk losing money in the market. What...
by Kenny | Mar 24, 2022
It hasn’t been an easy couple of months for savers. At the height of the pandemic in April 2020, Americans’ personal savings rate – the portion of monthly income that households are socking away – hit a record 33.8%. Now that rate hovers around 6.4%, which is below...
by Kenny | Mar 18, 2022
Changes in contribution limits, taxes, Social Security benefits, Medicare premiums and more We all get sentimental from time to time, but unless you hit the lottery or found true love, you probably won’t be looking back on 2021 all too fondly. The COVID-19...
by Kenny | Mar 10, 2022
What You Need to Know The government is confusing. Stock market gains are high, for now. The Secure Act is turning employer-sponsored retirement plans into income-planning educators. Have you ever experienced the solution to a problem being in plain sight, only to...
by Kenny | Mar 2, 2022
As volatility creeps back into the marketplace the need for the guarantees that only annuities provide is only going to increase. Retire with $500,000 but Spend Like a Millionaire Inflation (CPI) went up 7 percent in 2021, the highest annual inflation increase since...
by Kenny | Feb 25, 2022
New full retirement age is 67 for anyone born after 1960 There is good and bad news for older Americans: The Social Security full retirement age increased again in 2022 for some individuals – but it marks the last year that the age will change. The full retirement age...
by Kenny | Feb 21, 2022
As we head toward 2022 and see more Americans reaching their mid- to late 60s, it is a great time to revisit how annuity products can be used to meet consumer financial challenges. In anticipation of the new year, here are 22 ideas on how consumers can use annuity...
