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Should I Convert My IRA to a Roth?

Category: Estate Planning

November 30, 2021 — It is amazing how many times this question comes up, usually from people who we consider very proactive about their retirements. There are no easy answers to the question, but there are some guidelines. Adding to the mix, if the provision of the Build Back Better…

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Published on November 29, 2021
Comments 5

Record Social Security COLA Coming

Category: Financial and taxes in retirement

October 13, 2021 — Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries will receive a record 5.9 percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2022. It is the largest COLA since 1982. The increase is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2020 through the…

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Published on October 13, 2021
Comments 13

Social Security Fund Runs Out of Money One Year Earlier

Category: Financial and taxes in retirement

September 8, 2021 — The latest Trustees report for Social Security shows that the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 recession are affecting the future of this popular program, but no one is certain exactly how that will play out. One thing the report does lay out is that the Trust…

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Published on September 7, 2021
Comments 7

Are You a Grandcarent and Need Help?

Category: Family and Retirement

August 24, 2021 — The assumption has always been that you would bring up your children and they would go on to raise their own families. Empty nesting and retirement would follow for you, bringing relaxation and less stress. But for the 2.3 million baby boomers who are raising an…

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Published on August 24, 2021
Comments 0

Will Your Children Be Able to Afford a Retirement As Good As Yours?

Category: Baby Boomer Retirement Issues

Note: This article has been updated to include vote totals as of August 10. However, you may still take the poll and the results will continue to change. August 4, 2021 — There seems to be more than a good natured rivalry going on with the baby boomer generation vs.

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Published on August 3, 2021
Comments 4

Before You Buy a Condo or Home in an Association: 4 Things You Need to Do

Category: Active adult communities

July 21, 2021 – So you managed to get lucky. It looks like you might win the bidding to buy that condo, or a home in an active adult community. But before you submit the winning offer and break out the champagne, here are 4 things you need to do…

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Published on July 21, 2021
Comments 7

Is Maryland (Or Any Other State) a Good Place to Retire

Category: Best Retirement Towns and States

June 20, 2021 — Virginia’s recent Comment to our “25 Most Popular Active Communities in the Southeast” article really got things going. Many folks jumped in to help answer her question, which asked what people thought about retiring in Maryland. Since hers generated so many other Comments (and Maryland is…

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Published on June 19, 2021
Comments 11

Retirement Confidence Hits All-Time High – Despite Covid

Category: Financial and taxes in retirement

May 24, 2021 — The Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) has released the results from its annual retirement confidence survey – and they are pretty good! Back in 2014, 55% of all workers said they were “confident they would have enough money to retire confidently”. This year, 72% of all…

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Published on May 23, 2021
Comments 1

Trusts, Wills, and Estates: War Stories from a Career Trust Officer

Category: Estate Planning

April 12, 2021 -- Today we are fortunate to have an interview with Jim, a retired vice president and trust officer  at a large Pennsylvania bank, who spent his entire career administering estates of all kinds and sizes. We think you will find his real life examples of what to do - and what not to do - in estate planning very useful. The tips, advice, and experience that Jim brings to this important  topic is critical, since inevitably, everyone needs an estate plan. Jim believes that only about 50-75% of people of retirement age have an estate plan of some kind. Most of those folks have wills, while a much smaller percentage have trusts. As he pointed out early on in our interview,  even if you think you don't have an estate plan, you actually do. That is because in the event of no will or trust, the government has rules about how your assets will be divided after your death. The problem is that it probably won't be distributed the way you wanted it to be done.

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Published on April 12, 2021
Comments 12

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