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Financial Planning
Have You Checked Your Retirement Plan Lately?
It’s generally a good idea to review your employer-sponsored retirement savings plan at least once each year and when major life changes occur. If you haven’t given your plan a thorough review within the last 12 months, now may be a good time to do so. Have you experienced any life changes? Since your last…
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Do Your Parents Need Long-Term Care Insurance?
We live in an age of medical miracles. People live longer than ever before, and life expectancies are increasing at a steady rate. This means that many of us will be fortunate enough to still have our parents with us as we ourselves reach retirement age. As our parents age, however, their health may decline,…
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The Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT)
Written by Doug Custer, CFP® How do you keep that vacation home in the family? How do you keep any home in the family for that matter? We frequently explore such questions with clients. One often overlooked solution is a vehicle called the Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT). A QPRT can be an especially attractive…
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Considering an Offer to Retire Early: Should You Take It?
What is it? In today’s corporate environment, where cost cutting, restructuring, and downsizing are the norm, many employers are offering their employees early retirement packages. As you near retirement age, you may find yourself confronted with an offer from your employer for early retirement. Your employer may refer to the offer as a golden handshake…
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Alternative Ways to Fund Your Down Payment
How much money will you need for a down payment? It used to be that most lenders would require a down payment equal to at least 20 percent of a home’s purchase price. Today, however, there’s good news for homebuyers who have little money saved for a down payment. Many lenders have relaxed their requirements…
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How to Cut Costs if You Are Spending Too Much
No matter how tightly you try to control your spending or how strictly you follow your spending plan, at some point you are likely to wonder how you can cut costs. In order to find out how to cut costs, you first need to find out where and when your spending occurs. Then you can…
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Cash Reserve
What is a cash reserve? A cash reserve is a pool of funds (and sometimes credit) that you hold in a readily available form to meet emergency and other highly urgent, short-term needs. Sometimes, it is referred to as an emergency or contingency fund. Terminology is important here because contingencies often are not emergencies. Purchasing…
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Why divorcing over 50 can be especially awful
Written by Mary Ann Ferreira, CFP®, CDFA™, AIF® Original article posted on Market Watch Here
Read More How to teach your kids the value of saving for retirement — before it’s too late
Written by Bruce Yates, Matt Boelter, and Joe Erickson, CPA Original Article can be found here.
Read MoreHealthcare in Retirement
What health care benefits are available in retirement? Health care in retirement is available from many sources. Government programs (such as Medicaid and Medicare) offer numerous health care benefits. However, you may need to purchase supplemental health insurance or Medigap, as well. Most Americans are eligible to begin receiving Medicare benefits at age 65, but…
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