Creating an estate plan is the best way to make sure your wishes are followed when you are gone. As a part of putting your plan together, you’ll have to designate beneficiaries. One common hurdle is understanding the difference between a primary and contingent beneficiary. Knowing this distinction can make your estate plan more comprehensive … Read more
Its easy to feel like everyone has their financial act together—everyone, that is, except you. But the truth is, many people are anxious about their financial standing and wonder how theyre doing, especially when it comes to retirement savings. To get a sense for how youre doing compared to other people, you may want to … Read more
How do you approach investing for retirement when you come to the table late? It’s a question more and more pre-retirees are asking now that they find themselves just a few years from retirement age with little or no savings. Margaret C. and her husband are part of this group. She recently wrote to tell … Read more
The National Academy of Social Insurance provides this information to help those seeking to better understand Social Security, which continues to be a cornerstone of retirement security for American workers and their families. We encourage you to use the information on our site to increase your familiarity with social insurance programs as they currently exist … Read more
Let’s be real – worrying about running out of money in retirement keeps many of us up at night. I’ve talked to countless folks who wonder if their $500,000 savings will be enough to sustain them through their golden years. It’s a legitimate concern that deserves a thorough breakdown. In this article, I’ll help you … Read more
The traditional 401(k) is a workplace retirement savings plan that allows you to save for retirement with contributions taken straight out of your paycheck—before taxes. Those automatic contributions are a super convenient way to make sure you’re consistently building your retirement savings, which is awesome. And that plan—the traditional 401(k)—was the only game in town … Read more
Social Security benefits are a crucial part of the retirement income for millions of Americans. If you don’t have enough Social Security credits to get benefits on your own work record or your own benefit is small, you may be able to receive benefits as a spouse. Your spouse must be receiving benefits for you … Read more
Once you hit 60, you’re that much closer to retirement. Whether this milestone is still a year (or a couple years) away, you can take a few specific steps when the time comes to better prepare and thus fully enjoy your golden years. Well discuss seven such actions in this article. Thinking about kickin’ back … Read more
You could lose all or part of your account—or gain all or part of your spouse’s Part of the Series Strategies to Maximize Your 401(k) If you’re like many people who participate in a 401(k) plan at work, it may represent one of your most significant assets. Should you and your spouse decide to divorce … Read more
You can have as many IRAs as you want, but there is still a limit on how much you can contribute to all of them. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take … Read more
