We have known for some time now that Social Security’s long-term health is in question, and that the program is in serious need of financial reform to remain a viable source of income for retirees. A new independent report indicates that the problem may be worse than has been reported by Social Security trustees. Conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s…
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is growing in popularity according to recent polls. Presumably, the increase in popularity is the result of millions of taxpayers seeing an increase in their February paychecks. Fatter wallets and bank accounts are not the only changes resulting from the tax reform. Let us look at some of the other changes that might…
While we continue to wait for Congress to act on tax reform, two pieces of next year’s financial planning puzzle have recently been revealed for retirees. In October, the Social Security Administration announced that 61 million Americans will receive a 2.0% increase in their monthly Social Security benefits beginning in January of 2018. The 2 percent increase in monthly income…
Spring is my favorite season of the year. I suspect many of you feel the same way based on the amount of outdoor activity I have observed in recent days. For me, spring means the start of the Major League Baseball season, hours of therapeutic and relaxing lawn care and landscaping activities, and the opportunity to watch my daughter Erin…
Donald Trump’s improbable victory in early November’s presidential election caught many people by surprise. A Hillary Clinton victory looked almost certain if you believed most election polls and media outlets in the days leading up to the election, but as Tuesday night progressed a different story emerged. As a Donald Trump presidency became more likely, a brief overnight market panic…
While the 2016 Presidential election has captured most of our nation’s attention this year, you may have missed the end of an era in professional baseball. At the end of the 2016 Major League Baseball season, Vin Scully quietly and gracefully stepped away from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ broadcast booth, ending an historic 67-year hall of fame career in broadcasting. …
In early April a major milestone was reached in the investment advice industry. On April 6th, 2016 the Department of Labor revealed its new fiduciary duty rule that requires financial advisors to act in their clients’ best interest when making investment recommendations on retirement accounts. The new fiduciary duty rule reflects efforts that were first proposed six years ago. It…
In early February President Obama submitted his annual budget request to Congress. Congress will then consider the President’s requests when developing its own budget resolution. As he has done in years past, the President has included some provisions in his budget proposal that could significantly change some retirement strategies and financial plans. It is always important to know what is…
As if the excitement of the impending Christmas and holiday season wasn’t enough, two of the most anticipated events of 2015 occurred last week. The long-awaited seventh installment of the Star Wars franchise, The Force Awakens, was released in theaters on December 17th. As expected, the film shattered all opening weekend box office records. For the briefest of moments millions…
A few days before Halloween, Congress managed to slip a couple of ‘tricks’ into the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 that impact many soon-to-be retirees and their retirement plans. On October 28th, the House of Representatives approved a bill that could cost retirees tens of thousands of dollars in benefits by eliminating two Social Security claiming tactics known as file-and-suspend…
