Social Security Benefits Set to Increase in 2024

Proper financial planning includes forecasting future Social Security benefits. In a welcome development for millions of Americans relying on Social Security, the Social Security Administration has recently announced a substantial increase in retirement and disability benefits. Starting in January 2024, recipients will see a significant boost, with benefits set to rise by 3.2%, translating to an average increase of more …

Inflation: The Nemesis of Every Single Retiree

As a retiree, one of the significant financial challenges you may encounter is inflation. The rising costs of goods and services can erode the purchasing power of your retirement savings, making it difficult to maintain your desired lifestyle. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are ways to safeguard your finances and make your retirement more inflation-resistant. Adjusting Your …

401(k) Rollovers Can Make or Break Retirement

Making informed decisions about retirement is crucial to financial independence. In an era characterized by high job turnover, it is more important than ever for employees to carefully manage their retirement savings. With a significant portion of Americans withdrawing money from their 401(k)s when they change employers, understanding the value of 401(k) rollovers is essential to preserving a confident financial …

Five Keys to Investing for Retirement

Making decisions about your retirement account can seem overwhelming, especially if you feel unsure about your knowledge of investments. However, the following basic rules can help you make smarter choices regardless of whether you have some investing experience or are just getting started. 1.  Don’t lose ground to inflation It’s easy to see how inflation affects gas prices, electric bills, …

Retirement Planning: To Roth or Not to Roth?

When saving for retirement, it often makes sense to contribute to employer-sponsored retirement plans to take advantage of any available employer match opportunities. However, not everyone has access to an employer-sponsored plan. Even if you do, there are reasons you may want to consider using Traditional and/or Roth IRAs to supplement your retirement savings. There are important differences between the …

IRA vs. 401(k): What Savers Should Know

As of 2018, about 58 million Americans had a 401(k), while around one-third of households owned an individual retirement account (IRA).1, 2 Yet for as commonplace as these retirement accounts can be, the nuances of contributions are a bit more complex. Learn more about these retirement accounts and what to consider when allocating your retirement contributions. 401(k) vs. IRA: The Basics …

Common Retirement Investment Mistakes

Only one-in-four Americans (27%) feel very confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably when they retire, according to the 2020 Retirement Confidence Survey Summary Report.⁠11 While the number is up slightly from the 2018 survey (23%), it underscores a pervasive sense of uncertainty among those approaching retirement age. While there is no single action that can boost …

Retirement Assistance Within the CARES Act

In late March 2020, as the number of novel coronavirus cases in the U.S. surged past 100,000, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed into law.1 The CARES Act provides around $2.2 trillion in aid to businesses and individuals who have been impacted by shelter-in-place orders, government-mandated business closures, and large-scale job losses.   However, some of the …