Women in the workforce generally earn less than men. While the gender pay gap is narrowing, it is still significant. The difference in wages, coupled with other factors, can lead to a shortfall in retirement savings for women. Statistically speaking Generally, women work fewer years and contribute less toward their retirement than men, resulting in
A beneficiary is the person or entity you name (i.e., designate) to receive the death benefits of a life insurance policy. Some states require that your beneficiary have an insurable interest in your life or be related to you (at least at the time the contract is initiated), while others have no such restriction. If
Answer: The right answer for you will depend on your situation. First of all, don’t underestimate the psychological impact of early retirement. The adjustment from full-time work to a more leisurely pace may be difficult for you. So ask yourself if you’re ready to retire yet. Next, look at what you’re being offered. Most early
You may think that the chances of becoming disabled during your working years are slight, and even if you did get hurt or had to miss time at work, you could get by because you have group disability insurance. Unfortunately, you may be in for a big surprise. Here are some myths and misunderstandings about
You don’t want to pay more in federal income tax than you have to. With that in mind, here are five things to consider when it comes to keeping more of your income. 1. Postpone your income to minimize your current income tax liability By deferring (postponing) income to a later year, you may be
Since 2001, investment in balanced mutual funds, which hold a mix of stocks and bonds, has grown every year except in 2008, the heart of the recession, and in 2015 when a stagnant market led some investors to look for more aggressive growth opportunities. During the same period, investment in equity and bond funds has
Today, women have more financial responsibilities than ever before. How will your family or loved ones manage financially if you die? Whether you are single, married, employed, or a stay-at-home mom, you probably need life insurance. At the very least, life insurance can help pay for the costs of funeral and burial services, estate administration,
Answer: There’s no right time to begin collecting Social Security benefits, but the age at which you begin receiving benefits will affect how much retirement income you have, so you should weigh the consequences carefully. Keep in mind that if you collect Social Security before your full retirement age, your benefit will be permanently reduced.
Yes. Anyone with earned income who is under age 70½ can open and contribute to a traditional IRA. The contribution limit is $5,500 for 2017 (unchanged from 2016), plus an additional “catch-up” contribution of $1,000 in 2016 and 2017 if you’re 50 or older. However, you may not be able to deduct your IRA contributions
Answer: Yes. Any funds you convert during the tax year, other than amounts that represent nondeductible (after-tax) contributions to your traditional IRA, are treated as taxable income for that year. This means that if the contributions originally made to your traditional IRA were deductible, you may have to pay income tax on the amount converted
