Knowing how much retirement income you might receive from Social Security may help you decide when to begin claiming benefits, and how Social Security might fit into your overall retirement income plan. One way to get an estimate of your future Social Security benefits is to use the benefit calculators available on the Social Security
Answer: A dependent child may qualify to receive benefits based on your earnings record. To receive benefits, your child must be unmarried and be under age 18 (or 18 to 19 if a full-time student in elementary or secondary school) or be 18 or older and disabled from a disability that started before age 22.
What is it? If you work after you begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits, all or part of your retirement benefit may be withheld if your earnings exceed the retirement earnings exempt amount. However, excess earnings won’t affect your benefit once you reach full retirement age, and it’s possible to time your earnings in retirement
As you near retirement, it’s likely you’ll have many questions about Social Security. Here are a few of the most common questions and answers about Social Security benefits. Will Social Security be around when you need it? You’ve probably heard media reports about the worrisome financial condition of Social Security, but how heavily should you
Like anyone else, you want a life insurance policy that meets your needs and budget. But how do you find the right policy when there are so many to choose from and many of them seem so similar? The key is knowing how to compare policies and evaluate the results. Know what you want–and compare
Withdrawing taxable funds from a tax-deferred retirement account before age 59½ generally triggers a 10% federal income tax penalty, on top of any federal income taxes due. (Distributions from Section 457(b) plans are generally not subject to an early distribution penalty; and the penalty for distributions from SIMPLE IRA plans during your first two years
Answer: An annuity is a distinctive financial product. Although it’s not an insurance policy per se, it is a contract with an insurance company. Many different types of annuities exist, with many different features. A deferred annuity is a savings vehicle that accumulates earnings on a tax-deferred basis. An immediate annuity is a financial instrument
The more money you make, the more valuable you perceive your time to be — and the more time-strapped you may feel, according to University of British Columbia psychology professor Elizabeth Dunn.1 So wouldn’t it stand to reason that if you use some of your hard-earned money to buy yourself more time — for example,
For long-term investment goals such as retirement, time can be one of your biggest advantages. That’s because time allows your investment dollars to do some of the hard work for you through a mathematical principle known as compounding. The snowball effect The premise behind compounding is fairly simple. You invest to earn money, and if
Answer: It depends. If you are 59½ or older, you can take money from your traditional IRA without penalty. In contrast, if you withdraw from your IRA before age 59½, the taxable portion of your distribution may be subject to a 10 percent penalty on top of whatever income taxes you owe on the distribution.
