Most people will receive Social Security benefits at some point in their lifetimes, but how much do you know about this important source of income? Take this quiz to learn more. Questions 1.Can you receive retirement and disability benefits from Social Security at the same time a. Yes b. No 2.If your ex-spouse receives benefits
Medicare won’t cover all of your health-care costs during retirement, so you may want to buy a supplemental medical insurance policy known as Medigap. Offered by private insurance companies, Medigap policies are designed to cover costs not paid by Medicare, helping you fill the gaps in your Medicare coverage. When’s the best time to buy
Dollar cost averaging is a method of accumulating assets by purchasing a fixed dollar amount of securities, at regularly scheduled intervals, over a period of time (for example, $100 per month over the next five years). When the price of the securities is high, your fixed dollar amount will buy fewer securities, but when the
Every year, the Internal Revenue Service announces cost-of-living adjustments that affect contribution limits for retirement plans, thresholds for deductions and credits, and standard deduction and personal exemption amounts. Here are a few of the key adjustments for 2018. Employer retirement plans Employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), and most 457 plans can defer up to
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.
Women often face special challenges when planning for retirement. Because their careers may be interrupted more often to care for children or elderly parents, women may spend less time in the workforce and earn less money than men in the same age group. As a result, their retirement plan balances, Social Security benefits, and pension
An individual retirement arrangement (IRA) is a personal retirement savings plan that offers specific tax benefits. In fact, IRAs are one of the most powerful retirement savings tools available to you. Even if you’re contributing to a 401(k) or other plan at work, you might also consider investing in an IRA. What types of IRAs
The way that you structure the ownership of your life insurance policy can have possible estate tax consequences. Without proper planning, the beneficiaries of your life insurance policy might not receive the maximum benefit you intended. So it’s important to understand what it means to be a policyowner and the various forms of policy ownership.
It’s a catch-22: You feel that you should focus on paying down debt, but you also want to save for retirement. It may be comforting to know you’re not alone. According to an Employee Benefit Research Institute survey, 18% of today’s workers describe their debt level as a major problem, while 41% say it’s a
