Many Americans think of Social Security only as the card number we must remember, to collect the monthly checks we’ll get after we retire. But the Social Security Administration offers much more than just retirement benefits, and you don’t have to wait until you retire to collect them if you qualify.If you are like most people, you’ll pay Social Security taxes throughout your career. But when can you begin to benefit from Social Security? Continue Reading >>
How much money do you need to retire? The answer depends on you. Do you plan to travel the world? What is your cost of living? Where do you plan to live? Picturing yourself as a retiree may be hard if not impossible. But if you could envision those future years, you’d probably see a life full of activity and decades of health, happiness, and prosperity. No rocking chairs and lap shawls need apply. Continue Reading >>
Tax laws promote participation in retirement plan accounts. Whether you save for retirement through your employer’s plan or on your own with an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), you’ll typically defer the payment of taxes on income that you contribute to the plan. Continue Reading >>
Whether you’re 25 years old or three days away from collecting Social Security, inflation is one of the biggest enemies your retirement strategy is likely to face. Investors can be sure that inflation will relentlessly gnaw into the value of each dollar in their portfolios as the years pass, forcing them to find investments that can gain value even faster — or at least hold their own. Continue Reading >>
