If you're not factoring inflation into your retirement planning, you'll be kicking yourself years down the road. Even if inflation remains around average -- very roughly 3% -- for the...
Inflation is rampant. That matters, because most investors are also consumers who pay for things like food, gasoline, and electricity. Officially, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that May's prices...
For many people, claiming Social Security benefits early (ahead of their full retirement age or even before age 70) ends up being a mistake and a decision they regret.
Retirement can be a vulnerable time in your life. You're no longer working -- and may not even be able to work if you wanted to. You still have expenses,...
If you're saving for or approaching retirement, there's a good chance you've heard of the 4% rule. For decades, it's been the gold standard for managing a retirement nest egg.
While the "trickle-down theory" is frequently associated with President Ronald Reagan's policies, it dates back to the 1920s, when humorist Will Rogers coined the term. The trickle-down theory involves giving...
Even if you have a nice chunk of money saved, you may depend pretty heavily on Social Security to cover your living expenses in retirement. And if you don't have...
Although not the first person to make this kind of joke, in 1789 Benjamin Franklin told Jean-Baptiste Le Roy: "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except...
If you haven't thought about your 2026 required minimum distribution (RMD) yet, now's probably a good time to start, especially if you have $500,000 in your IRA. That can result...
Ups and downs are a natural part of investing, but it's one thing to know that and another thing to watch your 401(k) plummet after you worked so hard to...
Workers and Social Security beneficiaries got some scary news this week, courtesy of the latest Social Security Trustees' Report. While we've known for a while that the program's trust funds...
You expect financial changes when you're going through a divorce, but that doesn't mean you were prepared for your spousal Social Security benefits to suddenly stop. This is frustrating at...
If you're like an estimated 4 out of 10 people, you're not sure how much your retirement plan costs. And it makes sense -- chances are, your day-to-day life is...
The key Social Security question that you must ask yourself is: What is my break-even age? See, this question matters because you get a standard benefit, based on Social Security's...
If you've spent most of your working life saving in a traditional IRA or 401(k), retirement can introduce a new kind of tax problem -- what you didn't pay the...
If you're behind in saving and investing for retirement, you're far from alone. A study from the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) found that among workers aged 21 to...
If you're on Social Security, you'll get some sort of benefit increase in January, thanks to the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). We don't know what that will look like yet,...
Social Security has been on a path toward insolvency for decades, but the problem is worsening rapidly. Old-Age and Survivors Insurance, the part of Social Security responsible for retirement benefits,...
