The Stock Market Is Plunging. Should You Keep Funding Your Retirement Account?
A tumbling stock market has many Americans worried about their retirement portfolios. And if you feel similarly, that's quite understandable.
News
Statistically, There Is a Superior Social Security Claiming Age — and This Is It
In January, roughly 52 million retired-worker beneficiaries received an average check from Social Security totaling $1,978.77. While this is a relatively modest monthly payout, it's proved vital to helping retirees...
President Donald Trump’s Plan to End Social Security Benefit Taxation Would Solve 1 Problem While Exacerbating Another
You pay Social Security taxes throughout your career so you can enjoy guaranteed monthly checks in retirement. But when you retire, you could have to pay taxes on a portion...
Beyond Immediate Tax Savings: 4 Advantages of a 401(k)
You've undoubtedly heard financial professionals sing the virtues of 401(k)s. However, if the only feature you associate with the retirement saving plan is its tax advantages, you may be missing...
Plan to Work and Claim Social Security? 2 Pros and 3 Cons to Weigh First
If you're in your late 50s or early 60s, you've probably given some thought to when you'll sign up for Social Security. You want to choose a claiming age that...
President Donald Trump Is Now Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place on Medicaid
Since being sworn into office on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump has walked a fine line when discussing the country's largest social programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security....
Is It a Good Idea to Retire During a Recession? 3 Things to Consider, First.
Recession is a word that can leave a sour taste in anyone's mouth. For the vast majority of people, there's no good association with recession; the only things they can...
Can’t Get the Max $5,108 Social Security Benefit? Here’s What to Do Instead.
Even if you've saved decently for retirement, there's a good chance Social Security will play an important role in your future finances. For this reason, it's important to try to...
3 Ways to Reduce Your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) and Pay Less in Taxes
Saving money for retirement in a 401(k) or IRA comes with some big tax advantages. Any money you contribute to the account is tax deductible. On top of that, you...
Saving Social Security Might Involve Raising Taxes. Here’s Why It May Not Be as Bad as You Think
You pay 6.2% of the first $176,100 you earn in Social Security payroll taxes in 2025. Self-employed workers pay even more. That's already a pretty substantial bite out of your...
Prediction: 2 Ways President Donald Trump Will Decisively Change Social Security in 2025
For most retirees, Social Security provides much more than just a monthly check. It represents the foundation of their retirement income and is vital to making ends meet.
Here’s What I Did With My Retirement Portfolio After a Week of Stock Market Volatility
It's been a doozy of a week for the stock market. With major indexes tumbling, a lot of investors no doubt lost sleep these past few days watching their portfolio...
3 Ways You Could Lose Social Security Benefits by Claiming Early
Claiming Social Security as soon as you turn 62 will net you the greatest number of checks over your lifetime. If you claim benefits for 20 years, that's 240 monthly...
Should You Still Be Saving for Retirement While the Stock Market Is Plunging?
The stock market has many Americans feeling rattled about the future, as prices continue to sink. The Nasdaq Composite fell into correction territory this week, while the S&P 500 inches...
Social Security Just Sent $7.5 Billion in Catch-Up Payments to Over 1 Million People. And There’s More to Come.
The Social Security Fairness Act was passed last year and included a retroactive Social Security benefit increase for over 3 million beneficiaries. The SSA recently gave an update and revealed...
Retired? Here’s How Much You Actually Need in Your Emergency Fund
Stop me if you've heard this before: You should keep enough money in an emergency savings account to cover three to six months' worth of expenses. (Anyone who's ever written...
The Big Social Security Change President Donald Trump Wants to Make and Why It’s Unlikely
President Trump during his recent campaign proposed eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits. "Seniors should not pay taxes on Social Security," he wrote on his social media platform in July....
Claiming Social Security While Working? Don’t Fall Into This Trap.
For many people, retirement doesn't mean leaving a job behind completely. There are numerous benefits to working in retirement, whether on a regular basis or by taking on the occasional...