Insights

Choosing the right Medicare plan is one of the most important decisions seniors are faced with. It’s also one of the most difficult. The health care system isn’t user-friendly to begin with. Stack all the Medicare options on top of that and you’ve got yourself a challenge. 

By Craig Lemoine, Ph.D., CFP®, Director of Consumer Investment Research “How much do I need for retirement?” It’s a question I often hear, and one that seems straightforward enough to tackle. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t quite so simple.

By Ryan Yamada, Senior Wealth Planner    When putting away for retirement, we often dream about all the things we’ll be able to do with that money – traveling, going out to eat, maybe trying new hobbies. 

Tom Fridrich, Senior Wealth Planner    Once upon a time, people would put money in their 401(k) or IRA accounts and know that – should their retirement savings outlive them – their loved ones would inherit the rest and all would essentially be well. 

By Jamie Hopkins, Managing Partner, Wealth Solutions  The next wave of retirement planning reform is headed for shore. 

By Jamie Hopkins In September, I covered the proposed tax plan released by Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee, which would help pay for the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act through changes to corporate, personal and other taxes, as well as retirement plans.

IRMAA, or the income-related monthly adjustment amount, is an extra amount you have to (or will have to) pay on top of your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums based on your income. Now that you know what IRMAA is, it’s never too early to start thinking about when you’ll eventually have to …

You might have more money stashed away in the Social Security trust fund than anywhere else. In fact, what you put into Social Security very well might be your biggest asset and future source of retirement income.

Did you know your Social Security benefits can be taxed? That’s right – up to 85% of your Social Security benefits, money that you put away over your entire career, could be subject to taxation when you receive the benefits in retirement. Our worksheet helps you figure out if you owe, and h …

Many of us all but ignore our retirement accounts for much of our working lives. We look at a pay stub and have a vague sense of the “minuses:” Social Security, insurance, taxes. But the IRA is one of the most powerful retirement savings tools available to us, and so it warrants our attention. 

Retirement is far off until it isn’t. This chapter of life can sneak up on just about anyone, and we do ourselves a favor to be as prepared as we can. Like anything involving the government, finances can be confusing, with different tax treatments, contribution limits, beneficiary rules and more.