Planning Retirement

Even if you think you have that number nailed down, it can help to strategize with an advisor. If you don’t need the full distribution, for example, you might be able to re-invest the funds or make a charitable donation directly from your account. You’ll also want to make sure …

Take advantage of catch-up contributions. Workers who are at least 50 years old can defer an extra $6,000 into their 401(k) savings each year, reducing their taxable income, said Kevin Meehan, a certified financial planner and the regional president of Wealth Enhancement Group in Itasca, Illinois. You can also make …

Chad Griffith This week the Federal Reserve made a long-expected move: It raised interest rates. The increase was modest—a quarter point—but more rate hikes may happen next year. For retirement investors, or anyone seeking income from bonds, the rate hike is both good news and bad news. The bad news …

Now that the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates, retirement investors are in a quandary. In the short term, rising rates are causing the values of outstanding bonds to fall—the typical core bond fund has given up 0.8% over this past week. Further losses may be in store, since the …

Q: I have about $40,000 in an IRA which I do not need. I am 78 and would like to do something with it before the end. I know if I take it all out at one time, the tax would be heavy. Any suggestions? A: First, run the numbers …

Don’t be fooled by the stock market’s recent gains—or even its long impressive recovery from the financial crisis. We have been in a low-return environment since the Internet bubble popped at the turn of the century, and there is little reason to believe that will change anytime soon. Retirement savers …

If you’re an older American still saddled with student loan debt, your government benefits could be taking a hit. A new report from the Government Accountability Office has found that tens of thousands of senior Americans have their Social Security benefits garnished hundreds of dollars each month in order to …

When it comes to New Year’s financial resolutions, saving more is a perennial favorite, as Fidelity’s 8th Annual Resolutions Study shows. And that’s fine, except resolving to save more may not be very effective if “more” still falls far short of being “enough” — or if you aren’t investing your …

As you think about an ideal home for an older relative, or for yourself later in life, what seems most appealing? Nearly 90% of people 65 and older surveyed by AARP said they would like to “age in place.” And yet the hard truth is that a beloved house in …

Blogs are different, and they’re valuable. I still get much of my news and most of my analysis from bloggers. I appreciate the individual, idiosyncratic viewpoints — not the sanitized or one-sided slop we often get from government, corporate, or special interests. So, here are some of my favorite blogs …