General Retirement Planning

There are three major annuity risks: that you die too soon, that inflation rises or that your annuity provider goes bankrupt or cuts payments. All of these can happen and indeed do happen each year.

An annuity is a type of investment that agrees to pay the beneficiary a regular income for a period of time. A defined annuity is also known as a company pension used for retirement plans.

Sometimes, the perfect job for you does not provide any retirement planning. This is not unusual; self-employed people have to provide their own retirement planning on a regular basis. When your...

The advantage of an annuity is that it gives you a fixed income for the rest of your life. That means you have some security for the future.

Retirement can last for an unknown period of time, and often the amount of money saved for it is not enough. Annuities insure that you continue to have income after you have outlived your...

Active-duty Army personnel who have served for at least 20 years in the military qualify for retirement in one of three non-disability retirement plans. Final Pay, CSB/REDUX and High-3 eligibility...

Years of service in the armed forces as a reservist do not convert directly into active duty years. Instead, reservists are awarded retirement points for certain activities in which they...

Sometimes the need to file for bankruptcy cannot be avoided. A petitioner may have accumulated substantial assets before filing. Some assets may need to be liquidated, but fortunately others are...

An annuity is not effective as a sole pillar of a retirement plan, but it can be an effective method to control retirement risk and provide some income that doesn't need to be actively managed....

A 403b is a common retirement fund set up for employees of non-profits. Like most retirement funds, the contributions are tax-free, which increases your return potential over time; however, there...

Retirement plans are an integral part of our financial future and with ownership comes responsibility that we should exercise. You should understand your plan, and the benefits of the plan. These...

Annuities are complex retirement investments, even if they don't require any management after you purchase them. The two main types of annuity are fixed and variable rate. Fixed annuities...

AARP, which was at one time formally known as the American Association of Retired Persons, is a nonprofit organization for people who have reached the age of 50. Headquartered in Washington, D.C.,...

Planning and preparing for retirement is not always easy. However, it may be a smart idea to get ready ahead of time, even by ten years. Research options of the various ways to save for...

AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company offers several types of annuities through a national network of agents and financial advisors. The company has an AA rating through Standard and Poor's but was...

Retirement housing is a type of residence geared towards individuals and couples during their retirement years. Many facilities offer specialized programs, assisting with yard work or daily living...

Retirement planning is an essential yet often neglected component of a sound financial strategy. The compound interest benefits you can gain through investing monthly into a retirement plan are...

Planning ahead can help reduce the tax burden on retirees. Understanding how retirement income is taxed is important when managing retirement funds. Most retirement income is received through a...

A charitable gift annuity is a hybrid agreement allowing you, the donor, to give a designated asset or dollar amount to a charity. In return for the gift, you will receive an immediate annuity...

Annuities are investment products purchased through life insurance companies. They provide tax-deferral growth for long-term financial planning, have a death benefit paid to your designated...

A reverse mortgage loan is designed to enable seniors, 62 and older, to get money from their homes without having to make mortgage payments. Homeowners do not repay on the loan as long as they...

There are four entities associated with an annuity contract: the insurance company, the owner, the annuitant and the beneficiary. The owner and the beneficiaries can be modified. Benefits are...

Annuities can be used as qualified IRAs or as supplemental retirement programs that receive the same tax-deferred advantage as traditional IRAs. While you may have invested in an annuity as a...

In Florida, as in most states, one of the advantages of a civil service career is the pension plan you will be eligible for. FRS Retirement is the standard pension plan available to all qualified...

Putting a loved one such as a grandparent or parent in a nursing home is a difficult decision. It becomes more complicated when estate planning needs to be handled in addition to physical care. ...

Most working-class people consider a safe and secure retirement a challenge. But knowing all of your options can help you decide which retirement accounts work best for you.

403(b) plans are retirement plans that are similar to 401(k) plans except they are offered to nonprofit employees. Depending on the type, there are tax benefits for using these plans.

If you are an executor of an estate or dealing with the financial closing of a deceased loved-one, you know the frustration of the requirements, laws and documents needed to get death in order. If...

The Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) is funded in part by federal employees who contribute seven percent of their pay towards their annuity. Though referred to as an annuity, the CSRS is...

Much of our lives are spent working toward retirement. And as that time begins to near, it's natural to wonder what our "golden years" will be like. Trying to determine how much income you'll have...

Phased retirement takes many different forms. In many cases phased retirement may include working part-time, seasonal work, temporary work and occasional leaves of absence. There are advantages to...

Annuities and life insurance are both excellent investments, but that is where the similarities end. There are many differences between annuities and life insurance. In fact, they are completely...

Planning an annuity with retirement funds is an excellent way to insure against outliving your money in retirement. Annuities provide a guaranteed monthly income for as long as you live, and can...

The old rule of thumb that a worker retires at 65 has retired. People are living longer, Social Security is no longer a guaranteed provider, and most people have not worked at one company for 40...

You should not have to worry about the livelihood of the corporation that is paying your pension plan. Unfortunately, a situation may arise in which your company declares bankruptcy. There are...

Now that you have retired and you are on a fixed income it makes sense to save money wherever possible. If cash is short this is a necessity. Even if you are not short of cash, costs might...

There are large tax penalties for cashing a qualified retirement plan before age 59 1/2, so think hard before doing so. Without the penalties, many people would be dipping into their retirement...

Getting your money out of a qualified defined-contribution plan such as a 401(k) or 403(b) may seem like a hassle, but it's not as hard as you might think. Although there are tax ramifications to...

A fixed annuity can be a great investment for someone close to retirement who wishes to receive income for life. Annuity payments are sent monthly by their respective companies and accumulate...

It may become necessary and appropriate at some point to change the beneficiary designations for your retirement account. The death of an existing beneficiary, the birth of a new child, a...

Whether you're active-duty military, active reserves or a National Guardsman, you are eligible for some form of retirement benefits when you reach 20 years of service. This benefit is based on...

There are times in life when you need money, and you need it fast. One source many people turn to when they need cash in a hurry, is their retirement account savings. If you're cashing out your...

Review your money asset accounts with your brokerage firm to ensure you have designated a beneficiary and the assets are not sent to your estate. Assets can be held in street name or in the...

Showing that you have confidence in your company by contributing funds to it can bring you considerable gains. Choosing whether to participate in an employee stock option plan involves considering...

Five days a week, 52 weeks a year, Americans pour their talent and sweat into their work, fueling the largest economy in the world. After decades of working, some choose to retire, relax and get...

A pension is an integral part of the resources needed to meet the retirement needs of a worker. Some pensions provide a stream of income for the balance of a worker's life. Studies have shown that...

When deciding whether or not to join the military reserve many potential recruits see it only as a way to pay for college or supplement their current income. However, the military reserve helps...

Retirement homes in the United States house thousands of senior citizens, offering daily care and comfort as they live out their lives. But the rent can be expensive, with the average cost of a...

The golden years of retirement are something that most workers look forward to with a great deal of anticipation and high expectations. However, for some people, retirement is not all it's...