Retirement Planning

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...

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are savings accounts that are given special tax benefits by the IRS. All IRAs are tax-sheltered accounts, which means that the money in the account...

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are used to save for retirement. You can invest your IRA in a variety of financial vehicles, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds and real estate.

The purpose of saving for retirement is to ensure that you will be able to maintain your chosen quality of life once you leave the workforce. For some people, this may be as little as 60 percent...

Sure, you're mad. Just like the lady in the picture. But, look! Obama told us staight out just before the election: "We're five days away from fundamentally changing the way America does...

The Social Security program provides retirees and the disabled with income after retiring or to persons unable to work. The program is administered by the United States government, which keeps...

A variety of companies offer retiree benefits to give employees a range of options. The benefits provide a number of advantages that help put a business in a better position than companies that do...

The Social Security Administration issues disability benefits through two programs: Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Insurance. In order to qualify for Social Security...

A defined benefit plan's financial statement in made up of two components, the tax return of the plan, called a Form 5500, and the plan valuation, which is summarized in the summary annual report....

Since Social Security was established under the New Deal in 1935, millions of Americans have depended on its benefits to live out their retirement years comfortably and in good health. However,...

Today, with the disappearance of the traditional company pension plan, most people are responsible for funding their own retirement. In addition to saving money for retirement, employees also...

Supplemental Security Income is a program that provides monetary benefits to applicants approved by the Social Security Administation. The SSI program is intended to help the needy and those who...

Inheriting a traditional or Roth IRA can be a substantial financial opportunity. You do need to learn the beneficiary withdrawal rules. The general rules are fairly straightforward, but the...

If you are a military veteran or the spouse or dependent of a veteran, living or deceased, you may be eligible for retirement compensation benefits from the Veteran's Administration, your state...

A retirement pension plan investment isn't just for yes men or corporate slaves. Entrepreneurs can invest in personal pension plans to fund their own retirement, too. A pension plan for retirement...

Individual 401K plans are provided by most companies and government facilities. This is a very reliable form of retirement money because it is entirely build up by your money. No one can take...

Rollover your 401K plan from an old employer to a new one is beneficial because having many 401K accounts can have lots of maintenance fees per year. It will eat into your final retirement funds....

Everyone wants to be rich, the most clear definition of being rich is to be a millionaire. But how do you get there from where you are today? You can do it, no matter what you current income,...

What cost only $100 in 1958 would cost a staggering $736.58 in 2008. With rising inflation constantly eroding our purchasing powers, saving money for retirement becomes extremely important. This...

With job security gone, a lot of people dream about being their own bosses. However, we also know the fact that majority of small businesses will not last more than five years. How to make sure...

Individuals and organizations are of different opinions as to whether Social Security is safe. While the system is in place, it relies heavily on the payments from current workers for older...

Americans are living longer than ever, and planning for a financially secure retirement has never been more important. Companies today may offer a range of retirement plans, such as pensions, 401k...

There are a number of reasons for the Social Security benefits system to be cut off. Proponents of the measure have suggested all types of solutions, including a staggered approach to an all-out...

Depending too much on your salary can have disastrous consequences, especially in bad economic times because you can realistically loose your job. As you might guess (otherwise why would you be...

Retirement savings are one of the most important parts of a person's nest egg. In most cases, they should be treated as sacred, not to be touched until retirement. However, in the case of...

There is a growing serge of manufactures, stores, and other distributers that are offering more rebates lately. As the Christmas season is right around the corner I can only imagine that this...

Being married seems to be what communities encourage people to do. Unfortunately, many government programs seem to create the opposite effect. Married couples suffer the marriage penalty in the...

Every year, millions of Americans apply for Social Security benefits. Most workers nearing the retirement age (currently 62) can apply for benefits three months before they want to start receiving...

Stretch IRA is a name given to an individual retirement account when a strategy is employed to extend or "stretch" the withdrawal of account assets over a longer than ordinarily scheduled period....

Social Security was enacted in 1935 to help retired citizens by providing them with money after retirement. The original retirement age was set at 65, but the Social Security Amendments of 1983...

The Social Security Administration determines how much money you will receive as your benefit either for retirement or medical disability. If you disagree with the amount, or feel that your...

Social security was implemented in 1935 to provide a continuing source of income for citizens who had retired. There is a limit on the amount of money you can make while receiving social security...

The Social Security Act was passed in 1935 and was designed to provide a continued source of income to people over age 65. To pay for it, a payroll tax was implemented. The money was used to pay...

Medicare Part D prescription drug plans are not part of the Medicare system, but the plans offered by private companies must deliver a benefits package that is at least as valuable as the standard...

401k plans and 403b plans are two types of employer-sponsored retirement plans with special tax benefits. Both plans allow you to deduct your contributions from your taxable income in the year the...

You're retired, receiving Social Security Income (SSI), and suddenly you receive a 1099 MISC tax form in the mail with your name on it showing an amount of money paid to you. Is this form going to...

Doesn't everyone want to know how to make a million dollars quickly? The term quickly is relative. For some people it may mean over night, for others it may mean five to ten years. No matter...

The basic goal of fictitious entities in estate planning is to avoid estate and generation-skipping taxes. Ideally, you would be able to transfer legal ownership of your assets to an entity for...

An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is a retirement savings plan that invests in the sponsoring company's stock. ESOPs facilitate employee ownership of the company while conferring tax...

Planning for financial security during the golden years is something that every person should perform. Retirement planning statistics show that some people, even those only a few years from...

A money market IRA is a retirement account with special tax benefits that invests the money in a money market account. You can open it at a bank, credit union or other financial institution.

If you reach age 70-1/2 with money in a traditional IRA, you will be required to take a minimum taxable distribution from your IRA regardless of whether you need the money. Since this money has...

Required minimum distributions are annual amounts that you are required to withdraw from your traditional individual retirement account, or IRA, after you turn 70-1/2. Any amounts that you...

There are a few programs that give financial assistance to the elderly, retired or disabled U.S. citizens. For instance, Supplemental Social Security, or SSI, is granted to qualified individuals...

One of the key benefits of an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) is that the owner is able to name a beneficiary on the account. In fact, he can name several, as well as contingent beneficiaries...

Most prescription drugs that are not covered under Medicare Part A or Part B are included in Medicare Part D coverage. Generally, that means any drug that requires a prescription and is approved...

At some point in our lives, most of us need to consider who will inherit our assets. If you are looking to plan your estate, naming your beneficiary is part of the plan. There are certain legal...

A pension is a guaranteed periodic payment that is provided to former employees who have retired and worked the requisite number of years for a particular employer. And, because it is eventually...

An IRA is an important vehicle used in retirement savings. It allows you to put money aside and let it grow tax-deferred. In most marriages, one spouse has a higher income than the other. A...

Once you've decided to enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the next step is figuring out which plan is the best one for you. It's not easy. Private companies offer Part D plans,...