There’s no easy way to say it: getting a divorce is terrible. Not only is there the emotional toll that you have to deal with; a divorce also brings with it a measure of financial stress as well. Instead of living on multiple incomes and sharing expenses, you are now forced to make – and pay for – everything on your own, making all financial decisions along the way. 

This burden doesn’t get any easier as you approach your retirement years either. A reduced income can make it harder for a single individual to live and thrive during what are supposed to be the golden years of life. Thankfully, there are programs out there that can provide some measure of help, and Social Security is one of them. 

For the recently widowed, there are many painful questions that have to be answered. Unfortunately, many of those questions are about money. When you should be focusing on family and saying goodbye, you instead have to deal with questions about loss of income and the decisions that need to be made. 

For widows and widowers approaching retirement, many of the money-related questions have to deal with Social Security. Because a spouse has spent his or her entire life working and paying into the system, it doesn’t seem right for it all to go to waste. Shouldn’t the widow be entitled to the Social Security benefits of the deceased?

For married couples, filing for Social Security comes with several options. Depending on the situation of the couple, there are different strategies that couples can employ to maximize their life-time benefits. We’ll cover each of these in more detail below but, for now, here is a brief overview to get you started. 

First, for couples that have a long life expectancy, the best strategy is to wait as long as possible before filing. Because waiting to file (up until age 70) increases the monthly size of your Social Security payments, a couple that expects to live a long time can earn more over the course of their retirement by waiting to file.

There are many perks to retirement, such as freedom, traveling, spending more time with friends and family, and for most, becoming Medicare eligible. Most seniors become eligible for Medicare when they reach age 65. Though, some seniors believe they do not need Medicare due to retiree or Veterans Affairs (VA) coverage. 

That is not always the case, so it’s important to know the facts when you approach your Golden Years. Here’s why you should have Medicare in retirement.

If you want to save money for retirement, you need to start doing it right now, no matter how old (or young) you are. While there are multiple methods for building a nest egg, one of the most reliable is contributing to an individual retirement account (IRA). 

There are two primary types of IRAs available - traditional and Roth. Both options have benefits and downsides, so it’s crucial to understand the differences between them. Here is what you need to know. 

According to a recent study, over two-thirds of Americans (69 percent) have less than $1,000 saved in a bank account. This statistic is troubling for many reasons, particularly when it comes to having an emergency fund or saving for retirement. 

If you’re one of these individuals, you may be struggling with the idea of saving money. However, what if you could stash up to $5,000 within a year? It might seem far-fetched right now, but it is possible. We’re going to show you how. 

As you get older, there’s a possibility that your health will decline to the point where you need assistance. This assistance can range from part-time help all the way to full-time assisted living. 

This long-term care is expensive, and without proper planning can financially devastate a person or couple. Paying for care with your own dollars will erode your nest egg and, depending on how big it is, it might even dwindle it all down before Medicaid swoops in.

As you get closer to retirement, it’s crucial to plan for every detail. While your primary concern will be whether you’ve saved enough, one element that can come into play is life insurance. 

Typically, most individuals believe that life insurance coverage is only necessary when they have dependents. However, it can be a valuable asset at any stage of life, including retirement. In this article, we’re going to outline the steps you should take to determine whether you need life insurance in retirement or not. 

If you’re like 69% of Americans, you may have less than $1000 saved. Putting money away is a struggle for many individuals, but part of the problem may be how they’re doing it. 

One possible way to make saving easier is to utilize multiple accounts. Today, we’re going to look at the various reasons you should be saving and the types of accounts you can use to reach your goal. 

This post was last updated on January 15, 2021, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs. 

When you retire, you deserve to enjoy years of relaxation and stress-free time doing the things that make you happy with the people you love. One of the best ways to make sure this happens is by paying off your mortgage before entering your retirement years. In this article, we’ll show you the freedom that not having a mortgage in retirement brings, and we’ll also tell you how to get there.

If you’re saving for retirement, chances are that you are putting money away into an employer-sponsored 401(k) plan. According to a recent study by the Investment Company Institute, Americans put away over $5.8 trillion in assets in 2019. By comparison, that number was only $3.1 trillion in 2010. 

While 401(k) and 403b accounts are by far the most widely utilized saving plans, you may not be aware of the various costs and fees that come with them. In fact, if you’re like 37% of savers, you may not realize that you pay anything at all.

Every working adult will eventually want to retire, but not everyone does the proper amount of planning for that event to actually happen. Without savings and a plan in place, this happy time might actually be more stressful than necessary. If you are a few years from retirement now, it’s time to really consider what the shift into this stage of life will mean for you. 

It is completely normal to feel concerned or scared. After all, this is uncharted territory, and the unknowns are many. How will your finances change? What will the social, mental and physical differences be in your life from this point onward? 

Planning for retirement can be both exhilarating and scary at the same time. Living a worry-free retirement requires a combination of a robust investment portfolio, liquid assets, potential annuities and social security income. 

At the beginning of 2020, no one could have imagined the sudden economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Market volatility has naturally made many people consider postponing retirement plans because of sudden drops in the stock market that have increased investment uncertainty in retirement accounts. 

No matter who you are, retirement planning is a must. Whether you’re just around the corner from retirement or you have a few more decades, it is never too soon to start preparing for your golden years. 

However, while most individuals focus on the financial side of things, what will you actually do in retirement? How will you spend your days? What kinds of hobbies or interests will you pursue? If you’re like most pre-retirees, you might have some thoughts on the topic, but nothing set in stone. 

Let’s get right to it and answer the question before getting into the details. A power of attorney is a legal action that offers someone else of your choosing to make decisions on your behalf if you’re unfit or under contract. 

Its most common use is for people to have a go-to friend or family member to act on their behalf if they become sick or injured and can’t make decisions themselves. Power of attorney agreements are an essential part of the estate planning process and are usually connected to a will or trust fund. 

Typically, if you want to become an investor, you need sufficient capital to make any headway. These days, however, it’s never been easier to make your money work for you, thanks to various investing apps and opportunities. 

If you’re short on funds, you might think that investing is out of reach. You’d be wrong. Thanks to the growing trend of micro-investing, anyone with a bank account can get started. 

When it comes to estate planning, it’s crucial to have all of your assets and beneficiaries listed and up to date. However, because this planning can be relatively messy at times, what you want may not always come to pass. For example, what happens if your beneficiaries predecease you? 

Although this situation can be rare, there’s already a process for what happens to your assets. It’s called per stirpes, and it can ensure that your money or property will pass down to living heirs should your beneficiaries die before you do. 

President Trump signed into law the ‘Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement’ Act (SECURE Act) on December 20, 2019. It became effective on January 1, 2020. The SECURE Act is considered a part of the government’s spending bill and will affect retirement savers inevitably. 

The legislation puts into place several provisions that are designed to strengthen retirement security across the country. It also includes several common-sense reforms that are considered long overdue. These reforms are designed to make retirement more accessible and easier for many Americans.

This post was last updated on July 30, 2022, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.

If you’re trying to save for retirement, it helps to have an employer-sponsored plan so that you’ll have access to funds once you stop working. Although 401(k) plans are the most common option today, some companies still offer pensions. Now you're probably wondering what the outcome of a pension vs. 401(k) is, don't worry; we cover this a bit later on.

When discussing retirement planning, it’s crucial to prepare for the most significant expenses you’ll be facing. While you can control some of these, one cost that will only get higher is healthcare. Unfortunately, as you get older, your body will require more maintenance and upkeep, which can lead to more hospital visits, medications, and other treatments.  

To ensure that you’re ready for rising healthcare costs, we want to outline the best way to plan for them during retirement. Whether you’re going to retire in a few years or a few decades, it’s never too soon (or too late) to prepare. Here’s what you need to know.