Retirement Planning
Bob Carlson shares miscellaneous advice on retirement and related topics
Found 101 Articles.
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The First Retirement Planning Question
It always is nice when the rest of the financial world begins to catch on to what I’ve been teaching my Retirement Watch readers. Many years ago, I began telling people that the first issue in retirement planning is deciding how you want to live in retirement. You can’t determine a realistic spending plan until […]
Your Retirement Blueprint: 7 Key Questions for Ages 50 and Older
Successful retirement has a blueprint. Whether you are already retired or retirement is years away, you can follow the blueprint to enhance your financial independence. For starters, you should always have a written retirement plan. (Surveys of retirees demonstrate that those who have written plans are more satisfied.) Developing a plan requires you to carefully […]
The 2018 Year-End Checklist for Retirees and Near-Retirees
Year-end financial planning is much more than tax planning, and it is very different this year. Making the right financial moves before Dec. 31 each year can extend the life of your nest egg. It is especially important to make shrewd moves as the year closes. You have to incorporate changes made by the Tax […]
How Working Longer Is Changing Retirement Strategies
More and more Americans remain in the work force after age 65. Some people need the money and don’t want to walk away from the salaries they’re making. Others aren’t ready to leave the structure and activity of the work place. Many people haven’t found other activities that will give meaning and purpose to their […]
5 Ideas to Simplify Your Financial Life
Most people find the financial part of their lives too complicated. Over and again, I’ve found that complicated finances lead to procrastination and stress. Too much time is spent simply organizing papers and data to figure out where things stand. By then, you’re too exhausted to make decisions or implement changes. If that sounds like […]
Defeating the Greatest Retirement Fear
Even affluent Americans are concerned that soaring medical bills will reduce their Retirement standards of living and diminish their estates. This is the time of year when you can do something about it. Medicare Open Enrollment season runs from Oct. 15 – Dec. 7 each year. Sign up during this period for coverage that begins […]
7 Family Wealth Mistakes That Derail Successful Retirements
Many people retire with adequate income and resources to have successful retirements. Somewhere along the way, their retirement plans go off track. In the latest online seminar in my Retirement Watch Spotlight Series, I’m going to identify actions that are most likely to turn a successful retirement plan into a struggling one. From research and […]
How Much Have Americans Saved for Retirement?
This article discusses a recent analysis that shows how much people in various income groups have in savings. The results aren’t too surprising, though I would have guessed that the median savings of the top 1% was much higher. The average savings in retirement, money market deposit, checking and savings and certificate of deposit accounts […]
