One of the benefits of having a whole or permanent life insurance policy during retirement is that it allows for tax-free loans from the accumulated cash values. These cash value reserves can provide an essential source of postretirement income for lifestyle maintenance, emergency expenses and major purchases. But it’s …

There are many strategies for seniors who want to increase their postretirement income, some far more appealing than others. One strategy that many have heard of is the reverse mortgage. While not necessarily a “bad” strategy, it’s important that seniors understand the ins and outs of this approach before they …

The year 2016 marks an important time for changes with the Social Security system. Some of the strategies retirees have relied on are going away and, as a result, important adjustments need to be made to the way you approach your retirement planning. Fact 1: Restricted application is no longer …

Today, in part two of the managing liquidity series, we’re going to talk about maintaining liquidity with annuities and Social Security maximization. Both of these tools offer important ways of preserving your retirement income and providing a hedge against sequence of returns risk. 1. Maximizing Social Security: One of the …

In the blog post titled The Danger of Relying on the 4 Percent Rule, I talked a little bit about sequence of returns risk, which is the risk that low returns or losses during the early years of retirement can significantly impact the longevity of your retirement funds—especially if you’re …

Not everyone plans to retire early—or at all. In fact 40 percent of the 50-or-older respondents of a 2015 Harris Poll said that they didn’t plan to ever retire. Of course, we all know what happens to the best-laid plans—they often go awry. That’s why you need to have some …

With all the various tasks and obligations stealing our time each day, it’s very easy to get into a rut when it comes to making annual retirement contributions. But it’s not a good idea to let this become a routine without periodic review—and here’s why: 1. Contribution limits change often. …

Bonds are a popular fixed income investment for seniors who want to reduce their risks and create a plan for predictable income throughout their retirement. But bonds aren’t without risk. Understanding the risks posed by bonds is an important part of protecting yourself against them.   What Are Bonds?   …

There are many formulas that are supposed to help ensure you don’t overspend your retirement savings. One of the most popular, and—as such—relied upon is the 4 percent rule. This is a withdrawal rule that limits the amount of your annual withdrawals to just 4 percent of your retirement savings …

Tax season is almost upon us, and that means it’s time for scammers to take advantage of taxpaying citizens who just want to do the right thing. The latest scam, as covered by AARP, involves people calling taxpayers and stating that they are from the IRS and trying to collect …