Our daily roundup of retirement news your clients may be thinking about.
Many older Americans are now facing hefty life insurance premiums due to dwindling interest rates, according to this article from The Wall Street Journal. This is further aggravated by the aging of earliest policyholders. “Easily 90% or more [of older policies] actually were in trouble or soon to be in trouble,” with many seniors “sitting on a ticking time bomb, and most probably aren’t aware of it,” says a life insurance expert.
A survey by NerdWallet has found that 16% of Americans would not make any moves to get rid of money management fees even if there are quick methods that will enable them to avoid these fees for bigger long-term savings. “It takes less time and effort than most people think to avoid or reduce financial fees, and the payoff is worth it,” says a retirement specialist with NerdWallet. “Next time you’re stuck in traffic for an hour, use the time to call your bank and ask which of your account fees can be eliminated.”
A financial advisor says that IRAs have changed under the new tax code, which no longer allows investors to recharacterize their accounts, according to this article on CNBC. "This is critical, because if you are converting your traditional IRA at this point, it is permanent from 2018 and going forward," says the expert. "So make sure you understand your options and get it right the first time."
A month before Social Security announces the cost-of-living adjustment for 2019, the Senior Citizens League anticipates an increase of 2.8%, according to this article on MarketWatch. While this could help retirement benefits keep up with inflation, it will not be enough to offset the rising healthcare and housing costs. “You keep up with inflation because of the increase in Social Security, but you are probably falling behind a little bit,” says a financial advisor.
