Retirement planning

With people preoccupied with planning a get-together or last-minute shopping, 401(k) communications during the busy holiday season might get lost in the shuffle.

People turning 55 next year will be considered senior citizens and can take advantage of penalty-free distributions from retirement savings plans as long as they meet certain requirements; Plus, how to plan your clients' retirement income to avoid taxes.

Clients who want to consult after retirement should first tell hiring managers at their own companies that they will be available for such a work arrangement; Plus, when retired clients should consider renting.

Before the year comes to a close, advisors should check with clients to ensure they're minimizing tax liabilities.

Plan sponsors need to be aware of what will happen to 401(k) plan loans now that rates have gone up.

Higher interest rates will be a welcome relief for retirees who live on income from bonds, CDs and money market funds; Plus, clients should not assume their former employers will manage their 401(k) assets after they resign.

A 69-year-old retiree who is in good financial standing overall needs to buy more equities with large cash stake; Plus, clients who want to retire at 55 need to consider health insurance needs before they become eligible for Medicare.

As lawmakers broker a compromise to keep the government funded, industry groups vow to continue the fight to delay Department of Labor's controversial advisors rules.

The government deemed file-and-suspend an "aggressive" claiming strategy, but some clients can use it for 6 more months; Plus, clients should use the bucket approach to emergency savings.

Spousal election to treat an IRA inherited from a deceased spouse as the surviving spouse's own IRA may not be made until after the death of the first spouse; Plus, Some Americans leave tens of thousands of Social Security benefits on the table.