Retirement planning

Should older clients' portfolios be adjusted more quickly to bring equity allocations to their desired level? New research says yes.

Advisors today are realizing they have to be flexible, saying that they are just as apt to recommend a number lower or higher than 4% to clients as an appropriate withdrawal rate. And some are using means completely different to set rates.

Advisors have shifted the focus to thinking about retirement in terms of income strategies rather than purely the accumulation of more assets.

Writing options to increase cash flow might benefit clients who understand both the downside and upside risks.

By using income tax bracket arbitrage, some clients’ families will do better if the tax is paid sooner rather than later.

Survivor benefits have some unique rules that separate them from the rest of the program.

The flexibility and broad selection of a regular investment account could outweigh the tax advantages of a 529 plan for funding higher education.

What clients really need is a smart distribution strategy for their retirement portfolio. Here's how our firm handles it.

Maintaining adequate reserves of spending cash can ease retirees’ concerns about periodic volatility.

Employee Stock Ownership Plans can provide company owners with a long-term exit strategy that offers cash flow, tax advantages and an opportunity to pay back employees.

With inflation so low for so long, have you considered the dangers of even modest increases to clients' portfolios?

Some 49% of Americans end up retiring unexpectedly. How do financial planners best help clients in this situation refashion retirement plans?

When and how your clients elect Medicare coverage can have a big effect on their overall budget.

The pitches are persuasive. Workers who leave jobs with the federal government transferred $10 billion last year out of the Thrift Savings Plan.

Though it can often pay to wait, advisors should help clients determine when it makes sense to file earlier for spousal benefits.

Many U.S. households are not adequately prepared for retirement, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve that found 31% of non-retired respondents indicating they have no retirement savings or pension, including 19% of those ages 55 to 64.

Variable annuities held by clients might not need to be annuitized to deliver cash flow.

For advisors and their boomer and retiree clients, the new rules from Treasury could be a game changer for how they allocate 401(k) and IRA assets going forward.

Advisors should help their female retiree clients balance their well-placed concerns about longevity with their tolerance for risk.