Retirement planning

Half of U.S. households remain at risk of being unable to maintain their standard of living in retirement, despite the surge in stock market and housing prices.

A client seeking long-term care funding may be able to get it by swapping a life insurance policy.

The mass-affluent are getting more serious about long-term financial objectives, although there is still a major gap between their retirement savings and retirement goals.

(Bloomberg) -- Illinois legislative leaders reached a tentative agreement on fixing the worst-funded U.S. public pension system and will submit it to lawmakers for a vote Dec. 3, according to a spokesman for Senate President John Cullerton. “The Senate president will be debriefing members of his caucus in the coming days in hopes of garnering support,” Ronald Holmes said in an e-mail. …

Some academics maintain that if a client obtains an immediate annuity, it pays an income stream for life and the individual is less likely to outlive his or her money. But of course, many planners often see issues with this in real-life situations.

As November draws to a close, we looked back on some of our most popular stories. Here are the month’s top picks.

In case you missed them, here are the five most popular, well-read and shared stories of November from On Wall Street.

November's hot stories were a wide ranging lot. Check out this month’s big winners.

Recent studies have found that as people age, many lose their ability to make sound financial decisions. So what can be done to safeguard elderly clients’ hard earned assets?

To jumpstart family discussions, family members should set common goals, such as saving for a relative’s college education.

Increased taxes on long-term capital gains has renewed interest in trusts that can sell donated assets, avoid tax, and pay a stream of income to the donors.

Scott Stringer vowed during his successful campaign for New York comptroller to reduce the $370 million in fees the city’s five pension funds pay money managers and consultants annually. His job, which starts Jan. 1, just got harder.

Blogger, equities analyst and CIO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, Barry Ritholtz responds to the 'counterintuitive claim that portfolio rebalancing doesn’t really work,' in a recent column by Paul Merriman at MarkeWatch.

Marital divorce is by definition an adversarial process, but from a financial standpoint it works out better for both parties if it’s also a cooperative one.

If the funds in a taxable IRA are used to purchase an immediate annuity, what impact does that have on required minimum distributions? IRA expert Ed Slott answer this question and others.

In the wake of this summer's Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act and Prop 8 -- as well as ensuing federal clarifications related to tax rules, employee spousal benefits and more -- same-sex couples now say they need help with financial planning.

For those nearing retirement, a market downturn may be something they simply can’t afford to endure. Without enough time to make up for the damage to their portfolios, they won’t be able to afford the retirement lifestyle they had envisioned.

Health insurance questions may dominate this year’s conversation, as the Affordable Care Act’s effects become widespread, but advisors should help clients with other key areas as well.

The Social Security Adminstration makes mistakes like everyone else and it claims a three-year statute of limitations on correction—so don’t delay

From now to December 7, seniors can decide whether to look for flexibility in original Medicare or cost savings in a private Medicare Advantage plan.