Social Security

Clients ready to quit the workforce in advance need to understand the impact of doing so on their Social Security benefits, Michael Kitces writes.

Clients should consider a dependable second-hand car instead of a new one, and then redirect the money saved into a retirement account.

Rates are likely to remain low, which will have a negative effect on retirees and older workers who are adjusting their portfolios in preparation for retirement.

Clients should start shoring up their savings by chipping in as much as they reasonably can to their employer’s retirement plan, especially if it comes with a matching contribution.

Advisors are just one tool in the box.

Retirees who under-reported their income to avoid taxes will also get smaller retirement benefits than they deserve.

Retirees should weigh a number of factors, including the fact that the closing costs for reverse mortgages are higher than those for regular mortgages.

IRA investors should consider implementing a charitable lead annuity trust when converting some of their funds into Roth to mitigate the tax bite.

How an advisor's blog about the Piano Man reaped a $14,000 Social Security payday for her client.

New retirees are often anxious about spending to much, depriving themselves of some comforts of life for fear of outliving their nest egg.

Surviving spouses will either receive their own Social Security benefit or the survivor's benefit, whichever is higher. But they also may get pushed to a higher tax bracket, which. in turn, could mean higher taxes on Social Security benefits.

Recent actions by the federal government are not helping Americans to improve their retirement prospects, says analyst.

Unlike when they were still working and their employer withheld an amount for their taxes, retirees need to make estimated tax payments to the IRS.

There is a way to help reshape deeply ingrained destructive habits.

The most important consideration is that clients are able to complete the 35-year work period because benefits are based on the 35 highest-paid years from their careers.

Clients should work together with their spouses and plan as a couple to develop a Social Security claiming strategy that will maximize their retirement benefits.

The government should tax the health insurance employers provide to employees to generate revenue to fix Social Security's financial woes, an expert says.

To avoid paying high fees, retirement savers should ensure that their plan administrator is a no-load fund company and avoid overpriced house funds.

Retirement investors can use their loss carryforward to write off the taxes triggered by a Roth IRA conversion.

Although the market continues to rally, a possible setback remains likely and retirement investors should be ready for this scenario.