Retirement readiness

As an alternative to placing restrictions on lump sum withdrawals, clients could provide retirees more distribution flexibility.

Eleven of the 14 dividend-focused ETFs in existence 10 years ago beat a plain vanilla index fund.

The last government shutdown highlighted how many Americans ignore basic planning lessons.

About 19% of adults support elderly family members in some way.

Maryland and New Jersey are among the least-appealing places for employees to spend their post-work years, due in part to affordability, health costs and overall quality of life.

Virginia and Colorado are among the most-appealing locations for retirees to spend their golden years, due in part to top scores in affordability, health-related factors and overall quality of life.

Getting clients to think realistically about their post-work years is tough, but this one question quickly gets to the heart of the matter, says Trilogy Financial CEO Jeff Motske.

Benefits are meant to replace just 40% of preretirement income, so many retirees should consider creating new income sources, such as running a small business or renting out a property.

Failing to take the mandatory distribution on time may push retirees to a higher tax bracket.

Seniors should not only have a financial plan in place, but activities to keep them preoccupied.

These are the best and worst places to consider based on total tax burdens.

Contract work, consulting or smaller part-time jobs can help clients reduce withdrawals early in their retirement years. But have advisors kept up with the complexities of these strategies?

So-called opportunity zones created under the new tax law can offer clients a unique chance to save.

A detailed proposal can turn prospects into clients, but only if advisors can gather the right data.

One hybrid robo advisor is looking to new reporting tools to help push a higher standard of client care.