Retirement scan

Seniors are advised to withdraw from taxable and other retirement accounts before taking distributions from their HSA.

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

Employers' 401(k) matching contributions this year are likely to reach 4.7% of worker's pay, up from 3% in 2009.

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.

Employers should be encouraged to provide their workers affordable, simplified long-term care insurance for employees age 45 and older, says report from the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Real estate can be a good investment because historical data show that increases in rental rates outpace inflation, but there are caveats for clients to consider.

Retirees are better off taking withdrawals from their retirement accounts in their 60s so they spread out their tax liability.

Seniors who want to relocate in retirement to a different place from what their spouse prefers may opt to maintain two homes.

Although traditional IRAs offer upfront tax deductions, clients will have to pay taxes later in life when they likely will be in a higher tax bracket.

High-earning seniors are advised to carefully plan when they file for Social Security benefits.

While retirees can start taking 401(k) withdrawals without penalties when they turn 59 1/2, they may want to consider drawing from their taxable accounts for their living expenses.

The average score of correct answers was 47%, and only 5% of respondents earned a grade higher than C.

Married couples should account for the impact of death on the surviving spouse, and factor in the hefty cost of health care.

Those who expect to stay longer on their jobs could be hurting their prospects, as many people are forced to retire early because of health issues.

One step for clients is to avoid investing the money that they will need within a five-year period.

Older Americans would be subject to an "age tax" under the Senate legislation designed to revamp the Affordable Care Act, says an expert with the AARP.

Gold tends to hold its value in the long-term, but it's volatile — almost as much as stocks — so clients may need decades to ride out its ups and downs,

Setting up an investment account for every newborn, with the federal government seeding it with $7,000, might be a solution to the looming Social Security crisis, says expert.