Retirement scan

Seniors may delay the benefit for increased payout in the future if they have other income sources, they are healthy, or interest rates are high.

An expert warns that investors will have to contend with lower returns in the future, as stocks are currently high-priced.

Open enrollment offers seniors the opportunity to change their plans and save hundreds of dollars.

Medicare is needlessly complicated so people often become paralyzed, cannot make a decision and end up doing nothing, says an expert.

While clients experience various benefits as they age, they still owe taxes after exiting the workforce.

While the fiduciary rule was cited as a positive, problems mentioned by Bogle included the incentive for companies to be “very stingy” with pension contributions since they come out of earnings.

Their hospital bills will not be covered if they were not formally admitted into the hospital for three consecutive days and were put under observation status.

Retirees may want to roll over a portion of their traditional IRA into a Roth IRA or use their IRA funds to buy a qualified longevity annuity contract.

Unlike pension plans which rely on market returns to fund their payouts, Social Security puts its investments in U.S. Treasury debt, which yields only 1% in annual return.

Major home and car repairs are among the unexpected expenses that catch many retirees financially off-guard.

Women are advised to double check their beneficiary information, update legal documents regularly and create a plan for long-term care.

Most respondents to an informal survey said they view Social Security as an income stream rather than as an asset. At least one expert disagrees.

More small businesses are motivated to provide 401(k) plans by technological advances as well as an expense war among mutual fund companies.

Buffalo, N.Y., is one of five cities where retirees who rely solely on Social Security for income can live comfortably.

Instead of buying one expensive car after another, clients should invest the money and let it grow. They may even be able to retire early.

Benefits are not capped at a predetermined level. They are based on two variables: a client’s highest earnings over 35 years and their age when they file for benefits.

High-yielding investments come with a significant risk, as exemplified by ETFs that own energy-focused master limited partnerships.

Investors should understand that market volatility will remain a risk to their portfolio, and investing in low-volatility funds does not guarantee protection.

Investors should rebalance their portfolio, consider investing in foreign markets and avoid trendy ways to minimize risk. Find out what they shouldn’t do.

Retirees who opt to manage their investments are advised to streamline their portfolio maintenance into a process that they can roll out toward the year's end.