“Transitioning from saver to spender can be a disconcerting shift for many seniors. A more systematic approach to spend-down can help.”

Transitioning from being a saver in the accumulation phase to a spender in the spend-down stage of your financial life means you will be required to not only keep a close eye on your investments, spending, and taxes but also for creating your own “paycheck.”

For some retirees, this paycheck might result from living off the interest or dividends from investments. Others may prefer more predictable income sources, including annuities and Social Security. These “safe money” assets can help you achieve more peace of mind and perhaps cover your...

“Since the pandemic was first declared, over 2 million older workers have exited the workforce for good. But, unfortunately, this is not always by choice.”

 

Forced early retirement is a problem for the entire nation.

In the period after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency, thousands of older Americans found themselves out of work. A significant segment of those affected by the economic downturn is over age 50. Many of these older workers had no choice other than to enter an unanticipated early retirement.

Are you prepared if you have to retire early?

Unplanned retirement nearly always creates long-term financial insecurity, especially for the most...

Retirement can mean many different things to many people. For some, it will be a time to travel and spend time with family. For others, it will be a time to start a new business or begin a charitable endeavor. Regardless of what approach you intend to take, here are nine things about retirement that might surprise you.

1. No age restrictions on when you can retire

In the past, most people retired around age 65. However, retiring later in life has become more prevalent in recent years. In fact, there’s no age restriction on when you can retire. As long as you have the financial means to do so, you can retire at any age.

2. Retirement income can be taxable

Depending on your...

If you’re a woman in or near retirement, let me ask you this: “How do you plan to take what you’ve so diligently saved and turn it into a lifetime stream of dependable, predictable, tax-advantaged income?”

If you’re like many of us, you probably don’t have a ready answer to this question. That’s because you’ve been busy doing “all the right things.” You’ve been working, saving, maximizing your 401K, paying off debts, being a caregiver, running a household, etc. It’s likely you haven’t really had time to think about what to do when the time comes to stop working and live on what you’ve accumulated.

I want to suggest: Take some time to consider annuities...