Retirement Education

Like other people, you probably hold a Social Security card. But unless you are close to retirement, you may not know that much about Social Security benefits. As a large governmental program, Social Security has many rules and moving parts that can affect you.

Social Security plays an important role for retired households. Among elderly beneficiaries, 48% of married couples and 71% of single persons receive half or more of their income from Social Security. As you near retirement, you may have questions of your own. Learning more about Social Security will help you get the most out of your benefits.

Because Social Security is a major income source for many people, when you claim benefits might be one of your most important retirement decisions. However, moving through the ins-and-outs of this program can be daunting. To help you get started with planning for your benefits and other income sources, here are answers to seven top Social Security questions. Read More

As we inch closer to our retirement age, it becomes more important for us to have more control of our money and the future. This is true for a variety of reasons. But for many of us, more control means a greater sense of financial security.

However, financial peace is hardly a happy accident. Rather, it comes from careful planning and following a well-laid-out strategy built for retirement, a plan that emphasizes income, safety, and protection. In simple terms, we can call this sort of plan a “Safe Money Strategy.”

Building a solid safe money strategy, however, is not as simple as it may sound. For one, the financial needs for each of us are different, especially at the near-retirement and post-retirement phases of life. And as the life expectancies of people in the U.S. have increased, retirement planning has certainly become important like never before.

There was a time not so long ago when our grandparents lived comfortably throughout their retirement years, relying mostly on their employer pension, Social Security, and perhaps other income sources. However, the golden days of pensions and other employer-sponsored income vehicles are long gone. Now our approach to retirement planning must be different, as it’s more of an individual responsibility than ever. Read More

“What is safe money?” That is a question that many Americans are asking. And it’s not surprising why. From retirement presentations and dinner seminars to weekend financial talk shows and radio commercials, safe money is a common theme in many public forums.

Generally speaking, a broad definition of safe money is “the money you can’t afford to lose.” Since everyone has different needs, goals, and situations, this concept means different things to every person. For some, safe money could be lifelong savings they have built up and need to preserve. Or it might be accumulated wealth that needs to be protected from risk, as it will be a source of retirement income.

For others, it could be a stockpile of money they will need at a certain time, like funding their children’s college education, paying off the mortgage, or buying a luxury item for which they saved a long time. Yet for some other Americans, safe money might be a future account balance – a sum of money that they want to grow safely and efficiently.

So, the answer to “what is safe money?” is it depends. Your own needs, goals, and situation provide the financial context of its meaning. But boiling down to the essentials, safe money is about security and protection… money that is safe and as free from unnecessary risk as is possible. Read More

You have probably heard plenty of old platitudes about the importance of taking action. For many, “if you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk” is one such truism. But in money matters, people often hesitate to prepare for their retirement future. For that matter, they might not even discuss it with their family and other loved ones.

In various research studies, the findings are stifling. Not only are Americans struggling with retirement readiness, debt, and living within their financial means. They may limit themselves in their discussions of financial matters. Money may be a taboo subject or people may be embarrassed about their personal financial circumstances to the point of not wanting to discuss them – not to mention other possible factors.

So, just how are Americans going about retirement and financial topics? And how might this affect future generational spending and saving practices? Let’s dive into the numbers. Read More