For Mark Roberts' Use: It’s an unfortunate fact of life that con artists frequently target retirees for their nefarious activities. As someone who is soon to collect your Social Security benefits in the near future, you make the ideal target for a thief who is willing to commit one act of fraud in exchange for [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Retirement brings many changes to your lifestyle, daily schedule, finances, and more. And that’s certainly true for your tax situation! As you transition into your new life, watch out for these five tax situations that commonly trip up new retirees. Taking your first distribution too early can cost you. If you [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: When you think about retirement planning, it’s normal to focus on saving a specific amount of money. Most of us need at least an approximate savings goal, so that we can deduce a few important details. This number tells us how much progress we’ve made, helps us understand how much we need [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Last month, we all received a painful reminder that the stock market doesn’t always behave the way we hope it will. If you’re feeling a bit shaken up, that’s normal. But does a rocky stock market signal the need to run from it? As you draw closer to retirement (or if [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Most of us love surprises – the good kind, anyway! And you might think on the surface that a “surprise” retirement sounds like a great thing. It could be, if you win the lottery or otherwise receive a windfall that allowed you to retire earlier than expected. But of course, it might [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: We often warn our clients that, while they might not notice the effects of inflation from one year to the next, they will certainly notice a decrease in purchasing power over several decades. With lifespans reaching into the 80s and 90s these days, some of us could be spending 20 or 30 [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: You've probably heard that the number one cause of marital discord is money. This truth has been widely recognized for years now – so why are we still making the same old mistakes? It's true that love can make you blind, so you might think those bad situations can't happen to [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Evaluating the state of the economy involves many factors, with the unemployment rate being one of the most critical. In 2017 we received the good news that our nation's unemployment rate has dropped to just 4.4 percent... So let's break down what that means, and what it doesn't mean. The good [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: You’ve certainly heard the news by now: The cost of healthcare in the US continues to rise, outpacing inflation and cost of living increases to pensions and Social Security. In retirement, healthcare becomes an even larger concern, both due to the fact that you’re more likely to suffer health problems, and [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Income tax topics have dominated the news lately, mostly due to the major overhaul Congress just enacted upon our tax structure. So, you might be feeling concerned about how these changes could affect your income taxes in retirement. While it will take a bit longer for analysts to fully break down [...]