For Mark Roberts' Use: If your company offers a 401(k) plan, this valuable work benefit can help you save for retirement while also reducing your income tax liability. But like most financial planning tools, a 401(k) is most helpful when it is utilized correctly. Follow these five rules to reap the most benefit from your [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: It can be difficult for many families to juggle their priorities, so you're not alone in feeling this way. For parents in particular, putting yourself and your own financial needs first can induce feelings of guilt. You might feel tempted to place college savings above your own retirement planning on the financial [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: For generations, retiring free of debts has been a central part of the American Dream. In particular, most of us hope to pay off our homes before we retire, allowing us greater flexibility in our retirement budgets. But of course, many of us purchase our homes by utilizing a 30-year mortgage, and [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: In the retirement planning world, we see that many people tend to focus on how much money they need to save for retirement. While that is certainly one way to look at it, we often find it helpful to also ask, how long will I need income in retirement? After all, it [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Until you retire, most of your life will be spent working hard and saving for retirement. You might focus on your savings goal so hard that you forget you will one day withdraw money from that account! But your withdrawals are another important part of the overall retirement planning process. Analyze your [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Our clients often want cut-and-dry answers. How much should I save for retirement? When should I retire? How can I find more room in my budget? These are all questions that clients ask. It's easy enough to give a solid answer, but of course you don't just want someone to tell you [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Retirement is a major life change, and it's no wonder that you worry about it. Possibly the most common fear is the possibility of outliving your money. Could you actually run out of money in retirement? Social Security will always be there, of course, but most of us can't live on that [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Each spring, we all sit down with a calculator and piles of documents, and we file our tax returns. Despite efforts at simplifying the process, many of us still make mistakes. In fact, the Government Accountability Office says that a small undercover study in February detected errors in 17 out of [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: As you might already know, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 triggered significant changes to the Social Security system. In particular, Congress decided to close the “file and suspend” loophole, which helped many married couples maximize their benefits. However, there is another group of people who will be affected: Those who are [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: We hear a lot of questions in the financial planning industry, but one seems to be the most important in the minds of our clients: When can I retire? You're no doubt in a hurry to begin enjoying your retirement, so we've put together a list of steps for you to evaluate [...]