Protect Your Spouse in Retirement

For the married couple, retirement planning is not about you. It’s about both of you. That’s the subject of a recent post I wrote for the On Retirement blog at U.S. News and World Report. It is probably worth a read because some planning decisions (e.g., Social Security) that can seriously affect your spouse are irrevocable. Read more

Retirement Planners Are Re-Thinking the “Number”

One of the first books I read specifically about retirement planning was “The Number” by Lee Eisenberg. The book was interesting and thoughtful but in the end asked more questions than it answered. The “number” of course is the size of a retirement nest egg needed to support a desired retirement lifestyle. Most financial planners seemed to target that number when designing a retirement plan for their clients.  Read more

Investments to Retire on Time

I like to read the online edition of Investment News because its articles are targeted to professional financial advisers. I am my own financial adviser but it can’t hurt and may help to learn what others are thinking and saying. In a recent article, the subject was “10 Investments to Help Your Clients Retire on Time.” Read more

Learn About Reinventing Retirement

You may be interested in tonight’s live webcast on the topic of “reinventing retirement.” The webcast will focus on questions such as: Are you looking forward to retirement as a time to reinvent yourself? Will retirement be a time to pursue a new hobby, invest in a personal passion or even launch an encore career? Read more

More Answers About Social Security

I recently wrote about the “Ask an Expert” series on Social Security being published on the New York Times Bucks Blog.  The seventh and final set of questions and answers has been published today. Read more

Two Sides of the Fixed Annuity Story

Annuities in general are difficult for the average baby boomer to fully understand. It doesn’t help that different stakeholders in the annuity industry have different stories to tell about the features, benefits, and costs. Read more

Investment Ladder Strategies for a Retirement Portfolio

Investing when you are near or in retirement is primarily about managing risk and secondarily about generating income. Laddering of invested assets is one strategy used to spread risk while improving average returns. Read more

Is There a Low-Cost Retirement Paradise?

A common theme in discussions about retirement in a foreign country is that a life in a warm, sunny retirement paradise can be experienced at low cost. This belief applies in particular to retirement destinations such as Mexico, Belize, Panama, and Costa Rica. According to some folks who have tried it, this belief is only half-true. Read more

Questions and Answers on Social Security

I’ve covered numerous topics on Social Security retirement benefits here at Go To Retirement. I think I’ve learned a lot doing the research. But it’s always good to get retirement planning advice and opinions from multiple sources. So today I have a tip for readers to find that advice, using questions submitted by you and others. Read more

Re-Thinking the Dream of a Beach Front Retirement

Many baby boomers have grown up yearning for beach front property. Owning a house or condo near the ocean for retirement is a dream that lots of us have shared. Sadly, the Gulf oil disaster has added another reason to the list of reasons why retiring on the beach may not be such a good idea. Read more

Next Page »