Simple Retirement Calculators and Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets can be useful as a simple form of retirement calculator. I have found a few that are free to use. If you are comfortable working with spreadsheets and are interested in using them as retirement planning tools, download them and try them out.  (If you are reading this in feed reader or by email, you will have to click through to the original post to download the spreadsheet files.) Read more

Calculators for IRA Eligibility and Comparison

With tax rates heading up for many baby boomers and with 2010 presenting an opportunity for Roth IRA conversion, funding an IRA in 2008 and 2009 can be an important retirement planning strategy.

IRA funding limits for 2009 have been set for various scenarios and you should consider all of them.

I find it helpful to use online calculators to: (a) help determine whether a taxpayer is eligible for a traditional, Roth, Roth-conversion, and/or non-deductible IRA; and (b) help compare the relative financial benefits of each different IRA type.  I have found two online IRA calculators that I like in particular. Read more

Using the Online Social Security Retirement Benefit Estimator

Baby boomers and others thinking ahead about retirement wait patiently and sometimes anxiously for the delivery of their annual paper copy of their Social Security earnings record and benefit estimate.  Mr. GoTo’s statement arrives each September.  Read more