Author Archives: Site Administrator
For Retirees, Deciding Where To Live Takes On Major Importance
One of the heady joys, or possibly one of the headaches, of retirement is deciding where to live. Once work no longer dictates location, people embarking on the next phase of their lives are free to choose another locale. “Choosing where to live could be the single most important and difficult decision retirees will… Read More »
Choice Of Executor Vital Part Of Estate Planning
Making a will and keeping it up to date are only part of what people need to do to ensure their wishes are properly carried out after death. Wife showing where to sign to her husband Selecting the right executor for an estate is also vital. That message was brought home in a recent… Read More »
Joint Accounts Can Offer More Pitfalls Than Practicality
While having joint bank accounts with family members or business associates offers some convenience, a recent article on the website Bankrate.com points out that there are a variety of risks to the practice. “Most consumers sock away cash into bank accounts, checking, savings, certificates of deposit, to maintain liquidity,” according to the item. “But… Read More »
Divorce Should Trigger Automatic Estate Update
Divorce is often the most major disruption people will experience in their lives. It need not also disrupt things after their deaths. “If you have just gotten divorced, you may be focused on getting on with your life,” notes a recent story in The Wall Street Journal by Liz Moyer. “But make sure you… Read More »
Irrevocable Trust Could Have Saved Fuss Over Novelist’s Estate
The late Tom Clancy’s novels showed he had a remarkable grasp of military strategy. His muddled estate shows he did not bring the same kind of acumen to his own personal financial affairs, according to a recent article on the website insurancenewsnet.com. Clancy passed away in Baltimore on Oct. 1, 2013. He was 66…. Read More »
Coalition Wants Better Rules Governing Financial Advisors
A number of public interest groups have formed a coalition whose purpose is to protect the interests of retirees. These organizations want the “U.S. Department of Labor to revise rules requiring financial advisers to act in their clients’ best interests when offering retirement investment advice,” according to a recent story by Carole Fleck on… Read More »
PBS Series Offers Entertainment, And Investing Lessons
Sound financial advice is nice, even when it’s the byproduct of a popular television show. As a recent article on CNN pointed out, there are valuable lessons to be learned from “Downton Abbey,” the PBS Masterpiece program that focuses on British aristocrats in the early 1900s. The entire premise of the ongoing series, in… Read More »
The Challenge of Successfully Applying for Veterans Benefits
The government’s helping hand can be a little slippery and hard to hold on to — especially for veterans. For the last few months, NPR has featured an ongoing series called Back at Base, which chronicles the lives of American troops all around the world. A special part of that series, released just a… Read More »
Parents, Children Need To Have That Other ‘Talk’
When it comes to parent-child relationships, “the talk” isn’t only from mom and dad to their offspring, and it doesn’t only deal with the facts of life. As noted in an article by Jane Bryant Quinn in the January AARP Bulletin, an important communication among family members involves financial matters. “What should you tell… Read More »
Modified Form Of Retirement Ideal For Some, But Issues Exist
Retirement doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. In a recent article on the website bankrate.com, Christina Couch looks into the issues revolving around what’s being called “phased retirement,” in which older employees continue to contribute at their place of employment but scale back just how much they are required to do. “The most… Read More »