Controlling healthcare costs in retirement: Retirement Scan

Our daily roundup of retirement news your clients may be thinking about.

Controlling healthcare costs in retirement
Several retirees offer tips on how to control the costs of health care in their golden years. In this article on Morningstar, some seniors claim they shop around for the most affordable health insurance and less expensive drugs every year to manage the costs. Many retirees opt for Medigap to cover expenses excluded in Medicare Plans A and B. Other retirees say they stay healthy by leading an active life and eating healthy to reduce their healthcare costs. –Morningstar

pharmacy-bloomberg.jpg
A shopper enters a CVS Health Corp. pharmacy in Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S., on Saturday, April 30, 2016. CVS Health Corp. is scheduled to release earnings figures on May 3. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Retirees seek adventure with encore careers
A survey has found that over 80% of workers aged 50 and above intend to continue working in their golden years, according to this article on CNBC. Many of them opt for an adventure in their encore careers. "Retirees are still young and active and want to do things," says an expert. "The jobs they are choosing are far more adventurous and interesting than simply working at the local grocer to pay the bills." –CNBC

3 brilliant Roth IRA strategies
Investors may want to consider opening a Roth IRA for their children or grandchildren, according to this article on Motley Fool. The savings can grow substantially through compounding due to their children or grandchildren's long-time horizon, and they can make tax-free withdrawals from the account when they reach the age of 18 and the account is at least five years old. Investors may also consider investing their Social Security retirement benefits in their Roth IRA and converting a portion of their traditional IRA assets into a Roth if they intend to leave the money to their beneficiaries after they die. –Motley Fool

Launching a business? Don’t let your dream drain your retirement savings
A report indicates that starting a new business looks promising for baby boomers, as 24.3% of new businesses were started by people aged 55 to 64 last year, up from 14.8% in 1996, according to this article on Washington Post. However, seniors who opt to run their own business in retirement are advised to plan ahead to avoid tapping their nest egg and being forced to return to work if things don't go as planned. “I’ve seen people make a success out of it, and I’ve seen people blow through their life savings,” says a financial advisor. –Washington Post

How divorce affects your ex's Social Security benefits
Clients cannot claim Social Security benefits on their former spouse's record if they remarried after the separation, according to this article on USA Today. “To get ex-spousal benefits while your former spouse is alive, you have to be single,” says a Social Security expert. “So you can’t get ex-spousal benefits right now, while you’re married. Check with the Social Security Administration if things change, especially if you’re again single (widowed or divorced).” –USA Today

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