Retirement scan

While tax reform has been a mixed bag for muni bonds, a few factors working in their favor include constrained supply this year, as well as historically low defaults.

In addition to health insurance considerations. people considering this need to determine whether they can afford the missed earnings and the ability to continue building their nest egg.

More states should follow in California’s footsteps in making it easier and cheaper for seniors to tap home equity, writes Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

There are hundreds of rules and claiming strategies – the wrong one can have major repercussions.

Workers are advised to contribute enough to their workplace plans to get the match even while paying off their college debt.

Compared with college-educated professionals, high school educated workers retire earlier because their jobs are physically demanding and less appealing for aging workers.

The wealth in retirement accounts could shrink by that much due to annual defaults on 401(k) loans. The projected loss is about 2.7% of the $7.8 trillion in retirement accounts.

Seniors will have to pay income taxes on a certain portion of their benefits if their taxable income plus 50% of the benefits exceed a certain threshold.

For potential landlords, owning rental property can sometimes be managed from a laptop or even a phone.

Premiums appear to be stabilizing finally and even dropping in some states.

The "Rule of 100" follows the rule-of-thumb of growing more conservative as investors grow older, but it also may be obsolete since it was developed when interest rates were higher.

While 75% of rich older Americans are worried about healthcare costs in retirement, very few of them are actually planning on how to cover these expenses.

Trying to time the market is a “fool’s game,” but preparing for a possible downturn as retirement approaches can be a smart move.

Those new to Medicare may not realize they need to buy a separate policy to cover prescription drugs. There are some partial exceptions, but even in those cases, coverage can vary.

Someone who starts saving from age 20 can sock away 90% less per month than someone who gets a later start at age 50 and still build the the same size of portfolio.

Investors have an average of 25 funds to choose from in their 401(k) plans, but some financial advisors suggest that the best approach is to pick a small number of very broad funds.

Other groups, such as those who used to itemize tax deductions but will now use the high standard deduction, are also advised to check their withholding taxes.

High-net-worth clients can bump into income limits when it comes to making Roth IRA contributions, but they can find other tax-saving strategies to save for retirement.

Many older Americans are now facing hefty life insurance premiums due to dwindling interest rates. Many seniors are sitting on a "ticking time bomb."

These loans can be a good option in some cases, but they're not a cheap way to borrow money so senior citizens with good credit may have cheaper alternatives.