Social Security is a major source of retirement income for most Americans. With over 1,800 rules to the program, navigating the Social Security system can be complex. Making sure you have a good strategy in place to maximize your benefit is a cornerstone of a well-crafted retirement income plan. Today, we are going to explore an important aspects of the Social Security system: survivor benefits.
A retirement lifestyle is more than just saving money; it's also deciding how you want to spend that extra time. Here's a look at what you want to consider.
Retirees are living longer and enjoying many years of good health after they are done working. The average life expectancy of someone age 65 is into their mid-80’s with a high probability of making it into their 90’s. With inflation as high as it’s been in 40 years you may be wondering about how long your money will last.
At some point over the past year, the financial media’s inflation coverage transitioned from, “Will this high inflation persist?” to, “Here’s how to cope with inflation that’s here to stay!” It seems some investors have resigned themselves to a new normal of high inflation following decades of below-average consumer price changes.
Many people are concerned that the Social Security system is running out of money. Currently, a percentage of every worker's wages are collected and paid into the Social Security trust fund. At present, 6.2% of workers’ wages are withheld from every paycheck and contributed to the trust fund. Employers pay the same amount into the trust fund for a total of 12.4% of all payrolls in the country.
In an era when interest rates are relatively low and inflation is stubbornly high, how does a conservative investor get any return on their money? The Barclays Aggregate Bond index is off to it’s worst start in years as the Federal Reserve is tightening the money supply and raising interest rates