The underlying message from the recent report released by the Senate Joint Economic Committee is clear from its title, “An Invisible Tsunami: ‘Aging Alone’ and Its Effect on Older Americans, Families, and Taxpayers.” The report looks at the worrisome trend toward increasing social isolation among older Americans. The report examines trends of social support among adults ages 61 to 63 from 1994 to 2014 by several measures — think children living [...]

“Stocks escaped a scary October and set records. So what’s next for your 401(k) in 2019?” USA Today recently posed this question, noting that the stock market made it through October without crashing, as it did in October of 1929, Black Monday in 1987 and in the 2008 financial crisis, which started on Sept. 29. It was also a big change from October 2018, when the Dow fell by more than 1,000 points in [...]

When approaching a retirement planning case, the first, and most important step, is helping the client to get a handle on what is really important to them. While this is often the very hardest step, it’s also often the most important. There is so much to think about that we put off, because so much of it brings up difficult feelings. This step ranges from what you want your retirement [...]

There’s an old saying that every journey begins with a single step. When it comes to retirement planning, have you taken your first step? And what about the many steps that follow? If you have a retirement plan in place, fantastic. You’ve taken the first step, and it may be time to think about making your money work for you more effectively. But if you haven’t started your retirement planning, it’s okay. [...]

The most common financial questions involve the word “enough.” Do we have enough? Will we have enough? That’s what most people want to know. Another question must be answered first, though, and that is: “Enough for what?”  Many people haven’t seriously pondered this question. Or maybe they have, but answers drift depending on which day of the week it is. Fuzzy goals make it hard to craft the right retirement [...]

A growing number of Gen Xers and baby boomers are rejecting traditional retirement.  TD Ameritrade recently surveyed 2,000 people between the ages of 40 and 79 about their plans for retirement. About 31% of the respondents said they would continue working part time — or already have — after retiring from their career, even if there's no financial need.