VINELAND - Sgt. William Bontcue, the police department’s senior K-9 officer, retires on Sunday after a law enforcement career spanning 175 dog years.His partner, K-9 Yoshi, will join him.It will take time for the crime-fighting duo to adjust to the easy life.“We cut firewood the other day for the first time, we went out in the woods and I had a chainsaw,” Bontcue said recounting a recent jaunt with his [...]

The road to retirement is full of obstacles, but knowing what lies ahead can help you successfully overcome them. Think of a retirement plan as a road map (in the days before GPS) that will help you avoid wrong turns, like not taking advantage of a 401(k), forgetting about significant costs in retirement, and forgetting about your desired retirement lifestyle.

RETIREES OFTEN FOLLOW what is known as the 4% rule.Established in 1994 by financial advisor William Bengen, the rule stipulates that you should be able to withdraw 4% of your retirement savings each year without running out of money during your lifetime.But if you are a long-term investor who has maintained a diversified portfolio throughout your accumulation years, you might instead consider increasing your withdrawals to 5% each year.

Like most cops, retirement was the furthest thing from my mind when I was hired. All I could think about was graduating from the academy, successfully completing field training and getting started with my law enforcement adventure. I wish someone would have said, “Hey kid, you need to start planning for retirement,” so that’s what I’m going to say to all of you. Rookies, veterans and everyone in-between must plan for the day they [...]

LEO Round Table host Chip DeBlock asks his guests to share some of the best practices law enforcement agencies should have in place to support officers during the transition into retirement.

I’ve had an eye-opening week dealing with people’s misconceptions about retirement planning. In three situations I heard a potentially useful retirement technique attacked or dismissed. First, a reporter wanted to talk to me because she had heard so many bad things about annuities. Next, when discussing a friend’s concerns with his elderly mother’s finances, I asked if he had considered a reverse mortgage. He gave me the raised-eyebrow look and [...]