Retirement Planning

The Hidden Risks of Target Date Funds: A Guide to Smarter Retirement Investing

Target-date retirement funds have become increasingly popular within employer-sponsored retirement plans in recent years, offering investors a seemingly simple “set it and forget it” approach to retirement planning. However, the static nature and inflexible asset allocation of these funds can present significant downsides for many investors. This article explores the potential drawbacks of static target…

House Passes Landmark Bill to Boost Retirement Benefits for Millions of Public Servants

The potential elimination of the Social Security Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) has gained significant momentum with the recent passage of the Social Security Fairness Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. This development has sparked hope for millions of public sector workers and retirees who have long been affected by the WEP. Let’s explore the…

The Pros and Cons of a Backdoor Roth IRA

A Backdoor Roth IRA is a financial strategy that allows high-income earners to contribute to a Roth IRA, bypassing the income limits that typically restrict direct contributions. This strategy involves contributing to a traditional IRA and then converting those funds into a Roth IRA. While it offers significant benefits, such as tax-free growth and withdrawals,…

How to Tap Your 401(k) or IRA Penalty-Free Under the CARES ACT

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” or “CARES Act” changed the rules regarding retirement plan withdrawals and tax penalties for 2020. Here’s how the new law, also called the coronavirus stimulus package or H.R.748, could let you tap your retirement savings if needed. Retirement plan distributions: Up to $100,000 penalty-free Normally, distributions from…

Questions to Ask If You’re Filing for Social Security in 2019

If you’re approaching retirement age or planning to file for Social Security in 2019, there are some changes to the program that you need to know. Understanding how you can qualify, when you should file, and what benefits to expect can help make you make a more informed claiming decision, and better prepare you in…

Top 3 Concerns UMass Memorial Healthcare Employees Have About Retirement

After 30 years or so helping dozens of UMass Memorial Healthcare employees better understand their retirement options, I thought I would share the three most common concerns I hear from many of them and hopefully by doing so, if you have these same or similar concerns, you will get a better understanding of how to…

How to Retire in 20 Years or Less

Have you ever thought about how many more years you have to work? For someone in their mid-20s, you could have a long way to go considering the official retirement age is 65. That’s forty more years of working in a job you may not love, or forty more years of being obligated to show…

The Freelancer’s Guide to Saving For Retirement

As a freelancer, you have full and total control over your work. You decide what you do, where you do it, and how you get things done. The freedom and autonomy are attract many workers to self-employment in the first place. But if you already freelance, you know this line of work doesn’t come without a…