What to Pay Attention to Now Here are the top recommended Financial Calendar items with Key Dates to pay attention to for tax and financial planning. January Increase Your Retirement Savings The amount you can contribute to your Roth or Traditional IRA is $6000 for 2020 ($7000 if you’re 50 or older). 401(k) and 403(b)…
Do You Know Why? Although there are holidays and other memorable days in December; there’s one date that, while far less known, deserves at least a little remembrance. I’m referring to Bill of Rights Day. Never heard of it? That’s okay—many people haven’t. But it’s an important date nonetheless, because it’s the day we commemorate…
Christmas Eve, 1906. It was a cold winter’s night. Countless ships bobbed up and down on the icy sea, crewed by weary sailors stationed far away from their families. As their heads nodded and their tired eyelids drooped, it probably wasn’t sugarplum fairies that danced in their heads, but visions of home, hearth, and a…
Recently, I asked various people I know the following question: What were you thankful for when you were five years old? Here are a few of the responses I got. “That my mom would read to me every night and comfort me when other kids were mean.” “I was thankful for my Nintendo and my…
In 1945, there were sixteen million of them. Today, there are less than 500,000 left. They endured the hardships of the Depression. They watched firsthand as radio, talking pictures, and television changed how we live. They witnessed the dawn of the Space Age. And, of course, they fought to free the world from the evil…
The Importance of Asking Questions You’re driving on one of those remote, dusty highways where it seems like there are more buzzards than other cars. It’s been hours since the last town of any size, which is concerning because according to your carefully laid plans, you should have reached your destination by now. There’s no…
Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed a new bill called the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, aka the SECURE Act. (Acronyms are always a thing in Congress.) As the name implies, the bill has important ramifications for people’s retirement savings. I’ll tell you What I Like and What I Don’t.…
Ever heard the saying, “No man is an island”? It means no one is so self-sufficient that they don’t benefit from the help and comfort of others. It also means that no one is so isolated that their actions affect only them. The decisions we make – including those related to our financial goals –…
Every year millions of Medicare beneficiaries are confused about what they should do during the fall annual election period (AEP). You will see the onslaught of television ads and mail in your mailbox, but I know it’s confusing whether the election period applies to you or if you need to take any action. The AEP…
Whose Idea Was Retirement? According to Dr. William Osler, a prominent physician at John’s Hopkins University, “men over 60 were completely useless to society because of their inelastic minds.”(1) Dr. Osler made his proclamation in 1905 … before AARP! So, just whose idea was retirement anyway? In pre-industrial America, retirement did not exist. Ancient…