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You understand the importance of estate planning, but sometimes you aren’t sure where to start. No matter your net worth, you need a plan in place that can help your heirs understand your final wishes and distribute your estate properly.

When you hire a financial advisor, you are entering a long-term relationship with a person who will know almost everything about your financial life. It is nearly impossible to know who to trust with your money especially when some financial advisors are only looking to line their pockets rather than offer the best investment advice. Hence the importance to carefully vet potential candidates.

Nearing retirement, your thoughts start to drift farther and farther away from the job at hand and closer to what you’ll be able to do in all that free time - catch up on some reading, enjoy an afternoon on the back nine or travel the world with your husband or wife.

A 401(k) is one of the best ways to save for a secure retirement, but if you work for yourself or a small enterprise, this added perk may not be available to you. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t still save for retirement on your own. 

In the past, retirement has been portrayed as an ending, a grand exit from your years in the workplace. But the rules are shifting. Labor force participation among those aged 65-74 is predicted to reach 32 percent by 2022, up from just 20 percent in 2002.1 As the Baby Boomer generation ages, more people are viewing retirement as an opportunity to enjoy the rewards of work in a whole new way.

For those between the ages of 62 and 70, you have the opportunity to begin claiming your Social Security benefits, whether you were planning to or not. This “safety net” of sorts could be an appealing opportunity to replace the income you may have lost due to an unexpected event, but this is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

In 2019, the average monthly social security benefit for retired workers was $1,471.¹ Whether this amount seems like a lot or a little will depend on your current income.