Can I Retire Today Using Only Cash & Bond Interest?

Can I Retire Today Using Only Cash & Bond Interest?

A reader writes: Now that bonds are yielding over 5%, can I fund my retirement just from the interest? This is a great question that goes to the heart of retirement planning strategies. The first requirement is that you have managed to save enough money. If you expect to spend $100K per year in retirement,…
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Quitting Your Job? Be Aware Of COBRA

According to eHealth almost 50% of Americans receive subsidized group health insurance through their employer. Given the phenomenally complex health insurance marketplace one has to navigate these days, not to mention the cost, that’s a huge benefit. But what happens if you want to change employers? Thanks to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (also…
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How Wealthy Are You?

Have you ever wondered how you stack up financially against other Americans? The Federal Reserve has just completed the 2022 survey of consumer finances (SCF) that it has been carrying out every three years since 1989. It provides a ton of comprehensive data covering practically anything you’d want to know about the financial standing of…
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RMD Rules For Inherited IRAs Remain Confusing

It used to be relatively simple. Prior to 2020, if you inherited an IRA from someone, rather than having to liquidate the account and pay taxes on the balance, you were allowed to “stretch” the annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) over your life expectancy. Then came the SECURE Act (2020) and the IRS interpretation of…
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Four Reasons To Avoid A Roth Conversion

For those unfamiliar with the term, a Roth conversion involves moving money from a tax-deferred traditional IRA (IRA) to a tax-free Roth IRA (Roth). You’ll pay taxes on the amount transferred but from that point on the amount will grow tax-free for the rest of your life (and even for ten years of a subsequent…
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New Research On Social Security Claiming Strategies

I’ve written numerous articles over the years about strategies for maximizing your Social Security (SS) benefits. But the number one decision all retirees face is when to start taking payments. Which is better: to start as early as possible or to delay benefits for as long as you can? There will always be claimants who…
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