As Investopedia’s article, “Social Security Claiming Options for Singles,” explains, unmarried retirees need to be certain they understand exactly how Social Security defines “single.” It’s not limited to never-married beneficiaries, because those who divorced prior to their tenth anniversary are also considered single. If you are single due to the death of your spouse, you’re eligible for widow/widower benefits based on your spouse’s...
Continue ReadingSelf-employed individuals can establish a “solo 401(k),” which is a special type of retirement plan for someone who’s self-employed or a business owner with no employees (other than a spouse). A person can fund it with about 20% of net profits when times are good; you can skip contributions during lean years. As Kiplinger says in the article, “Retirement Savings Plans for...
Continue ReadingAre you certain that the beneficiaries you designated to receive your assets are up-to-date? Are your assets titled correctly, and has anything changed since the last time you reviewed them? As WTOP’s recent article, “7 common mistakes to avoid when naming your beneficiaries,” explains, after any major life change, like a marriage, divorce, birth of a child, or death of a spouse, you...
Continue Reading“A Las Vegas police lieutenant, a guardian and two other people were indicted Wednesday on various theft and elderly-exploitation charges, after a joint investigation by the state attorney general and Clark County district attorney.” A police officer, who has been with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department since March 1994, has been charged with 14 felony counts of theft,...
Continue Reading“An elderly Houston woman says an on-line coin seller, based in New York, took advantage of her loneliness to sell her $1.3 million in gold and silver coins at inflated prices.” Seventy-two-year-old Patricia Thomas recently sued the National Collector’s Mint in federal court in Houston, claiming that one of its sales representatives, under the guise of “checking in” with...
Continue Reading“The adult children of entertainment legends Casey Kasem, Mickey Rooney and Glen Campbell tried Tuesday to convince Michigan legislators to pass a law, they say would protect aging parents by ensuring visitation rights for their loved ones.” Kerri Kasem, Kelly Rooney, and Travis Campbell were recently joined by other supporters, in testifying before the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee to...
Continue Reading“When we think of retirement, we often imagine ourselves exploring the globe and taking advantage of the seemingly limitless amount of free time we suddenly have on our hands.” Many people see retirement as the ideal time to travel, with all their work-related time constraints gone. However, because most seniors are on a fixed income, paying for those trips...
Continue Reading“The FINRA has instated two new rules this week to combat financial abuse and fraud against the elderly and other vulnerable adults.” FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, has instituted two new rules to help thwart elder financial abuse: Financial advisors must now make every reasonable effort to get the name and contact information of a trusted person for...
Continue ReadingThe changes to the federal estate tax law or “death taxes” went into effect on January 1. MarketWatch’srecent article, “Watch out for the gift tax trap in the new tax law,” reports the new law significantly increases the amount allowed to calculate taxes on estates, where no federal tax would be applied. A single person could now die owning up to $11.2...
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