Annuities offer powerful tax benefits to those planning for, or entering retirement. Unlike money market accounts, savings accounts, certificate of deposit (CDs), and most bonds, annuities carry the potential to create tax-deferred accumulation. For example, interest...

Fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) have grown in popularity over the years, primarily due to their unique combination of safety, growth potential, and guaranteed income streams. In this people-first guide, we’ll explore the benefits of fixed-indexed annuities, how they...

Average life expectancy has risen by 16 years since the national retirement age was set at 65. We asked health experts when they think people should stop working now. In 1881, the conservative German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, plagued by a rise in socialist...

Fixed index annuities can help you accumulate money for retirement and provide guaranteed income after you retire. A fixed index annuity may be a good choice if you want the opportunity to earn indexed interest, but don’t want to risk losing money in the market. What...

KEY POINTS This holiday season, it may be possible to lower your taxes while supporting your favorite charity, experts say.  If you itemize deductions, consider donating profitable investments or selling losing assets before gifting the cash proceeds. Donors age 70½...

Are emotional health and personal fulfillment part of your retirement portfolio? Retiring successfully requires careful planning to ensure financial and physical health, but what about other important aspects of retirement, such as emotional health and personal...

If you have a dream destination in mind, careful planning and a willing boss could help you make the move ahead of schedule Rob Nehrbas was winding up his career as an executive at an Arizona-based laser device company he’d sold to a bigger competitor when he realized...

Tax changes, RMD rules, Social Security COLA and more will affect older Americans’ finances You might have heard about big changes coming to retirement finance due to Secure 2.0, a package of provisions included in the massive spending bill enacted by Congress and...

KEY POINTS Longevity can have a greater impact on how long retirement money lasts than today’s record high inflation, according to a new report. Surya Kolluri, head of the TIAA Institute, recommends a three-pronged approach to savings combining Social Security...

KEY POINTS All U.S. workers ages 45 to 62 would benefit from waiting until beyond age 65 to start receiving Social Security retirement benefits, recent research finds. The best age to claim is 70, when benefits are 76% higher than retirement benefits taken at 62. The...

KEY POINTS Retirees can push back RMDs to age 73 in 2023. The penalties for not taking RMDs will drop significantly. A big change is coming to workplace accounts with a Roth designation in 2024. The $1.7 trillion spending bill that Congress passed last week includes...

In most cases, if you have no dependents and have enough money to pay your final expenses, you don’t need any life insurance. If you want to create an inheritance or make a charitable contribution, buy enough life insurance to achieve those goals. If you have...

AARP Financial Security Trends Survey: Wave 2 In January 2022, AARP launched its Financial Security Trends Survey, which is designed to monitor the financial experiences, behaviors, and attitudes of adults age 30-plus. The survey examines perceptions of overall...

Tax changes, RMD rules, Social Security COLA and more will affect older Americans’ finances You might have heard about big changes coming to retirement finance due to Secure 2.0, a package of provisions included in the massive spending bill enacted by Congress and...

KEY POINTS Increasing emergency savings is a top financial goal for many Americans heading into 2023, a new survey finds. Here’s how to increase the cash you have set aside. When it comes to financial resolutions for 2023, there’s one goal at the top of many people’s...

IRS adjustments may save you some money in 2023 Are expensive gas and groceries busting your budget? The Internal Revenue Service feels your pain. In one of the few silver linings of the highest inflation rates in four decades, the IRS announced inflation-adjusted...

The income ranges, adjusted annually for inflation, determine which tax rates apply to you Even though we’re still in the 2022 tax year, and you filed your 2021 tax returns back in April, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Gosh! I wonder what the tax brackets are...

Surprisingly, some things are bargains today — but not many Remember 1972? Richard Nixon was president, the Oakland Athletics were on the way to winning the first of three consecutive World Series and All in the Family was the number 1 television show. Still, what you...