Retirement Planning
Do you want to leave an IRA to your Children or Grandchildren?
Recently we have had several client inquiries asking, “Is leaving my IRA to my children or grandchildren a good idea?” The answer to the question is possibly. As so often is the case, it depends on the goals you are trying to accomplish, and of…
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in Financial Planning, Life After Retirement, Retirement, Retirement Planning by
John Stohlman Jan 16, 2023
FAQ- Understanding my Federal Employee Benefits [Video]
How Do I Understand My Federal Employee Benefits? Federal government employees are provided with an impressive benefits package. The standard benefits are considered by many experts to be a valuable component of its compensation package, often exceeding the benefit packages offered by public sector employers.…
Read More in Federal Employees, Financial Planning, Retirement, Retirement Planning by
Medallion Group Dec 1, 2022
Should I Buy a Retirement Home Now or Wait?
It’s no secret that the housing market is in shambles — home prices continue to fall, and many homeowners are still living in homes “underwater,” — meaning the cost of their homes is lower than the mortgage loans used to buy them. But what does…
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FAQ-How should I be invested in retirement? [Video]
How Should I Invest My Money in Retirement? Once you retire, you may be asking the questions: “How do I invest my money in retirement?”or “Should I even invest my money in retirement?” Maybe…
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6 Retirement Costs to Keep in Mind
No matter how much you’ve thought about retirement already, it can be easy to overlook some of the details that will make your post-employment years run smoothly. You probably have the basics covered, but be sure your plans and projections factor in everything you need…
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FAQ- Will I have to work more after retirement? [Video]
Retirement. It’s something everyone thinks about and looks forward to enjoying. The idea of waking up without being tied to an alarm clock – to know that your day is yours. It’s a dream most people can’t wait to fulfill. Many of those…
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Annuities Give Retirees Freedom to Spend
The days of riding off into the sunset with a guaranteed pension paycheck and a gold watch are no longer a reality for most people. According to CNN, the percentage of private sector workers with a traditional pension plan is 4% today compared to 60%…
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Things to Consider when Investing in the TSP Funds [Video]
As a federal employee, you are provided retirement plan options. The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is the federal version of the private sector’s 401(k). The TSP is a recognized, defined savings/investment contribution plan. The Thrift Savings Plan’s account balance comprises several components – federal employee…
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How Do I Get Accurate Info From my HR Department? [Video]
As you’re getting closer to retirement, you may be reaching out to your HR department trying to figure out how you can get good, accurate information from them. There’s some good news and maybe some bad news to this. The good news is that most…
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Why Do I Need a Financial Planner if I have a TSP? [Video]
If you’re invested in the TSP and the TSP is your primary vehicle for retirement, then you may be wondering, “Do I need a financial planner? Isn’t the TSP just managing my money for me?” There’s a lot to unpack in that simple question. Let’s…
Read More in Federal Employees, Financial Planning, Retirement, Retirement Planning, TSP by
Ryan Dunn Dec 30, 2021
Things to Consider About Your Retirement Withdrawal Strategy [Video]
You’ve gotten to the point where you’re getting ready to retire. You know that the income from your employment is going to stop, and you have a decision to make: how are you going to approach income so that you can do the things that…
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How Do I Maintain My Standard of Living in Retirement? [Video]
As you get closer to retirement, you may begin to ask, “How do I maintain my standard of living through retirement?” This is a complicated issue to answer as you start to unpack it because retirement isn’t always linear. You don’t always spend an even…
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Are Annuities Bad? [Video]
When evaluating any sort of financial product, the first thing to understand is that financial products are just tools. When tools are used correctly, they can be effective. When tools are used incorrectly, they can be ineffective. When it comes to the conversation about annuities,…
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When is the Best Day for a FERS Employee to Retire? [Video]
One of the big questions federal employees have is when is the best day to retire? There are several things that you want to take into consideration. Let’s talk about FERS employees because that’s where most of the federal employees are at this point. Below…
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Do I Have Enough Money to Retire? [Video]
Do I have enough to retire…will I ever be able to retire? As you get closer and closer to retirement, anxiety can begin to build up around the idea of whether you’ll have enough money to retire. In other words, “What’s that magical number that…
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The 2021 Updates for Required Minimum Distributions
RMD Requirements for 2021 are back In March of 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (also known as the CARES Act) waived the RMD requirements for 2020 for most taxpayers. This waiver was given to allow savers to leave the funds in…
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How Do I Fit Social Security Into My Retirement Planning?
Like most Americans, you’ve probably paid into Social Security during your entire working life. In return, you can begin to receive monthly income from this federal program once you retire. You have some control over when and how you receive payments. These choices and other…
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Choosing a Financial Advisor: What to Know Before You Invest
Choosing a financial advisor may be one of the most important financial decisions that you will ever make. The person you decide to work with will be in a position to influence critical investment and planning decisions, and the quality of his or her advice…
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Planning to Retire Within Five Years? Retirement Planning Questions You Should Consider Now
If you’re planning to retire within five years, you might be getting restless thinking about whether or not you’re financially ready. While five years isn’t long to finalize retirement planning, you can probably look forward to decades of retirement and, just as you would consult…
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7 Key Components of a Comprehensive Retirement Plan
In a 2019 survey, nearly half of all American adults reported having nothing saved for retirement. Another 19 percent had between $1 and $10,000 set aside, and 20 percent had between $10,000 and $100,000.This means that more than eight in every 10 adults have under…
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If this Election Rocks the Market, Where is My Hope for Income?
When it comes to our finances, we all want to have certainty and assurance of our income, at least as much as possible. During an election year when emotions are running high, you may be tempted to pull your money from the market in an…
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Retirement SMART Goals
You have probably heard of the term “SMART goals” before. The term has become a bit of a cliché these days and it’s almost impossible to listen to a motivational speaker or read a self-help guide without hearing the phrase. When something has become this…
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Are Annuities Only Good for the Person Selling Them?
I was in the police station the other day getting fingerprinted (required by FINRA for all registered securities reps) and as I was pulling up my sleeves to stick my finger in the ink, the police officer asked me why I was there. When I…
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10 Great College Towns For Retirees
College towns are popular retirement destinations because they offer great amenities like places to eat, things to do, diverse communities, and lots of sports games for weekend entertainment. We’ve come up with a list of 10 great college towns for retirees around the country. Enjoy!…
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Facts About TSP Withdrawals
Our own John Stohlman writes for FedSmith.com from time to time and we also get to benefit from his writing. Recently, he wrote about TSP withdrawals, an important topic to be well versed on for any federal employee or retiree. 5 Facts About TSP Withdrawals…
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OPM Breach: Update
OPM Hacked You probably remember that in early June, the Obama administration and OPM announced that the OPM systems were breached in April, and that the information of around 4 million Federal Employees was compromised. A Second Breach Unfortunately, we now know about a second,…
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Retired on a Cruise Ship: The Ultimate Form of Assisted Living
Contributing to a 401k retirement plan, hiring a personal financial adviser, and smart investments are all ways you can prepare for life after the workforce. And if you are lucky, you may be able to plan for a retirement as cool as “Mamma Lee”. Lee…
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TSP Rollovers: A Scandal in the Making?
TSP Rollovers Make Bad Press Lately, there has been a splash of negative articles about feds choosing to roll their TSP accounts over to IRA’s and managing funds themselves. 45% of federal retirees take their money out of the TSP, causing a reduction of about…
Read More in Annuities, Life After Retirement, Retirement, Retirement Planning by
Medallion Group Oct 27, 2014