If you are between 40 & 60, beware of these financial blunders & assumptions. Mistakes happen, even for people who have some life experience under their belt. That said, your retirement strategy is one area of life where you want to avoid having some fundamental misconceptions. These errors and suppositions are worth examining, as you do not want to succumb to them. See if you notice any of these behaviors or assumptions creeping into your financial life. Do you think you need to invest with more risk?If you are behind on retirement saving, you may find yourself wishing for a “silver bullet” investment or wishing you could allocate more of your portfolio to today’s hottest sectors or asset c
Having your identity stolen may be costly. Many Americans have taken steps in recent years to protect their personal information, but savvy cybercrooks have overcome some of those defenses. A 2018 Javelin Research report found identity theft hit an all-time high in 2017, affecting an estimated 16.7 million consumers. For the first time, Social Security numbers were compromised more frequently than credit card numbers.1 If you have not taken measures to protect yourself, it may be a good idea to consider your options. Individuals can take four basic steps to help protect themselves against identity theft.These steps are represented by the acronym SCAM. S.Be Stingywhen giving out your personal
An emergency fund may help alleviate the stress associated with a financial crisis. Have you ever had one of those months? The water heater stops heating, the dishwasher stops washing, and your family ends up on a first-name basis with the nurse at urgent care. Then, as you’re driving to work, giving yourself your best, “You can make it!” pep talk, you see smoke seeping out from under your hood. Bad things happen to the best of us, and instead of conveniently spacing themselves out, they almost always come in waves. The important thing is to have a financial life preserver, in the form of an emergency cash fund, at the ready. Although many people agree that an emergency fund is an important
Breaking down the basics & what each part covers. Whether your 65th birthday is on the horizon or decades away, you should understand the parts of Medicare – what they cover and where they come from. Parts A & B: Original Medicare. There are two components. Part A is hospital insurance. It provides coverage for inpatient stays at medical facilities. It can also help cover the costs of hospice care, home health care, and nursing home care – but not for long and only under certain parameters.1,2 Seniors are frequently warned that Medicare will only pay for a maximum of 100 days of nursing home care (provided certain conditions are met). Part A is the part that does so. Under current rules, you