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Stay Off the Obamacare Premium Subsidy Cliff
I’m not buying health insurance on the exchange under Obamacare just yet because I’m still working and getting health insurance through my employer. I still looked at the premiums offered on the...
View Article401(a) Plan Contribution Limit
Most people working at private companies have a 401(k) plan, and that’s it. Those who work at educational institutions or non-profits often have a 403(b) plan, which works more or less the same as a...
View ArticleSave Early Versus Experience Early
When it comes to saving for retirement, saving early is one of the most effective strategies. Due to the power of compounding, when you are able to get a head start at an early age, you can make time...
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Pension Choices: Lump Sum, Single Life Or Joint & Survivor
Note from the Editor: This is a guest post from long-time reader Horton. As an actuary, he’s the real pro in crunching numbers! *** While corporate pension plans are on target to follow the way of the...
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Fidelity Retirement Calculator Review
I went to the local Fidelity branch a couple of weeks ago to give them a filled out form for a free international wire transfer. I saw other clients being greeted and led into the offices in the back....
View ArticleIs It Better to Withdraw Only from Cash and Bonds in a Bear Market?
A popular strategy for retirees is keeping a number of years of retirement spending in cash and high-quality bonds in case there’s a multi-year bear market. When I posted Easy Early Retirement...
View Article401k vs Pension: How To Make Your 401k Pay As Much As a Pension
[Updated with recent numbers from Vanguard.] For the most part, 401k plans replaced pension as the prevailing vehicle for people’s retirement. Surveys and studies show very bleak numbers. The balances...
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Relocating for Retirement: Buy or Rent – Old Rules and New Rules
By now it’s obvious I botched our relocation last year. The decision to relocate was correct but I executed it poorly due to my lack of experience. I also didn’t think through all the options when I...
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Calculator: How Much of My Social Security Benefits Is Taxable?
Social Security benefits are 100% tax-free when your income is low. As your total income goes up, you’ll pay federal income tax on a portion of the benefits while the rest of your Social Security...
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Two Fundamental Drivers of Financial Success in Retirement
Despite a long list of things that Fidelity’s retirement planning tool doesn’t do, I still use it as a high-level model. The planning exercise I did at the end of last year revealed two fundamental...
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