First Victory for the Fiduciary Rule

An early victory was scored for consumers last week when a federal court refused to place on hold the U.S. Labor Department’s “Fiduciary Rule.” The rule, which will take effect next April, requires anyone giving advice on retirement accounts always to act in the best interests of their clients. The ruling involved a case filed […]

Why ‘annuity’ is not always a dirty word

Financial independence means living the lifestyle you choose without fear of running out of money. Whether to work becomes a choice, rather than an obligation. Activity (travel, hobbies, volunteering) does too. Worst case from a lifestyle point of view is dying too soon. From a purely financial point of view, it’s living too long. One […]

Frontline: The Retirement Gamble

Here is a piece from Frontline on the Retirement Gamble from last year. It is a longer video, but worth the time. Frontline: The Retirement Gamble

Tough retirement years ahead for Americans

Many Americans are heading for delayed or difficult retirements, and may not be able to maintain their current standard of living. A new poll conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Institute of CPAs found that there is a significant gap between reality and what the public thinks regarding their chances of achieving their retirement […]

Retirement can be golden when proper plans are laid

I say this because people who quit work to enjoy their golden years seldom live the lifestyles they would choose unless they have invested substantial thought and action in planning for financial independence. It’s not through luck that your neighbor was able to quit work at age 60 to travel, golf and learn to juggle. […]

Poor planning for retirement income can be costly

Without proper planning, retirees who are drawing down assets to meet living expenses may end up paying unnecessary taxes, lowering their spendable income and choking their standard of living. They do this when they fail to consider the impact their withdrawals will have on their tax bills. Due to the nature of the income-tax laws, […]

The pros and cons of rolling your retirement-plan money into an IRA

When you leave a job where you have money invested in a defined contribution plan such as a 401k, or 403b you have the option of rolling that money into a personal IRA account. Should you do so? At Mentor, we frequently address this issue with new clients. Often such investments from old jobs have […]

Let’s pretend: Worst-case scenario for your retirement

OK, so you’ve retired, left the grind behind. You’re looking forward to golf, volunteering, spending time with the grandkids. Oops… You’ve forgotten one thing: What if your money runs out before you do? The question is simple, but arriving at an answer that won’t keep you up at night is not. It involves a thorough […]