"Forget the dizzying array of online retirement sites: Errold F.
Moody Jr., a financial consultant with 20 years experience, has created a
one-stop shop for everyone from Gen Yers to current retirees."
Individual Investor Magazine
There are innumerable issues with retirement and many have been addressed
in other areas- estate planning, investments, and so on. Probably the main
considerations, at least from my work, are the fact that the elderly do not
realize how long they will live and, in conjunction with that, do not adequately
budget for that time frame. Actually, few budget correctly at any time and
it therefore becomes the most key issue I address with almost any retirees.
If you do not have a solid budget, almost all retirement planning is
guesswork.
"One of life's most painful moments comes when we must admit that
we didn't do our homework, that we are not prepared."
Merlin Olsen
Click to Buy it now!
Sample
Pages
No
Nonsense Finance eBook
Tens of millions of American families have invested their savings too
thoughtlessly and emotionally in stocks. And over the next 10 to 20 years,
their retirement incomes will turn out to be a lot smaller than they now
anticipate -- not to mention the value of their stock options, the pleasure
they get from feeling wealthy and the amount of money they therefore spend.
Robert Shiller
The list below includes all articles and specific links in alphabetical
order with accompanying description. The listings in the column to the right
are separate sections for articles and links
412 (i)
BENEFIT PENSION PLAN LINK: The plan must be funded solely
by individual or group life insurance and annuity contracts that are part
of the same series, that include the same mortality tables and rate assumptions
for all participants.g Attorney offers good information on this retirement
program.
412i Plan Ricky DeFrancesco
457 PLAN LINK : A 457(b)
plan is a non-qualified tax-deferred compensation plan that works very much
like other retirement plans such as the 403(b) and 401(k).
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONS
(AARP) LINK: You don't have to agree with all their philosophies, just
recognize that they have invaluable resources you should review.
BENEFITS LINK
1: This can get you to the info on 401(k) and 403(b) plans,
ALL of ERISA, Internal Revenue Code and lots more. If you have a detailed
question about your retirement plan that requires analysis of the regulations,
check this out. Of course if you read all this, you won't have a life.
BENEFITS LINK 2: Rules,
bulletin board, news articles and more.
BEST PLACE TO LIVE
LINK : This is a Money Site that lets you put in the factors (weather,
economy, health, etc.) that are most important to you and then it does an
online search to determine which of 300 large metropolitan areas are the
best fit. Then you can also do a comparison of cost of living between two
cities.
BUDGET: O.K., if you got all
the money in the world, you may not have to do a budget. But you may still
get hurt- look at Burt Reynolds who had tons and tons of money and filed
bankruptcy. However, for the bulk of us working stiffs, it is the singular
key issue for the rest of your life- and quite obviously for the years of
retirement. This budget is the most extensive I have seen anywhere and can
be time consuming and frustrating to complete. But it contains the areas
that are often overlooked- how about pets as an example? They are a godsend
to many owners but can be expensive to maintain. If you miss this number,
your budget can get all messed up. How about snow removal? Unless it's a
line item, it can be missed. Anyway, be advised and do your homework.
BUDGET
SCREWUPS LINK: I have commented previously about the fact that using
the simplistic budgets of most computer services- including Quicken, Vanguard,
etc.- don't work that well in the real world. But here is an excellent article
by William J. Bernstein that addresses it more fully. It is clearly for these
types of errors that most people fail in finances- or at least don't do as
well as they should. They don't read enough or simply rely on an ego that
thinks they know everything.
CASH BALANCE PLAN BY Sandra
Block
CASH
BALANCE PLAN ARTICLE LINK: Many companies either have already changed
or are contemplating a move from the standard pension plan over to the
new cash balance formula. Not always beneficial- particularly to the older
worker. This resource has numerous articles so you can see all sides.
CASH
BALANCE PLAN LINK: Questions and answers from the Department of
Laborhttp://www.dol.gov/
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX LINK:
Information on new data, past history. You need this to recognize the
past and potential impact on investments, social security payments, retirement
planning, etc.
DEFINED
BENEFIT RETIREMENT PLAN LINK: These plans- though getting fewer in number
as employers switch to defined contribution plans- are covered by the Pension
Benefit Guarantee Corporation
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR LINK: The
United States Department of Labor offers information on minimum wage, pensions,
family and medical leave act as well as the ERISA regulations and all sorts
of other goodies.
DEPRESSION LINK 1: The site
for the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association that provides
information and resources for the problem of depression. Highly Recommended.
So why is this page here? Because it is one of the greatest obstacles to
a happy retirement. Women have it more, but it really does a number on older
men.
DEPRESSION LINK 2:
"This site is the Internet's central clearing house for information on
all types of depressive disorders and on the most effective treatments for
individuals suffering from Major Depression, Manic-Depression (Bipolar Disorder),
Cyclothymia, Dysthymia and other mood disorders."
DISTRIBUTION
FOR DEFERRED COMPENSATION AND IRA BENEFITS LINK: Intense material
on distribution prepared by an attorney. Once in awhile I will designate
how distributions are made on IRA's- but only if it is SIMPLE. Most of the
time it gets to be VERY convoluted and you need a specialist. I am not kidding
here. Never do this at home!! Very scary material.
DYING
INSTRUCTIONS LINK: (pdf) By R. Douglas Pauley. Darn good material
if you are dying
ELDER
ABUSE LINK: This is the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) and "is
operated jointly with the National Association of State Units on Aging, the
National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, and the University
of Delaware to serve the information and knowledge and skills development
needs of professionals concerned with elder abuse/neglect." This is a serious
issue that affects more elderly than you can imagine. Use this
resource.
ELDERCARE
LINK: Aging Parents and Elder Care
ELDER CARE CALCULATOR
LINK: (The MetLife Caregiving Costs Study: Productivity Losses
to U.S. Business; National Alliance for Caregiving) the average caregiver
costs an employer $2,110 per year. For those caregivers providing the most
intense levels of care, the cost per employee is $2,441, totaling $17.1 billion.
The total annual cost for all caregivers is $33.6 billion.
ELDERCARE
NEWSLETTER LINK: Good info form many newsletters from Schmieding
Center for Senior Health and Education .
ELDERHOSTEL LINK: Many
retirees finally take the time to travel after they retire. Here is way of
doing so with people your own age and interests and at a reduced rate as
well. So take some of your money and enjoy yourself!!!! Go someplace!!!
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SURVEY
LINK: Extensive data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN LINK:
An independent site that offers all sorts of information on ESOP's
with links to other sites of interest.
ERISA LINK 1:
The entire code for the Employee Retirement Insurance Security
Act.
ERISA LINK 2: The latest available
pension and benefit information for U.S. employers. This site features
downloadable Form 5500s, the forms required by the IRS for employers’
pension, 401(k) and other benefits plans.
ESOP LINK:
An interactive description to an ESOP for your firm. Includes insight to
C and S corporations. Interesting.
FARMER RETIREMENT
LINK: A Retirement Estimator for Farm Families (Purdue University
in conjunction with the USDA )
GENERATION X, PRE BOOMER AND
BOOMER STATISTICAL INFO: Though these numbers were developed for
the SF Bay area, the overall ratios may be valuable elsewhere.
HEALTH
INFORMATION LINK: From the National Institutes of Health
HEALTH INSURANCE: Health care coverage
for the elderly has been declining precipitously
HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION
LINK: "Free, accurate and unbiased consumer help with Medicare, managed
care, Medigap insurance, long term care insurance and more for Medicare
beneficiaries, their families and others." Very Good information and highly
recommended
HEALTH PLAN
LINK 1: The site provides info on state coverage and state laws.
Profile of Age Characteristics for the United
States: 2000 and 1990
|
| (Based
on 2000 and 1990 Census Data) |
| |
2000 Census Data |
1990 Census Data |
| Number |
% |
Number |
% |
| Total population |
281,421,906 |
|
248,709,873 |
- |
| SEX AND AGE |
|
Male |
138,053,563 |
49.1 |
121,239,418 |
48.7 |
Female |
143,368,343 |
50.9 |
127,470,455 |
51.3 |
| Under 5 years |
19,175,798 |
6.8 |
18,354,443 |
7.4 |
| 5 to 9 years |
20,549,505 |
7.3 |
18,099,179 |
7.3 |
| 10 to 14 years |
20,528,072 |
7.3 |
17,114,249 |
6.9 |
| 15 to 19 years |
20,219,890 |
7.2 |
17,754,015 |
7.1 |
| 20 to 24 years |
18,964,001 |
6.7 |
19,020,312 |
7.6 |
| 25 to 34 years |
39,891,724 |
14.2 |
43,175,932 |
17.4 |
| 35 to 44 years |
45,148,527 |
16.0 |
37,578,903 |
15.1 |
| 45 to 54 years |
37,677,952 |
13.4 |
25,223,086 |
10.1 |
| 55 to 59 years |
13,469,237 |
4.8 |
10,531,756 |
4.2 |
| 60 to 64 years |
10,805,447 |
3.8 |
10,616,167 |
4.3 |
| 65
to 74 years |
18,390,986 |
6.5 |
18,106,558 |
7.3 |
| 75
to 84 years |
12,361,180 |
4.4 |
10,055,108 |
4.0 |
| 85
years and over |
4,239,587 |
1.5 |
3,080,165 |
1.2 |
| Median age (years |
35.3 |
|
33 |
|
| 18 years and over |
209,128,094 |
74.3 |
185,105,441 |
74.4 |
| Male |
100,994,367 |
35.9 |
88,655,140 |
35.6 |
| Female |
108,133,727 |
38.4 |
96,450,301 |
38.8 |
| 21 years and over |
196,899,193 |
70.0 |
173,378,573 |
69.7 |
| 62 years and over |
41,256,029 |
14.7 |
37,629,695 |
15.1 |
| 65
years and over |
34,991,753 |
12.4 |
31,241,831 |
12.6 |
| Male |
14,409,625 |
5.1 |
12,565,173 |
5.1 |
| Female |
20,582,128 |
7.3 |
18,676,658 |
7.5 |
| Table
compiled by the U.S. Administration on Aging |
HEALTHY
STATES LINK: There has been a 14 percent hike in the nation's
overall level of healthiness since 1990. Find out which states are the best-
you may wish to change which state you will retire to.
HOSPICE LINK:
This is the site for the Hospice Foundation of America. Hospice
is used in the terminal stages of life and allows a transitional period without
pain surrounded by caring staff. A place of saints and angels.
HOSPITAL COMPARE LINK:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
HOSPITAL
RANKING LINK: An excellent source by U.S. News lets you pick a specialty
and state.
HOW MUCH WILL YOU NEED: Frankly, I
detest these simplistic forms, but if you do not have an
HP12C to do more correct numbers, than this is
better than nothing. But I wouldn't do your retirement planning based on
this or any table offered by Money magazine, Kiplinger's, Worth, Wall Street
Journal or your Mama. For one of the reasons why, take a look at "Retirement
Numbers" below.
INCOME: Are people actually saving
enough for retirement? Recent statistics.
INDICATORS
ON THE AGING POPULATION LINK: Massive study on aging by the National
Institute on Aging, Part 1. Includes Indicators of Population, Economics,
Health Status, Health Risks and Behaviors and Health Care. Exceptional
material.
IRA HIGHLIGHTS: Regular, ROTH and
ROTH rollover review.
IRA/QUALIFIED
DISTRIBUTION LINK: VERY extensive information on all . Hot Topics
and Recent developments in plan distribution By Noel C. Ice
IRA AND
QUALIFIED PLAN DISTRIBUTION LINK 1: This is the IRS Tax Publication that
provides some discussion about the taxation of distributions, etc. You should
start here in analyzing what you should do and when. Unfortunately, it is
still not very definitive in providing answers to alternative payouts- some
of which are described directly below- and you many need to seek an expert
in this field. Be very, very careful with distributions since, once you start,
there is little flexibility for adjustment later on.
IRA
AND QUALIFIED PLAN DISTRIBUTION LINK 2: "IRS rules for minimum distributions
from qualified retirement plans and IRAs are widely regarded as being maddeningly
complex." Here is further analysis and commentary by Distribution Strategies,
Inc.
IRA
RETIRE EARLY CALCULATOR LINK: If you retire before 59 1/2, you
can take out portions based on your actuarial lifetime and current rates.
This calculator requires a Java browser.
IRA PAYOUTS: This is one of the areas
where an expert is really needed. The rules for putting money INTO an IRA
are fairly straight forward. But taking them OUT is like having a root canal.
You can really make some bad mistakes here. Anyway, here is a short table
of the difference between fixed and recalculated life expectancies.
KEOGH
CALCULATOR LINK: You have to put in the new 2003 limits and you
can get an accurate calculation
LIFE,
DEATH AND HEALTH STATISTICAL LINK: Huge database of info from the CDC.
Great material .Once again, the government puts out a great site.
LIFE EXPECTANCY: If you
are 45, how long do you have to live? How about age 65 or 75 or even 85.
You must know these numbers in order to do estate, insurance or retirement
planning.
LIFE
EXPECTANCY LINK : The above site requires printing out a form and does
not provide an on line answer- though it is very descriptive. This site is
not as definitive but allows you to plug in answers and get a result. You
should try it.
MANAGED CARE QUESTIONNAIRE:
Kate Kincaid is the Editor in Chief for California Broker magazine. Beyond
that, and most importantly, is the fact that she is an excellent and
knowledgeable writer on complicated issues. This questionnaire is must
reading.
MANAGED CARE GLOSSARY
LINK: An extensive 26 page glossary of terms you should familiarize yourself
with when using a managed care facility. As C Everett Koop says- The Best
Prescription is Knowledge.
MEDICARE
INTERACTIVE LINK: your one-stop source for information about health care
rights, options and benefits. Brought to you by the Medicare Rights Center,
a national not-for-profit, consumer service organization, dedicated to ensuring
that older adults and people with disabilities get good affordable health
care."
MEDICARE MANAGED
CARE LINK: Mandatory page if you wish to use a managed care HMO
plan. Simply include your state of residence- or preferably your zip code-
and you can get an analysis of a company's plan for that area- coverage,
costs, etc.
MEDICARE AND MEDICAID LINK: This
site is administrated by the HCFA- Health Care Financing Administration-
and lets consumers and professionals retrieve information about literally
every aspect of these two explosive issues. Highly recommended.
MEDICARE LINK: The Official
U.S. Government site for Medicare information. Generally, you are eligible
for Medicare if you or your spouse worked for at least 10 years in
Medicare-covered employment, and you are 65 years old and a citizen
or permanent resident of the United States. You might also qualify for coverage
if you are a younger person with a disability or with chronic kidney
disease.
MEDICARE
LINK Tons of info on all areas from Medicare Interactive.
MEDICARE DRUG DISCOUNT CARD LINK:
This booklet provides information about the new Medicare-approved drug
discount cards including who can get a card, how they work, and how to choose
the best card for you.
MEDICARE HEALTH
PLAN COMPARISON LINK: Medicare comparison shop for health plans by looking
at information on costs, benefits, quality, and plan member disenrollment
rates. Health plans include the Original Medicare Plan, Medicare managed
care plans (HMOs), and Private Fee-for-Service plans.
MEDICARE HMO LINK: This
site can help answer questions about managed care, selection of a Medicare
HMO along with individual state regulations and more. I would certainly recommend
this to anyone retiring who has questions about whether to join an HMO or
to take Medicare and use a Medigap policy.
MEDICARE
PLAN OPTIONS LINK: The chart helps you compare
MEDICARE
RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS LINK:
MEDICARE
STATE HMO COVERAGE LINK: Also includes which HMO's will be withdrawing
this year due to the Medicare benefit reductions by County, Plan Name, Total
Medicare beneficiaries in county, Total who will be dropped by plan and Medicare
HMOs left in county
MEDIGAP PLANS: Only 10 (essentially) are
allowed to be sold throughout the U.S. This article will help explain some
differences and give additional insight to some problems.
MEDIGAP PLANS
LINK: Medigap Compare is part of HCFA’s consumer information website.
It is designed to help find insurance companies in your state that sell Medigap
(Medicare supplemental insurance) plans and gives information on how to contact
the insurance companies. It also supplies additional information.
MEMORY STUDY LINK: The National
Institute on Aging is trying to get the word to people over age 55 that if
they're getting abnormally forgetful, they should see a doctor. Scientists
have just discovered that a memory problem called ''mild cognitive impairment''
can be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's - and they're beginning three
huge studies to see if certain drugs could prevent those patients from ever
getting Alzheimer's.
MINIMUM
REQUIRED DISTRIBUTION (MRD) LINK: Plunk in your age and it tells
you the factor to use.
Required Minimum
Distribution (RMD) Calculator
MONTE
CARLO AND RETIREMENT SOFTWARE LINK: Commentary by Bill Sharpe
MORTALITY TABLES
LINK
NATIONAL
RETIREMENT RISK INDEX LINK: The length of retirement is increasing as
the average retirement age hovers at 63 for men and at 62 for women and life
expectancy rises. At the same time, the amount of money people will have
in retirement relative to their pre-retirement earnings is declining for
a number of reasons.
NEEDY MEDS
LINK: This site is designed to provide information about patient assistance
programs which provide no cost prescription medications to eligible
participants.
ODDS OF SURVIVING: What are your
odds of surviving to the next year? Great info for parties
OLDER AMERICAN PROFILE: Statistical
info by the Administration on Aging
OPTION
CALCULATOR LINK 1: This determines the net return if an employee
exercises a ESO. You can vary the tax bracket, etc. Includes "when to exercise"
and more.
PENSION GLOSSARY:
From The Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America
PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTEE CORPORATION
LINK: Information on defined benefit pension guarantees, divorce
orders, interest rates and more.
PENSION ERRORS LINK: Here are "30
Serious Errors and Problems Found in Pension and Profit Sharing Plans."
There are numerous articles indicating that the calculations for a
retirement pension have been done incorrectly. This site helps you to
identify many other problems as well.
PENSION QUIZ: If you are/were an
employee with a large company where you used employer stock in a qualified
plan, the tax ramifications of whether you roll the funds into an IRA or
take out the stock when retiring is one of the most involved areas of tax
law that can make or break some retirements- and the gifts to beneficiaries.
This is also one more guide in picking a financial planner for your retirement
or estate planning. And this ain't covered in Quicken or any other financial
software. The example is direct but not necessarily easy to understand, but
hey, who said retirement was going to be easy??
PENSION RESEARCH INSTITUTE LINK:
EXCESS OMEGA RETURN LINK: A relatively
new measure of risk/reward. Professional article
If a fund started in the first quartile, there was a 61% chance
that it will remain in the first quartile in the next year ranking. Likewise,
If a fund was in the lowest quartile rank it was very likely it would have
stayed in the 4th quartile in the following year (62%). Increasing the time
interval from three to five years produced very similar results (71% and
67% respectively). In contrast, the Sortino and Sharpe rankings showed a
38% and 42% chance on remaining in the first quartile and a 29% and 38%
probability of staying in the 4th
quartile.
PWBA LINK: The
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration "protects the integrity of pensions,
health plans and other employee benefits". It has discussions on pension
miscalculations, pension fraud, SIMPLE plan, SEP's and much more. While the
government can screw up a lot, most of their sites are
LOADED with solid info.
PETS LINK: Pets
have a wonderful ability to keep people happy and healthy. They have been
shown to keep the elderly alive longer. If you like pets, you will like this
page. Here is another site for the AMERICAN
VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LINK and the site for the
AMERICAN ANIMAL HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
LINK.
QUALITY DIVIDEND
CALCULATOR LINK: : The NCQA its Quality Dividend Calculator (QDC) (patent
pending), a free, interactive, online tool that demonstrates how choosing
a higher-quality health plan can help an employer reduce the sick days and
sick wages associated with various illnesses. The tool also shows employers
how many of their employees are likely to have one or more of eight key health
conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease.
QUALIFIED
LOAN LINK: The Internal Revenue Service has published both final and
proposed Income Tax Regulations relating to loans made from a qualified employer
plan to plan participants or beneficiaries. These regulations affect
administrators of, participants in, and beneficiaries of qualified employer
plans that permit participants or beneficiaries to receive loans from the
plan under sections 401, 403(a), and 403(b), as well as U.S. and state government
plans.
QUALIFIED
MRD PLAN REGULATIONS AND DISTRIBUTIONS LINK: Selective Analysis
of the New Re-Proposed regulations Under IRC §401(a)(9)
QUALIFIED
PLAN PROFILE LINK: A listing of many major companies offering qualified
plans- from American Express to Vanguard. Helps just to see the fee
structure
RABBI TRUST:
REQUIRED
MINIMUM DISTRIBUTION LINK: IRA rules by the IRS
RETIREMENT BOOK ONLINE
LINK Straight Talk about Investing for Retirement. An online book by
Richard A Ferri, CFA
RETIREMENT
CALCULATOR LINK 1: No on line calculator has included all the areas I
think need consideration (for example, working part time for "x" years,
adjustment for various inflation rates, inheritances received at different
years, etc.) but this one from U.S. News includes some topics for adjustment
(longevity, social security, Medicare) that I consider unique. Takes some
effort and good enough to be reasonably helpful- which is a lot more than
I can say about most of the simplistic calculators.
RETIREMENT CALCULATOR LINK
2: A downloadable free calculator. Use both calculators and compare
answers.
RETIREMENT CALCULATOR LINK3:
Uses Monte Carlo and the safe rate of withdrawal. Better than most
calculators.
RETIREMENT CALCULATOR
LINK 4: TRowe Price
RETIREMENT
INCOME LINK: How it fails when using a flat rate of return. But
it does not go far enough. See the article above on Investment
Malfeasance.
RETIREMENT
INCOME SIMULATION SPREADSHEET LINK, Tom O'Have, University of Maryland.
Nicely done. But as with all software, it merely pumps out numbers. If you
are not well versed in what actually is transpiring for clients, you really
haven't served them well.
RETIREMENT NUMBERS: Literally
every magazine puts out numbers to show how long $100,000 (or whatever) would
last during retirement if it was growing at "x" interest rates. Unfortunately,
they do not reflect the real world and can lead retirees to financial disaster.
Look at this analysis and you might understand why you, your adviser, your
dog- somebody- MUST know how to use an HP12C
as well as how to develop the numbers and what they mean when you
get done. In my experience, there are very few that can do this correctly.
Almost all depend on computer driven software that they know nothing about.
That's NOT good planning.
RETIREMENT PLAN LINK
1: Gives some good overview of benefits of SEP-IRA, Simple 401(K) plans,
etc.
RETIREMENT PLAN LINK
2: (The U.S. Small Business Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor,
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Merrill Lynch) This site is designed to
help small business owners develop the right retirement plan for their business.
It guides interested business owners through chapters about the benefits
of offering retirement plan for the business owner, the business, and
employees.
RETIREMENT
PLAN CHECKLIST LINK: - The IRS has checklists that small businesses
can use to make sure their retirement plans comply with the law.
RETIREMENT PLANNING: Some excellent
questions to ask yourself before retirement- how long are you going to live,
where, health, income, mortgages, as well as other articles on pensions,
health care, etc. You need to look at this
RETIREMENT
PLANNING LINK: Mapping the Minds of Retirement Planners, By: Douglas
A. Hershey,Kène Henkens ,Hendrik P. van Dalen
RETIREMENT
PLAN CONTRIBUTIONS LINK Shows the revised limits from year to
year.
RETIREMENT POLL: Results of a Money magazine
poll of 1994 showing the myths that many retirees hold. I submit it
is not that much different now even in view of the better market.
RETIREMENT QUIZ: Here is a two part quiz
regarding some fundamentals of retirement. You or your adviser must know
these facts "cold". Along with these facts is one other issue that is imperative
for planning at any level. CLICK HERE
RETIREMENT RESEARCH LINK:
from Boston College
RETIREMENT
SECURITY LINK: (Boston College 2006) Excellent article on the potential
losses in retirement. Many people in their 50s and 60s experience negative
shocks that threaten retirement security. Job layoffs, divorce, and the onset
of work disabilities near retirement substantially erode retirement savings.
The findings highlight the limitations of the safety net when things go wrong
in late midlife.
RETIREMENT
SPENDING LINK: UNDERSTANDING EXPENDITURE PATTERNS IN RETIREMENT, Good
article- pdf, 41 pages. Knock yourself out.
RETIREMENT SURVEY LINK:
This site by the Employee Benefits Research Institute provides
statistics- primarily for the practitioner- from surveys of the past
few years on the amount that retirees may need for retirement ; how much
they are saving; what differences there are in savings and expectations by
race; what retirees think of Social Security and more.
ROTH 401(k) LINK
ROTH IRA LINK: Many people wonder
about this new non taxable IRA. Here is a page with tons of articles on the
value, some software applications, etc.
ROTH
IRA LINK 2: Various example showing how a ROTH IRA works and whether
it will be beneficial. Believe it or not, some ROTH IRA's will actually hurt
a retiree.
ROTH
RULES (IRS)
SAFE
WITHDRAWAL RATE LINK: Strategies and calculators. Good for an
overview.
SAVINGS RATE LINK:
This site updates weekly various rates on savings, mortgages, credit
cards, auto and jumbo CD's for over 11,000 institutions. Links to numerous
other sites. Even if you did get a "quote", I'd still suggest you look at
other sites and do your homework before committing.
SELF
EMPLOYED RETIREMENT PLAN LINK: Analysis of various types of plans
by the FPA
SENIORS LINK: A government site
covering travel, health, consumer issues and links to countless government
related sites. The government does an excellent job with the Internet and
this is no exception
SENIOR HEALTH LINK:
Great resource by the National Institute on Health.
SENIOR HEALTH CARE LINK:
website for older adults was developed by the National Institute
on Aging and the National Library of Medicine,
SENIOR
ORGANIZATIONS LINK (Administration on Aging)
SENIOR YELLOW PAGES
LINK: Extensive listing for each state of most areas impacting the
elderly
SMALL EMPLOYER RETIREMENT
2001 SURVEY LINK: Small Employers Without Plans, Small Employers With
Plans , SERS Underwriters, 2001 Retirement Confidence Survey and Minority
RCS.
SOCIAL SECURITY COMMENTARY:
Various commentary on the dependency on social security for retirement, how
your salary effects SS, more.
SOCIAL SECURITY LINK: Good information
on an everchanging topic. This is also the place where you can get your Personal
Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement
SOCIAL SECURITY
DEATH BENEFITS LINK: Info on what to do with the ability to download
forms.
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY
SSI BENEFITS LINK: Excellent info
SOCIAL SECURITY HEARING AND APPEALS
LINK: If you are denied coverage by social security, here is the process
for appealing their decision. You may still need an attorney to present your
claim, but this will help your involvement and potentially reduce the split
the attorney takes.
SOCIAL SECURITY
FIX IT BOOK LINK: An independent study by the Center for
Retirement Research at Boston College. You can enter your own suggestions.
Maybe a calorie tax. That would makes us solvent in just a
few days.
SOCIAL SECURITY FORMS
LINK: The Social Security Administration has made available online 65
forms most commonly used by beneficiaries. Among these are Benefits Claims
forms, Benefits Claims Supporting forms, and forms for use in the claims
adjudication process such as a request for hearing before an administrative
law judge. The site also includes to other agency forms, such as the Treasury's
direct-deposit request form and application for employer identification number
(Form SS-4).
SOCIAL SECURITY
GAO LINK: Huge objective data on all the questions you may have. I do
like the material and research from the GAO
SOCIAL SECURITY GLOSSARY
LINK:
SOCIAL SECURITY OFFSET: If you worked for
an employer, they paid half of your social security. Under many pension plans,
they are therefore able to recoup part of your social security payments as
an offset to the pension plan you anticipated. This will have major repercussions
to your retirement lifestyle.
SOCIAL
SECURITY PAYROLL TAX LINK: A lengthy article on Understanding the
Tax and Income Dynamics of Social Security
SOCIAL SECURITY
PUBLICATIONS LINK: Over 100 publications that you can download
directly.
SOCIAL SECURITY RETIREMENT
PLANNER LINK: A private site that, once you know what benefits you
should get at your normal retirement age (by going directly to
Social Security), provides tables showing
the difference in receiving benefits earlier or later in age and when they
"break even". Very interesting and visually helpful.
SOCIAL SECURITY
RETIREMENT PLANNER LINK: How early retirement impact benefits for
retiree and spouse. By year of birth.
STATE
HEALTH FACTS LINK: This new resource contains the latest state-level
data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage,
access, financing, and state legislation. Wealth of Info- Medicare, Medicaid,
HIV
STATE PENSION FUND
LINK: Click on a state for its retirement system and debt
statistics.
STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEMS:
SUICIDE
PREVENTION LINK: Lots of material and links
TAX PLANNING DURING RETIREMENT: This
article focuses on those intending to leave an estate to beneficiaries but
have assets both in a tax deferred and taxable account. Many "financial
journalists" (there's a misnomer) still suggest leaving the tax deferred
account to grow because the beneficiaries will get more money. Not necessarily
true- and when you review this example, you can see it can make a HUGE difference
in the NET amount received by doing exactly the opposite.
TRUST
RETIREMENT BENEFICIARY LINK: This is the IRS proposed regs for the Required
Distributions From Qualified Plans and Individual Retirement Plans that apply
if a trust is named as a beneficiary of an employee's benefit under a retirement
plan. These proposed regulations will affect administrators of, participants
in, and beneficiaries of qualified plans, institutions which sponsor and
individuals who administer individual retirement plans, individuals who use
individual retirement plans, simplified employee pensions and SIMPLE Savings
Plans for retirement income and beneficiaries of individual retirement plans;
and employees for whom amounts are contributed to section 403(b) annuity
contracts, custodial accounts, or retirement income accounts and beneficiaries
of such contracts and accounts.
See also US Code for
Title 26, Section 401.
Both "proposals" are considered binding .
VISION LINK: Hope when vision
fails
VOLUNTEER
LINK: Links on this page created by the U. S. Administration on Aging
identify public policy issues, resources for organizations dependent on
volunteers, and national programs expressly targeting recruitment of older
volunteers for community service.
WITHDRAWAL
RATE LINK: Philip L. Cooley, Carl M. Hubbard and Daniel T. Walz
- What’s a reasonable withdrawal rate when living off savings? A look
at how various withdrawal rates would have fared based on past market returns
provides a useful guide.
WITHDRAWAL RATE Various studies
identifying how long your money might last.
WORKMAN'S COMPENSATION LINK:
Extensive material and links on a complicate area.
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