Although living in Los Angeles has many benefits such as weather, culture, dining, etc., there is a cost, a monetary cost to these advantages. Therefore, when planning for retirement in Los Angeles, you should factor… Read More
What to Do 5 Years Before Retirement: Income Planning Checklist
Key Takeaways: Five years before retirement, your focus shifts from building savings to turning them into a reliable paycheck replacement by coordinating spending, Social Security, pensions, taxes, and withdrawals. Match predictable income like Social Security… Read More
Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Before Retirement? How It Impacts Your Income
Key Takeaways: Paying off a mortgage can reduce retirement expenses and investment withdrawals, but it may also reduce the liquidity and flexibility of your assets. Keeping a mortgage in retirement can make sense when the… Read More
How to Reduce Taxes on Your Retirement Income
Key Takeaways: A coordinated retirement income strategy can help reduce taxes by carefully timing withdrawals from IRAs, 401(k)s, Roth accounts, taxable investments, pensions, and Social Security. Roth conversions and planned withdrawals during lower-income years may… Read More
A Woman’s Guide to Maximizing Social Security Benefits
Key Takeaways: Women can maximize Social Security by looking beyond their own earnings record, considering spousal, divorced-spouse, and survivor benefits alongside their health, longevity, and retirement income needs. The timing of Social Security can have… Read More
Women and Retirement: 10 Steps to Improve Your Retirement Outlook
Key Takeaways: Women can strengthen their retirement outlook by planning early, maximizing savings, understanding Social Security, managing taxes and healthcare costs, and preparing for a potentially longer retirement. Career interruptions, caregiving responsibilities, longevity, and investment… Read More
Social Security Claiming Strategies for Women: When Should You Claim Benefits?
Key Takeaways: Social Security claiming decisions for women depend on more than age; health, longevity, income needs, marital history, and retirement savings all influence when benefits may make the most sense. Delaying Social Security can… Read More
Should You Stay, Downsize, or Move in Retirement?
Key Takeaways: Your home is part of your retirement plan. Housing costs, maintenance, accessibility, taxes, and future care needs can all affect how much income you’ll need. Staying, downsizing, and moving each have trade-offs. The… Read More
Divorce and Retirement Income: What Changes and What to Do Next
What can a divorce do to your retirement income? In a very short period of time, your income can move from a shared household to an individual one, and no longer be part of an… Read More
How to Build a Retirement Income Plan After Losing a Spouse
One of the most devastating emotional and financial situations that can affect a person is the death of a spouse. Once that happens, one’s everyday life changes, as well as the financial situation, both short-term… Read More