Determining a Retirement Savings Rate

As we meet with new families, we continually hear the same two questions: 1) are we making good decisions with the money we earn, and 2) are we saving enough for retirement?  These questions are typical whether a person is 35 years old or 55 years old.  According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. […]

Finding the Best Order for Funding Retirement

With a task as important as funding your retirement, determining which accounts to fund and in what order should not be taken lightly.  Whether it’s a company plan, individual retirement account or taxable account, there are a lot of ways to save for retirement.  So how do you decide where to put each dollar you […]

Retirement Saving Myths and Misconceptions

We are fortunate to have a very educated and knowledgeable client base, but we are consistently surprised by the myths and misconceptions clients and prospects bring to the conversation. Below I have listed my Top 7 Myths and Misconceptions About Retirement Savings; it is by no means a complete list but highlights the most common […]

Testing the Challenges of a Long Retirement

We often joke that our job was created because of increasing life expectancies and pensions seldom being offered.  Obviously, finance and investing has become more complicated and there are an ever-increasing number of investment vehicles and planning strategies we help our clients choose between.  We also know there is great value placed in our ability […]

Paying Down Debt vs. Saving for Retirement

Here is one we hear all the time – “How can I save for retirement with all of these monthly debt payments?”  For what is seemingly a simple question, the answer can actually be somewhat complicated.  Striking the right balance between debt payments and savings contributions will vary with each household and the solution is […]

Planning for “Fixed” Income During Retirement

Fixed Income in retirement can come from many different sources of assets.  It may be a pension, real estate rental income, bond/CD ladder, annuity, Social Security, or even an income-yielding individual bond.  In all scenarios, using “fixed” income as retirement income comes with many different benefits and risks.  While it is very situationally dependent, in […]

Benefits of Multiple Income Streams at Retirement

In our second Atheneum article for this quarter’s Retirement Income subject, we discuss the benefit of having multiple income streams during retirement.  To understand the advantage of having multiple income streams, it is important to first understand one of the most important factors that affects portfolio longevity when taking income: sequence risk.  According to Investopedia, […]

Retirement Savings

One of the most fundamental jobs of the financial planner is to assist our clients with retirement savings. How much do you need to save? Which account types should you use? Given multiple options, where should you save your money first? The following articles discuss these and other questions relating to retirement savings.   Are […]

Retirement Savings

The Ballast Atheneum is a collection of our thoughts on the twelve most important topics in financial planning. Today, the focus is on Insurance. A fundamental job of a financial planner is to assist clients with retirement savings. How much do you need to save? Which account types should you use? Given multiple options, where […]

Taxes in Retirement – Case Studies

Key Takeaways: When you’ve spent your adult life working and saving, retirement is a big change. One item that will both change and remain the same is taxes. Your income sources will be different, each with their own intricacies in the tax code, but at the end of the day, you will still likely be […]

Social Security: Whether to Wait to Start Taking Retirement Benefits

Key Takeaways: You could be facing up to a 30% reduction in your PIA by taking Social Security retirement benefits at age 62. By waiting until age 70, your retirement benefits will be roughly 32% higher than your PIA. The breakeven for taking Social Security retirement benefits at age 70 compared to age 66 is […]

Taxes in Retirement – Case Studies

Key Takeaways: Your sources of income will change, but you will still owe taxes in retirement. In general, your principal (or “cost basis”) will be returned to you tax-free. A diversified portfolio protects in down markets and provides flexibility when planning for taxes.     When you’ve spent your adult life working and saving, retirement […]