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Do I Retire Early with Social Security Benefits or Wait Until Full Retirement Age?

January 18, 2014 By

Do I retire early with social security benefits or wait until full benefit (normal) retirement age? This is a question asked frequently, and is not a simple math equation of 2 + 2 = 4. Early retirement is defined as age 62 to 67, depending upon your birth date. If a retiree selects early retirement, they will receive a smaller monthly benefit as opposed to waiting until normal retirement age.

The answer is not strictly financial, but is dependent upon a wide range of concerns and variables that will be determined based on an individual’s circumstances.

Filed Under: Retirement

Debt Ceiling Debate

September 16, 2013 By

Once again, for the third time since August 2011, we are about to approach the debt ceiling debate. The debt ceiling is the total amount of money that the US Government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, which include Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments. Currently, the debt ceiling is set at $16.7 trillion dollars. For clarification, raising the debt ceiling does not give the government authorization to spend more; it simply allows the Government to finance existing legal obligations that have been made in the past.

Filed Under: Market Comments

Understanding Prenuptial Agreements

July 4, 2013 By

If you are currently engaged, money may be the last thing on your mind. It is easy to get swept away in romance and a heartfelt belief that your relationship will last forever. However, the reality is much more bleak. Every single marriage eventually ends, either by divorce or death. A prenuptial agreement, much like

Filed Under: Marriage

Saving for Personal Greatness and Freedom

March 4, 2013 By

Your savings, believe it or not, affect the way you stand, the way you walk, the tone of your voice. In short, your physical well-being and self-confidence. A man without savings is always running. He must. He must take the first job offered, or nearly so. He sits nervously on life's chairs because any small

Filed Under: Financial Know How, Life Events

Passing Property to a Spouse? Here is a Rundown of Rules Governing What Happens

March 4, 2013 By

In all but one of the fifty states, you cannot disinherit a spouse.  In Georgia it is permitted. If you leave a will that makes little or no provision for your surviving spouse, or if you have arranged title of assets so that there is no probate estate, your surviving spouse is entitled to elect

Filed Under: Estate Planning, Financial Know How

Do's and Don'ts of Naming a Beneficiary

March 4, 2013 By

Life insurance and retirement plans compose the largest part of the estate for many people.  Carefully designating beneficiaries on these contracts is just as important as making a will.   Your life insurance, IRAs, annuities, and retirement plans will pass to whomever you have designated as a beneficiary.  The will does not operate on these assets

Filed Under: Financial Know How

Introduction to the 1031 Exchange

March 4, 2013 By

If you currently own property and are interested in trading up to new property, a 1031 exchange may be right for you. The 1031 exchange is named for the relevant section of IRS code, which allows a taxpayer to avoid capital gains tax when selling a property and replacing it with another "like kind" property.

Filed Under: Financial Know How

Should you have a Pre-nuptial Agreement

March 4, 2013 By

Should you have a Pre-nuptial Agreement? A little boy asked his father, "Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?" And the father replied, "I don't know, son, I'm still paying for it." Should you have a marriage contract?  It's a misleading question, as pointed out by the National Resource Center for Consumers of

Filed Under: Marriage

Slash Your Finance Charges in Less than an Hour!

March 4, 2013 By

The one hour shortcut to Slashing Your Finance Charges If you are carrying credit card balances, then you are paying finance charges each month. The bigger the balance you are carrying, the larger the finance charges - and the harder it is to become debt free. As part of your Rapid Debt Payoff Plan, here

Filed Under: Financial Know How

How to Protect Your Money From Bank Failure

March 4, 2013 By

During the turmoil in the financial markets last week, many people were asking if their personal bank accounts were safe - how high is the dollar coverage of the FDIC Insurance? Here are some guidelines. Things are changing and the day is probably coming that FDIC coverage will be based on the total amount of

Filed Under: Financial Know How