The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey places median household income in the Atlanta metropolitan area at roughly $83,000 per year. That figure represents a working household earning regular paychecks rather than investment income.…
On a recent Rich Habits Podcast segment, market commentator Ron Santella put it bluntly: “The playbook from last week hasn’t changed. It’s actually gotten more entrenched. Higher for longer is the base case.” For…
A 64-year-old federal employee preparing to retire under FERS faces one of the most important decisions in the retirement packet: accept a $58,000 annual single-life pension or reduce that benefit to $52,000 in exchange…
On a recent episode of The Ramsey Show, a 31-year-old caller named Jason laid out a plan many mid-career workers are weighing: borrow heavily for a degree that promises a modest raise. “I’m basically…
On a recent episode of the Retire SMART Podcast titled Bond Vigilantes, the host took aim at one of the most reflexively defended pieces of retirement advice: park older clients in a laddered bond…
Working while collecting Social Security is allowed and can boost your income and even your future benefit, but one important rule can temporarily reduce your monthly check if you earn too much before reaching…
A 53-year-old woman stepped away from her marketing job in 2018 to care for her mother. She had worked steadily since her early twenties, paid into Social Security with every paycheck, and assumed two…
Americans in their late fifties and early sixties often ask whether Canada works financially for retirement. The answer can be yes, but only if the legal residency question is solved first. Canada does not…
On the Retire SMART Podcast episode “Year-Round Tax Planning,” the guest drew a line most business owners never think about: “owning your own home is not necessarily a tax strategy. A tax strategy is…
On a recent episode of the Talking Real Money podcast titled “You’re Right, Of Course.”, co-host Don McDonald addressed a listener correction about SECURE 2.0. James from Fort Lauderdale had pointed out that since…
A California couple in their late 50s with $4 million in retirement accounts and a closely held LLC interest worth $1.8 million faced a decision that would shape their financial lives. A buyer offered…
Retirees can choose from a number of different Social Security filing ages. Age 62 is the earliest age to file for Social Security. Age 67 is full retirement age (FRA) for retirees born in…
A $720,000 annual income is the kind of figure most people associate with a senior consultant’s billing target rather than a passive portfolio output. Yet for a 62-year-old weighing part-time work against living off…
A 65-year-old retiree with $400,000 in a rollover IRA and no pension faces a pitch. Hand over the money today and receive $2,500 monthly for life, guaranteed. This is the single-premium immediate annuity, or SPIA,…
Congratulations! You retired last month at age 65 with a paid-off house and a steady $12,000 a month coming in. On paper that is $144,000 a year, which sits at roughly 2.1 times the…
