Is Retirement Better at Beginning or End of Year? Updated for 2024 I often hear people say “I’d rather retire sooner than later.” But when the choice of retirement dates is just a matter of a few months, then people often assume there’s not much difference between sooner or later. What difference does a few
The Recurring Long Term Care Insurance Price Increase Ultimatum FLTCIP policy-holders are, once again, being threatened with price increases.(For those who haven’t been following the news, OPM’s Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) was suspended in November 2022 because of these price increases. No new applications are being accepted, but existing FLTCIP policy-holders still
TSP Planning Report October How does the market respond to war? Intuitively, wars introduce economic damage, uncertainty and instability, all ingredients to cause stock markets to fall. This intuition is supported by actual market performance: The S&P500 dropped 18% in the three months following the start of World War I, in 1914. The S&P500 dropped
Is it better to retire with the biggest balance of leave, or to spend down your leave? Read the video transcript: Welcome back to the channel. I want to ask a very simple question. What’s better to retire with the biggest balance of leave possible, or is it better to spend down your leave as
TSP Planning Report September 2023 Facts: The G Fund rate for September 2023 increased to 4.25%. The Fed Funds interest rate increased to 5.5%. This month’s unemployment rate increased from 3.5% to 3.8%. The 2nd Estimate for Q2 GDP came in at 2.1%. PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) expanded ever-so-slightly after 3 months of contracting, reading
Live Webinar – Creating a Retirement Distribution Strategy Which asset do you dip into to create your retirement income stream, and when? What happens when the market goes up? What should you do when the market goes down? We spent a career squirrelling away money for retirement, expecting our portfolios will be able to carry
Explore the intricacies of the FERS retirement system, often likened to a three-legged stool comprising FERS pension, Social Security, and Thrift Savings Plan. Learn about early retirement at age 57, avoiding penalties, and the role of the FERS annuity supplement. Get insights on how to optimize your retirement benefits.
FEGLI, Survivor Benefits, or Self-Insurance? Live Webinar Do you need life insurance? I know some people assume life insurance is a ‘must have’, but is it? And if you do need life insurance, how much? And which type of life insurance is the best? Close analysis of this topic will show that your insurance
TSP Planning Report August 2023 Facts: The G Fund rate for August 2023 increased to 4.125%. The Fed Funds interest rate increased to 5.33%. This month’s unemployment rate decreased from 3.6% to 3.5%. The 1st Estimate for Q2 GDP came in at 2.4%. PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) contracted for 2nd straight month, reading 49.0 this month
Goals & Inefficiencies: What you should get out of your Financial Plan The financial planning industry is loaded with “financial planners” that are really product pushers. Unfortunately, this has resulted in many people avoiding the financial planning practice altogether, dismissing it as being just a sales tactic. However, not having a financial plan usually causes
TSP Planning Report June 2023 Facts: The G Fund rate for June 2023 increased to 3.875%. The Fed Funds interest rate decreased to 5.07%. It was 5.25% just a month ago. This month’s unemployment rate increased from 3.4% to 3.7%. PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) expanded for the 3rd straight month, reading 53.0 this month (any
Q&A – How can you avoid the Social Security earnings test, and minimize taxes using an S-corp? Question How can you avoid the Social Security earnings test, and minimize taxes using an S-corp? Answer Using an S corp may provide at least two benefits: Avoiding FICA tax (15.3%) Avoiding the earnings test Here’s an example
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