The Social Security Administration has just announced a 2% COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) beginning in January 2018 for those receiving SS checks. This is the largest increase since 2012 (only 0.3% for 2017 and none for 2016). The “average” SS check amount will rise about $27 per month and of course larger checks will be increased even more. However, what remains to be seen is how big the Medicare Part B premium increase will be for 2018. Any premium increase will partially or … Continue reading

For fourteen consecutive years, Genworth Insurance Company has surveyed the cost of long term care across the United States. Conducted by CareScout®, the study is one of the most comprehensive surveys of its kind, covering 440 regions and over 15,000 completed surveys. CLICK BELOW to get to the survey. Use the drop down menu on the left to choose your state and then select the city (next drop down box). You may know that I started my financial services career as an LTC … Continue reading

At this time of year, there are millions of students attending college across the country. Some still live at home while many are living on or off a far-away campus. But just because they are your kids (or Grandchildren) doesn’t mean you (the parents) have any legal rights after they turn age 18. Now I’m not a lawyer (nor do I play one on TV), but estate planning attorney Jane Wolk said in a recent article in Investment News magazine, that once a child is 18, he “is legally a … Continue reading

As you have most likely heard by now, on September 7th Equifax – one of the ‘Big Three’ credit bureaus in the United States – admitted that its own lax security practices had allowed hackers to steal the personal identities of 143 million US citizens.   From mid-May through July, hackers exploited a US website application vulnerability to steal people’s names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and, in some cases, driver’s licenses numbers.   They also stole credit card numbers for … Continue reading

How do you replace your work paycheck? How can you make sure that your monthly income keeps up with inflation over the next 20-35 years or more? Many people want principal protection and income predictability. And nobody wants to OUTLIVE their money. Pensions, Social Security and certain guaranteed lifetime income annuities can provide the CORE income base. So income from your “market risk” investments must make up the rest. Investment returns can play a large part of how long your … Continue reading