- 7 Ways To Fund Long Term Care With Housing Wealth
Home equity is often the largest asset your client may own
by Don Graves, RICP, CLTC, CSA
As CLTC designees, we know the truth that most people will need extended care at some point in their lives, but many mistakenly believe that Medicare will cover the costs. The reality is: unless retirees are eligible for Medicaid, they are responsible for their own long-term care plan
read more - What Does Financial Empowerment Mean To Women Today?
While demonstrating great financial confidence, they often prioritize immediate needs over long-term planning
by Kate Warne, Ph.D., CFA
Women have compelling reasons to take a long-term approach to planning for their financial future. They live longer than men, a growing number are their family’s primary breadwinner, and they stand to inherit a substantial portion of the $68.4 trillion in wealth that will be transferred over the next 25 years.
read more - Measuring The State Of Our Financial Wellness
The personal liquidity and retirement readiness for so many consumers reflect a financial security that is becoming alarmingly less attainable
by Judy Dougherty
When it comes to financial health, most Americans are fighting an uphill battle. Today, a picture has emerged where roughly half the population struggles to meet daily living expenses—let alone save for retirement or other long-term goals.
read more - A Conversation With Aimee Johnson
Women, Money & Power
by P. E. Kelley
The idea of the ‘empowerment of women’ would seem by now embedded in our culture, having germinated in protest in the 1960’s and becoming gradually codified into the consciousness of society, and ultimately into the fabric of the lives of so many. But how engrained is it? Just how confident are women today in the…
read more - Ten Questions to Ask Yourself When Planning for Financial Security
Start by asking what’s most important… and then ask why wait?
by Michael Yoken
When thinking about how to protect your livelihood or build the financial resources you will need to live life as desired, it often starts with clarifying what you want to achieve, what you value and how uncertainties can affect plans and aspirations.
read more - Is The Voluntary Portfolio Even “Voluntary” Anymore?
The changing role of advisors and supplemental benefits
by Brad Galiney
Supplemental health insurance used to be just a subset of an employer’s benefits program – a nice addition for employees who wanted a little safety net in case of an unexpected life event. It wasn’t a necessity when employers funded the majority, if not all, of their employees’ health care plans and when health care…
read more - The Highs And Lows Of Today’s Social Security
Managing Medicare changes, stealth taxes and self-preservation
by David G. Freitag, CLU, ChFC, CRPC
In the Fall of each year, the Social Security Administration always announces a number of changes to Social Security and Medicare systems for the following year. Without Congressional intervention or legislative adjustment, these changes will happen again in 2020 and beyond.
read more - Achieving Retirement Income Readiness
You have to know the numbers and concepts
by Steve Selengut
What’s your favorite investment number: Market Value, Total Return, Performance vs. The S & P 500? Most of you will be thinking in terms of “market value”, “returns”, and annual growth of one or the other. But if you are in my age group (over 55 to be kind), and thinking of retirement within ten…
read more - Advisors Can Point Employees Toward Financial Flexibility…
…through voluntary benefits
by Elizabeth Halkos
They may not realize it, but achieving financial flexibility is more reachable for most employees than the traditional “American Dream.” Gone are the days where most American workers longed for ‘really good life’ – the beautiful home with the white picket fence, the 2.5 kids, the golden retriever, the awesome SUV in the driveway, a…
read more - Defined Contribution = Benefits Shopping Spree!
A powerful tool that puts employees in the driver’s seat.
by Eric Silverman
The concept of defined contribution is not widely used in the enhanced, or as the status quo industry still likes to call, ‘voluntary’, benefit space. But communicated properly, approaching enhanced benefits from the DC perspective is a powerful and innovative tool that brokers can bring to their clients.
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