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• Medicare, the Biggest Threat to Our Retirement Standard of Living

  By Scott Burns and Laurence J. Kotlikoff A recent column predicted that seniors would get the largest Social Security benefit increase in 25 years next January--- about 6 percent. It quickly drew fire from older readers. The 6 percent increase, they pointed... Posted Sep 12 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Medicare & Generational Storm, Retirement, Taxes & Other Disasters

• Replacement Bait: Why the 80% Rule is Wrong

  By Scott Burns and Laurence J. Kotlikoff The Retirement/Investment Complex calls it your "retirement income replacement rate." It's the percentage of your pre-retirement income you "need" to sustain your standard of living in retirement... Posted Sep 05 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Resources, Retirement, Book Reviews

• For Retirement, Make High Probability Bets

  By Scott Burns Q. A co-worker is 65. He is going to start taking Social Security even though he is still working full-time as an engineer, making good money. I am close to being the same, but one year older. I am wondering if I should do the same thing... Posted Aug 13 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Retirement, ScottQA

• Want a Good Raise? Retire

  By Scott Burns Senior citizens can look forward to a major increase in Social Security benefits next year. Unless there is a sudden rush of deflation in the current quarter, the increase will be the largest in 25 years. Yes, you read that right: the largest... Posted Aug 01 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: Retirement, Social Security

• The Rush for Safety Has Reduced Yields

  By Scott Burns Q. Would you give us retirees your view as to the safest place for our hard-earned savings while we are having bank failures? ---H.V., by email (one of many asking the same question) A. For most people, the $100,000 FDIC insurance limit... Posted Jul 30 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments Filed under: Retirement, Taxes & Other Disasters, Government

• Mortgages and Retirees Don’t Mix

  By Scott Burns Q. My parents are looking for a house in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They are retired. They are trying to decide if they should pay cash for the house. They have close to $620,000 in savings (CDs, 401(k)s, IRA) and are looking for a $200... Posted Jul 23 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Steps for Getting a Guaranteed Lifetime Income

  By Scott Burns Q. I am 73 and have investigated buying back the Social Security benefits I took at age 62. The buyback number is $158,529. My current monthly benefit is $1,231. A total buyback would give me a new monthly benefit of $2,019. This is a difference... Posted Jul 16 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments Filed under: Q&A (from print), Retirement, Social Security

• Invest for YOUR Future, Not the Financial Services Industry

  By Scott Burns Securities attorney and investment adviser Daniel R. Solin has saved our bacon once again, just as he did at this time last year. That’s when he offered a short book on investing for everyone--- even those sitting at the beach, smudging... Posted Jul 11 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments Filed under: Retirement

• Your Broker is a Hammer, Don't be a Nail

  By Scott Burns Q: I like my broker, but she and I differ on what type of fund to be in. I prefer a low-expense fund. She says: Forget expenses if the 10-year returns bear more fruit. I have $400,000 to invest. I want to do the following: 35 percent in... Posted Jul 09 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Inflation Protected Securities Should Trump Stable Value, Long Term

  By Scott Burns Q. Which would be safest and offer the best long-term results for my 401(k) --- a stable value fund or an inflation-protected bond fund? ---O.C., by email A. Go for the inflation-protected bond fund. Long term, it will provide you with... Posted Jul 02 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments Filed under: Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Three Big (But Easy) Levers on Your Retirement Spending

  By Scott Burns Allow me to introduce the Power of Non-Financial Thinking. This is the kind of thinking that actual people can do. It involves none of the magical thinking preferred by those on Wall Street who make their living selling us the next financial... Posted Jun 27 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments Filed under: Retirement

• John and Jane Bighouse Downsize

  By Scott Burns Downsizing may be the best retirement decision millions of boomers can make. It’s relatively easy to do. And, as you’ll soon see, the lifetime benefits can be enormous. But first, meet John and Jane Bighouse. They’re about to downsize.... Posted Jun 20 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 8 comment(s) Filed under: Consumption Smoothing, Retirement

• Even at Low Yields, Fixed Income Is Essential for a Retirement Portfolio

  By Scott Burns Q. I have around $1.2 million, mostly in equities. My house is paid for. There will be around $300,000 in company profit sharing when I retire, and that has been my ace in the hole for the conservative portion of my investments. If I were... Posted Jun 18 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Tools for Evaluating your 401(K) Plan

  Q: How can I prove that my company 401(k) plan is a loser? The company I work for has our plan with Putnam. I believe there is no combination of funds in the 401(k) that has ever beaten the S&P 500 index over any period of time. But I need to figure... Posted May 21 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Resources, Retirement

• You Can Retire Early, but It May Require a Major “Reset”

  By Scott Burns Q. Am I too young to retire and survive? I am 55 years old, and before company reorganization and the elimination of my position, I had a plan. I was cutting back on spending and focusing on retirement, 401(k), savings and paying off my... Posted May 07 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments Filed under: Q&A (from print), Retirement