To Will or Not To Will, Do’s and Don’ts in Making A Will

First things first, you should have a will. Wills not only do the obvious: distribute wealth and possessions to loved ones; they also leave an impression on how carefully one has managed his or her estate especially for those left behind.

The following are things one should and should not do in making a will:

Do update your will

Everything changes. Possessions, money can increase or decrease. Estate tax laws change in a whim thanks to Congress. The IRS can just as well alter these laws depending on whose side they are on and how they interpret it. There are varying laws in each state. It is important to evaluate every major change in your life. Doing so could change your will for the better and your death a lot more peaceful.

Do name the correct executor

Executors should be ethical, honest, and efficient and be ready to give his or her service at the drop of a hat. Ensure that the potential executor has been properly briefed and that his or her consent has been received. It also helps to have one or two alternates. It is also suggested that one name an executor younger than yourself. The point is to lessen the chances of having an executor die before you do.

Do not name the same person as guardian and trustee

It helps to not name the person you entrust with your children with the same person you entrust with your money and finances. Having different people fulfill these varied responsibilities is important. It keeps the system in balance and each person doing the role he or she knows best what to do.

Do not leave too much for a spouse

Leaving money that is more than sufficient to your spouse is not a very good idea. It takes away wealth that your children should just as well have and you will not be able to monitor your finances if all of it is entrusted to your significant other. Depositing some of your financial wealth to a trust is one way to keep it growing.

Do not be too specific

Some families fight as to who gets the blender and who gets the kitchen sink. It is important to not be too detailed in your will as to who gets what. Being too specific could result in unnecessary and costly problems later on. It is advisable to entrust a group of your possessions to a person than listing down which item will go to whom. It saves time and is more efficient, reasonable and sensible.

Preparing For Retirement

Certain questions arise whenever an employee starts to think about retiring. Sadly, many reach retirement age unprepared. Some started planning late because of ignorance or lack of information. Some had a mindset that getting ready for retirement should be done when you're nearing the age of retirement.

The following list some information on retirement that should be helpful to employees of all ages.

1. RETIREMENT AGE

One's full retirement age varies but one can start receiving benefits at age 62 regardless of that. Full details can be found at Social Security Online Retirement Planner (http://www.ssa.gov/).

2. COST OF LIVING

Note the basic expenses you will continue to shell out regularly after retirement. Note also the probable expenses that might come up once you retire, like taxes and insurance for example. List needed or desired purchases that would come up by that time, like a vacation house. Knowing these probable costs now gives you the basic amount you should be able to save before retirement day comes.

3. RETIREMENT BENEFITS

a. SOCIAL SECURITY
www.SocialSecurity.org can provide you with an estimate. Getting an estimate of your retirement benefits will help you as you plan how much of your income should be set aside for retirement savings and or how much of your income should be used for other investments.

b. PENSION PLANS.
Here, a monthly premium is paid for a specified time frame. With pension plans you can know how much you'd be receiving when the plan matures. Some companies get pension plans for their employees. But for those who don't, the employee can either request it or he himself can secure his own pension plan from a pre-need company.

4. INVESTMENT OPTIONS

a. SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS.
Examples of these are bank deposits. You can save small amounts of money plus you have security because these deposits are insured.

b. LONG TERM INVESTMENTS.
Examples of these are stocks and bonds. You can save larger amounts of money here. These investments however, are not insured.

5. LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT

It helps to know now how your living conditions will be after you retire. This helps you set a targeted amount of total savings in order to achieve that lifestyle you plan to have in the future.

Would you be taking it easy by that time? Then you must start planning and saving much now. Would you be seeking other employment opportunities? That would mean additional funds for you. Would you want to have a fixed source of income after retiring? Then plan and save up for an affordable real estate investment now.

Yes, retirement comes later. But retirement planning is not for the old, it’s for the young. Start planning now.

The Four Classifications of a Public Retirement System

It is that time in life that we all look forward to. It is time to sit and relax and no longer have to worry about catching the bus or missing lunch just to beat the deadline. It is that point in our lives that the challenges of a planned working schedule is modified into a more relaxing pace, away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday struggle to work.

It is the day of retirement.

Basically, retirement systems refer to the methods or processes, in which the employees can begin use of their retirement benefits depending on the nature of their job and the amount of their take home pay.

In the United States, the retirement system may vary from one state to another state. However, every retirement system functions and operates just the same.

The retirement system is categorically divided into four different retirement systems. These are the Judges Retirement System, State Employees, School Employees, and the State Police Employees Retirement Systems. Every category has it own system and each of them has its functions as well as restrictions.

To know more about the four retirement systems, here are some facts that are very helpful to those who need it.

1. Judges Retirement System

This type of retirement system refers to the retirement benefits entitled to judges. The rules and regulations stipulated within the provisions of Judges Retirement System are in conformity with the services rendered by the judges to their work.

2. State Employees Retirement System

This particular retirement system aims to provide those who have rendered adequate services to the state, thus, they are entitled to special privileges that are only applicable to state employees.

These retirement benefits are exclusive for people in the state government.

3. School Employees Retirement System

Any benefits that are entitled to teacher and educators are those that fall under the School Employees System. Benefits and profits are gained during the retirement.

4. State Police Employees Retirement System

This retirement system refers to the system that is responsible in organizing the appropriate services and benefits that are entitled for people who have sufficiently tendered services as a police officer until such time that the concerned person has already reached retirement stage.

Boiled down, retirement systems are specially made to make life more meaningful when people are already on their retirement age.

What is a 401(k) plan?

The 401(k) retirement plan is funded by employee contribution and a matching employer contribution. The major feature of the plan is that the contributions are taken from pre-taxed salary. The fund accumulates tax-free until it is withdrawn. Most businesses and tax-exempt organizations can create these retirement plans.

The 401(k) takes its name from the IRC (Internal Revenue Code) of 1978. The operation of the 401(k) is administered by the EBSA (Employee Benefits Security Administration) of the Department of Labor.

The 401(k) plan has a lot of advantages. First and foremost is that the employee can contribute pre-tax money that reduces the tax paid in each paycheck. Also, the company contribution and any growth in the fund is free of tax until withdrawn.

The compounding of the fund during a 20 to 30 year period is quite amazing. The employee has a lot of control in the direction of the future contributions. When the company matches your contributions, it adds something extra on top of your own money. All money in the plan can be moved from one company to another unlike pension.

The 401(k) plan is protected by pension laws since it is a personal investment plan. It includes protection from garnishment by creditors but not from domestic cases that include child support.
There are some disadvantages in the 401(k) plan, it is hard to get your 401(k) contributions before the age of 60 (59 1/2 to be exact). The 401(k) is not insured by the PBGC (Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp). Also, the company contributions do not kick in until a certain number of years of service have been given. The rules state that company matching contributions must either be a 3 year 'cliff' plan (100 percent after 3 years) or a 6-year 'graded' plan.

Employees participating in a 401(k) plan have many options for investment. In most cases a listing of mutual funds. The mutual funds usually include money market fund, treasuries, stock funds and bond funds. Some plans may include investing in company stock and US Savings Bonds. The employee gets to choose how the savings is invested. The employee can also choose at any time to stop contributions.

Financial advisers usually say that the average 401(k) contributor is non-aggressive in terms of their investment options. Stocks have historically outperformed other types of investment, since the 401(k) is a long term investment it should be able to minimize the stock fluctuations.

Factors Affecting Retirement Benefits from Social Security

People need to work in order to survive in the continuous struggle for existence. Through work and the salary that they get in exchange of the services that they provide, they are able to make the ends meet.

People usually retire by the time they reach the age of 65. Here, they are able to relax and enjoy the remaining days of their lives with their family and friends, with no debts to worry and no deadlines to beat.

On the other hand, people who had been working hard in the past are also guaranteed of sure benefits by the time they retire through the Social Security retirement benefits. These benefits are hard-earned money and are upshots of the numerous years of toiling.

The Concept of Social Security

In reality, the retirement benefits that can be derived from Social Security are based on three important aspects: the past earnings of the concerned individual, his or her age, and the time they begin collecting benefits.

Here is how it works:

1. The contributor’s age

By the time an individual reaches the age of 62, he or she may already obtain his or her Social Security retirement benefits and may cease on working. But for those who are not yet fulfilled with their jobs, they may opt to get their Social Security retirement benefits anytime between the ages of 62 and 70.

However, because one’s age may directly influence the amount or the kinds of benefits that he or she may obtain, it is important to consider other savings in order to compensate other financial needs in the future.

2. The past earnings

Not all people are expected to receive Social Security retirement benefits equally. The benefits are not uniform in amount and may differ from one person to another depending on the accumulated contributions based on the past earnings of an individual.

Hence, the retirement benefits is entirely dependent on the amount of the person’s past take home pay.

3. The time they begin collecting the benefits.

As mentioned, not all Social Security retirement benefits are created equal. With the new rules of Social Security, the amount of retirement benefits will vary depending on the time the time people will start collecting their Social Security retirement benefits.

With these three factors, one’s financial future should not be dependent on Social Security retirement benefits alone.

Preparing for Your Golden Years

Planning for your retirement is obviously a good idea. The phrase "the earlier, the better" describes what your policy should be for handling your transition from a harried work life to your relaxed golden years. At best, take twenty four to eighteen months to prepare for this significant change in your life.

1. Cleaning Up
Try to pay off any outstanding debts or fiscal responsibilities before moving on, especially those that are hedged against your retirement plan. If you don't, you'll probably be paying them out of your pension/savings and that is an incredibly bad idea for a retired individual.

2. Doing the Paperwork
A year before you retire would be a good time for you to start doing the necessary paperwork for your retirement. Birth certificates, passports and other identity papers should help smooth your transition to a senior citizen.

3. Health Care
Always check with the employee benefits department six months to a year before retirement. Ask them how your health insurance will change once you're not a member of the company. Depending on the answer, you may have to look around for new or additional insurance for yourself. Also, take into consideration any continuing ailments that you may have. Covering them with health insurance is a good idea, since they may take out a significant part of your retirement income.

4. Budgeting For Yourself
Check what your income sources will be after retirement. This can be from your employer - with the company's own pension plan, Social Security and your own personal savings. After that, make a budget that would fit your approaching financial situation. You really need to do this well in advance, so that you may be able to change it for any required adjustments such as paying for new medical insurance and other expenses that may pop up. A year should give you a large enough margin to prepare. If you're having trouble balancing it all, a financial advisor is a good investment. Try to find one that has a good solid reputation so as to avoid any problems.

5. Making a New Tax Payment Plan
Switching from your salary to your retirement income is a big change but you still have to pay taxes for that change. After retiring, contact your tax advisor on what forms you'll have to submit and how to set up a good payment plan so that you'll be able to maximize what you can out of your payout from retiring.

Why Retirement Is The Best Part of Your Life

Sometimes transitioning from your workaholic daily life to a relaxed rhythm of the golden years is not easy. Some people have difficulty finding the same feeling of accomplishment they had while working in the fast lane. They see retirement as a dead end. This shouldn't be so - retirement is retiring from your job not your life. It's like shifting to the slow lane on a highway - less demanding, more relaxed and even pleasurable.

Put things into perspective: remember the days at your job when you wanted to chuck it all in and go off to relax somewhere. Think of the times when you just wanted to kick back and not care about anything at all. Retirement is all about that. You may dislike the slower pace but, in the end, it is what you've been working towards in your job and it is time that you enjoy the fruits of your labors. It’s finally time to handle life on your terms!

All your anxiety and restlessness is just a reaction to the change you're experiencing. Make no mistake; retirement is a major life change that brings with all that it entails - a bit of emotional displacement and depression. You can handle it like all the other changes in life: go with the flow and learn to adapt.

When the honeymoon phase of retirement is over, you will inevitably feel all these things and more. This is where you start to figure out ways to spend your retirement time - what you want to do, how much time you want to spend on whatever interest you have and what interests to pursue. The difference here from your working days is the fact that you'll be answering to no one but yourself, not the company boss or the company itself. This is your "me" time and it will last for the rest of your life. You may have put your dreams on hold when you went to work and began making a living - why not start them up again?

Here are a few more pointers that may help you on how to enjoy your golden years:

- Sharpen your talents: Singing, dancing and many other interests may have been hard to pursue during your working years, but retirement offers you the opportunity to enjoy and even improve them.

- Reaching out: All the people you've met through the years and your old friends that you've fallen out of contact of, people you wished to know more about and to keep in touch with? What better way to spend your golden years but to revive these old ties and hook up with old pals?

- Travel: It's always good to see the rest of the world and now you have a lot of time to spare. Pack your bags and call your travel agent, it's time to go on a trip!

These are just a few suggestions. Remember, when you're in your golden years, the sky's the limit!

Worry-Free Retirement

Planning can be a tedious activity especially if you are planning for retirement. Many people realize how advantageous financial planning for retirement can be while others find it mysterious.

In fact, most experts say that for people who are only making enough money to make due payments in each month, then it means that they should start contemplating on how they can still make money even if they are already retired.

Surveys show that almost 75% of the American population is earning enough money to pay their monthly bills. This means that they do not have any extra money to put in a bank or in any financial institution that could provide them enough profit after their retirement.

What's more Social Security is not enough guaranteed income for retired people to live on. Actually, it is still a big question if one’s Social Security will still exist when the retirement day comes.

Hence, it is extremely important to generate some methods that will provide an individual a reasonable amount of money in the future. This should be done regardless of how much an individual earns, the important thing is to start saving today.

1. Visualize and calculate

It is important for a person to visualize his or her own situation after retirement. Then, you can calculate how much money is needed to live on after retirement. Furthermore, people need earnings that compensate 75% of the present amount that he or she is expected to take home.

2. It is important to seek the help of a financial planner or any person competent in financial planning.

By asking for advice from the experts, you will be able to gain more knowledge know how to proceed for you situation. These people are proficient and knowledgeable in all kinds of financial planning and they can provide the most feasible and workable approach for your individual needs.

3. Get rid of loans, debts, and other financial obligations in as little time as possible.

By simply paying off all debts, loans, and other financial obligations in a shorter period of time, you can realize a substantial amount to invest for that retirement. A good financial planner will know exactly how to direct you so you can meet your retirement goals.

7 Ways to Boost Your Retirement Income

Retirement contributes almost 1/3 of a person's life. It is for this reason that retirement should be given preparation and planning. Many Americans forget to save or just ignore their retirement. It’s very easy when you are young to think you have time to consider retirement later. However, the years roll by quickly and you can find yourself approaching middle age with no plan in place.

You need to start now and think of better ways to prepare for that time. It doesn’t mean that money will also retire once a person has retired. Here are some ways on how you can boost your retirement income:

1. Start saving now. It is never too late to start saving even for a little amount of money. When you save money, make it as untouchable as possible. Allocate your cash on your savings starting today and you will be surprised by the amount of money you will have by the time you retire if you start now.

2. Make a review of your finances and revise your budget. Reviewing your expenses will help you analyze where you spend your money the most. This will help you to cut your expenses and eliminate the things that you do not really need. This also teaches you on how to choose your priorities and weigh the things that really matter in your lifestyle. If golf is something that you can live without, why not allocate the money you spend on golf in your savings?

3. Review your insurance terms. Increasing your deductibles will help you cut your premiums to 20%. Do not count on Social Security or your pension plan.

4. You may want to make a quarterly payment on your taxes instead of being automatically deducted from your retirement distributions. You can also seek the help of a tax advisor regarding this issue.

5. Consider where you take your distributions. You may want to withdraw funds from your Social Security first, then your taxable investments like the IRA. The main purpose here is that you should be able to cover your monthly expenses, lessen your tax fees and save as much money as possible.

6. Research investments that are intended for retirement. There are establishments that offer an investment while in retirement. You may want to get involved with with-profit bonds, stock market bonds, individual savings account, distribution bonds, and venture capital trusts.

7. Make use of your company plans. If your current company offers retirement services and then consider contributing the maximum amount. This will help you take advantage of pre-tax contributions.

Money Saving Tips for Your Retirement

Preparing for your retirement is an important thing that you should consider while you are still working. Saving for your retirement could be the best decision when you are starting an early career life. However, this could be the last priority that most young people do while they work.

They invest on things that can satisfy their personal needs and wants forgetting their future and realizing it when they near retirement. This is the time that they become more anxious and motivated to save money. However, saving late for your retirement could be less effective. You won't have the time to invest and save more money for a secure and better future.

If you have realized that now is the right time for you to invest and save for your retirement, you should learn how you could change your lifestyle and start budgeting your money. You may also include a retirement plan for your future. Here are some tips on how to save more money in preparation for your retirement.

1. You should determine the right age for you to retire. This will help you in determining how long you can save. In this way, you can have an idea on how much you could save each time you receive your paycheck.

2. Choose a retirement plan that is best for you. You may choose a personal savings plan, an employer sponsored plan, or a self-employment plan. There are contributions that you will have to pay on each plan. These will serve as your investments. Your contributions will grow and they are tax-free until the time you reimburse them for your retirement.

3. Invest on stocks that can provide you long-term profits. In this way, you can be aggressive and more confident on other investments. You may also prefer investments that are volatile for short-term profits if you are nearing your retirement.

4. You should consider the charges and commissions offered by the plan provider. In most cases, plan providers have different trading fees on their plans. There are plans that will hold your accounts on mutual funds and investments.

5. You should estimate how much money you will need after you retire. It is better to have enough money during your retirement age. The money you save may be used for your housing, medical needs and other expenses.

Start saving early and prepare for your retirement. You should be motivated in limiting your expenses and focus on saving money for your future. Set goals for yourself so that you can determine the things that you may need to have now and for your future.


Appreciation -
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