The weather is getting cooler as 2017 is drawing near. We can all feel it. If you’re like many older Americans on a fixed income, you like to do a little planning ahead. If you’re wondering how large your Social Security check will be during 2018, your wait will be over soon. This month you…

If you are like many people, you may easily spend hundreds of dollars or more on holiday gifts and related holiday purchases each year. Some sources indicate that consumers may spend more money over the holiday season this year than they have in previous years. The cost of gifts is only one seasonable expense. For…

The United States Armed forces will unveil its new retirement planning system January 1, 2018. The new Blended Retirement System, or BRS for short, has so far drawn mixed reviews from those that understand it and puzzled looks by the many that do not. The changes to the system are discussed below and will hopefully…

We are in the final days of 2017 and for some that means closer than ever to retirement! After working 40-plus years, if not even longer, upcoming retirees should look forward to spending the latter years of their lives doing what they love in retirement. In some situations, being able to earn income following retirement…

Each fall, the Internal Revenue Service announces adjustments to individual taxes, deductions and credits. The IRS issued these inflation adjustments for 2018 on October 19, 2017. Inflationary pressure remained modest during 2017. As a result, the adjustment amounts are not large. Personal Exemption and Standard Deduction The new personal exemption and standard deduction amounts apply…

Falling is a threat millions of aging Americans face, especially those 65 and up. At least one in four elderly people will suffer a fall each year. The CDC analyzed data from a 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey and found that suffering one fall doubles an elderly person’s chance of having a repeat…

Medicare Open Enrollment is your chance to reevaluate your coverage and change plans. It is also called the annual coordinated election period or the annual election period and you can change your coverage whether it is an Advantage plan, an original plan or a prescription drug plan through Part D. During Open Enrollment, you can…

After circling and re-circling the healthcare wagon, President Trump’s administration now shifts its attention to tax reform. A level of skepticism seems to shroud every major piece of legislation that “Number 45” has put forward so far, but there seems to be some optimism around his plan for tax reform. Many news outlets have accused…