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Yesterday's announcement set the confirmed 2027 Social Security COLA, based on September's finalized inflation data.Even...
10/15/2026

Yesterday's announcement set the confirmed 2027 Social Security COLA, based on September's finalized inflation data.

Even with the 3.6% increase, it's worth remembering that Medicare Part B premium increases typically absorb a meaningful share of any raise before it reaches your monthly check.

Check your official COLA notice through your My Social Security account for your specific number.

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A new study from AEI and the American Council of Life Insurers tested 10,000 market scenarios comparing the standard 4% ...
10/13/2026

A new study from AEI and the American Council of Life Insurers tested 10,000 market scenarios comparing the standard 4% withdrawal rule against a hybrid approach: annuitizing part of a portfolio and applying the same 4% rule to the rest.

The hybrid approach consistently produced better outcomes across the scenarios tested.

It's not a case against staying invested. It's evidence that combining a guaranteed income stream with continued market exposure may outperform relying on either one alone.

As of January 1 this year, workers 50 or older who earned more than $150,000 from their current employer last year are r...
10/09/2026

As of January 1 this year, workers 50 or older who earned more than $150,000 from their current employer last year are required to make catch-up contributions as Roth, not pre-tax.

This only looks at wages from your current employer, not combined income across multiple jobs.

If your plan doesn't offer a Roth option at all, you may not be able to make catch-up contributions once this applies to you. Check directly with your plan administrator if you're in this range.

The average IRA balance climbed to $144,523 in the second quarter, up 10% from the prior quarter and 59% over the past d...
10/07/2026

The average IRA balance climbed to $144,523 in the second quarter, up 10% from the prior quarter and 59% over the past decade.

The number of 401(k)-created millionaires reached a record 769,000.

Behind the numbers: nearly half of employer plans now use auto-enrollment, and the most common employer match formula (100% on the first 3% and 50% on the next 2%) is helping more people save without having to think about it.

🎃 Fall is a natural checkpoint for a few financial moves that are easy to put off until it's too late.📊 If your employer...
10/05/2026

🎃 Fall is a natural checkpoint for a few financial moves that are easy to put off until it's too late.

📊 If your employer plan allows it, boosting your retirement contributions now still gives you time to capture more of this year's tax savings before December 31.

💰 It's also worth using any extra cash, a bonus, a small windfall, toward retirement savings rather than letting it get absorbed into holiday spending.

🔎 And if you haven't checked your withholding since a major life change this year, now is the time, not after you've already filed.

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by a quarter point this month, its first increase in three years, bringing...
10/01/2026

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by a quarter point this month, its first increase in three years, bringing the target range to 3.75%-4%.

For savers, this is a genuine opportunity. High-yield savings accounts and CDs typically move up within a few weeks of a Fed hike, since banks compete for deposits.

If you've been sitting on idle cash in a low-interest account, this is a reasonable moment to compare what's actually available now.

Winter heating costs are projected to rise 8.7% this year, more than double the general inflation rate. Heating oil spec...
09/29/2026

Winter heating costs are projected to rise 8.7% this year, more than double the general inflation rate. Heating oil specifically could jump as much as 31% in some regions.

If you're on a fixed retirement income, it's worth building this into your budget now, not when the first bill arrives.

The federal government's official forecast comes out October 6 with more precise regional numbers.

With one month of data left, the running count toward the 2027 Social Security COLA sits at 3.5%.The official number get...
09/25/2026

With one month of data left, the running count toward the 2027 Social Security COLA sits at 3.5%.

The official number gets announced October 14, based on September's inflation data.

Recent years have run cooler than the historic 8.7% increase in 2023: 3.2%, 2.5%, and 2.8% over the years since.

A 2027 COLA in the 3-3.5% range, if the current count holds, would be consistent with that recent pattern.

Worth remembering before you budget around it: Medicare Part B premium increases often eat into a meaningful share of any COLA raise before it ever reaches your bank account.

Maxing out your 401(k) contributions early in the year feels disciplined. Depending on your plan, it can actually cost y...
09/23/2026

Maxing out your 401(k) contributions early in the year feels disciplined. Depending on your plan, it can actually cost you real matching money.

If your employer matches contributions per paycheck and you hit the $24,500 annual limit before your last paycheck of the year, your contributions stop, and so does the match, unless your plan has something called a "true-up" provision. About two-thirds of 401(k) plans with per-paycheck matching offer one.

Before you front-load next year, ask your plan administrator or HR one direct question: does this plan true-up the match at year-end? If the answer is no, spreading contributions evenly across every paycheck is the only way to guarantee you capture the full match.

Retirees who claim Social Security at 62-64 average $1,450.74 a month. Retirees who wait until 70-74 average $2,225.12, ...
09/21/2026

Retirees who claim Social Security at 62-64 average $1,450.74 a month. Retirees who wait until 70-74 average $2,225.12, a difference of $774 every single month.

That's not a rounding difference. It's potentially a car payment or a month of groceries, for as long as you live.

Your own number depends on your earnings history and when you claim, not what anyone else averages out to. But knowing how much that timing actually costs is worth it before you decide.

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