Common Email Phishing Scams Email phishing scams take on the appearance of a legitimate email. They may even appear to be from a company you’re familiar with (such as Amazon, Costco or Netflix), to take advantage of your trust and gain personal or financial information. Here are some common email scams: Foreign lottery. Congratulations! [...]
Master these Social Security lessons to get a more realistic view of your retirement. According to Nationwide’s 8th Annual Social Security Consumer Survey, more than half of Americans express confidence that they know exactly how to optimize their Social Security benefits. However, only 6% actually understand all the factors that determine the maximum benefit [...]
Follow these three tips to help reach a state of happiness on a daily basis. Do you find that happiness is hard to come by on some days? With all the challenges of the past year, it’s sometimes just easier to find imperfections in everything and let crankiness rule your day. However, if you [...]
Spring is here and it’s time to think about growth potential—for both your garden and your journey toward financial wellness! The following steps can help you cultivate a budget that works for your life, so you don’t have to worry about falling short of your financial goals. Step 1: Sow Your Seeds Take the [...]
Here are some easy ways to protect the environment and improve your budget at the same time. Wash your clothes in cold water. They get just as clean, but without the energy needed to heat the water. Take shorter showers. Shaving even one minute off of your daily shower could save nearly a thousand [...]
Many prospective investors eventually shy away from a commitment when they hear the dreaded “R” word: risk. By itself, risk is innocuous, carrying no special meaning or predictive result. But the idea that investing one’s money is not foolproof; that there are risks involved, and that a return is speculative — the very idea [...]
Changing jobs can impact your 401k retirement plan. To minimize disruptions to your contributions and the vested portion of your previous employer’s contributions, it’s important to understand the choices you may have when you make a career transition. We offer the following key considerations: Option 1: Stay Your previous employer may allow you to [...]
In an effort to save money, the Social Security Administration (SSA) stopped mailing annual statements nearly a decade ago. The yearly statements were helpful, as they helped workers estimate their Social Security benefits. Despite this lack of formal reporting, the SSA offers an online option, Retirement Calculator, where you can estimate your Social Security benefits. [...]
One year ago, there was already troubling news about how little Americans had saved for retirement. Then the pandemic descended, multiplying those concerns. Local and national governments attempted to help with the immediate needs of citizens who, on a grand scale, suffered sudden job losses. The CARES Act paved the way for people to [...]
Seven age milestones that will impact your retirement planning As you travel the savings road toward retirement and beyond, certain key dates will pop up. Some of these dates are critically important to your retirement planning efforts. Taking the right retirement planning steps as you reach each of the following age milestones could help [...]
