Should You Downsize in Retirement?
One method for freeing home equity for other uses is to downsize your home as a part of moving. Downsizing could mean either moving to a smaller home, or moving into a similar-sized home in a less expensive community.
Two Options for Funding Long-Term Care
I discuss two options for funding long-term care: self funding and Medicaid.
The Continuum of Long-Term Care
Many receive long-term care at their homes or at community centers or adult day care centers. Institutionalized living is not always required, and proper long-term care planning may allow one to remain at home longer than otherwise possible.
Costs and Incidence of Long-Term Care
How likely is a person to experience a need for different types of long-term care? This is a challenging question and it is hard to find good answers.
The Importance of Planning for Long-Term Care
Long-term care spending represents one of the most severe spending shocks that can impact retirees.
Potential Directions for Social Security
A common argument for claiming Social Security early is that the program is about to be dramatically overhauled, but it seems rather unlikely that any impending reforms would leave near retirees with significant reductions to benefits.
Arguments for Claiming Social Security Early
Believe it or not, legitimate arguments exist for claiming Social Security early.
Tax Considerations When Delaying Social Security
Delaying Social Security can potentially contribute to an overall tax strategy for retirement. Every case is different, but generally speaking, when you add taxes to the mix, the case for delaying Social Security becomes even stronger than usual.
Social Security: The Best Annuity Money Can Buy
A final frame for viewing the Social Security claiming decision is as an annuity purchase.
How Time Horizon and Discount Rate Affect Social Security
One way to view the decision to delay Social Security as an “investment” is by using a present value calculation to identify which strategy can provide the most lifetime Social Security benefits and which strategy creates the lowest funding needs for your investment portfolio. This calculation requires deciding on a time horizon and a discount rate.