Transferring Wealth During Retirement The Retirement Planning Surprise of Giving While Living Many well-off retirees don’t see themselves as wealthy — just disciplined savers with a solid 401(k) and a desire for security. Transferring wealth during retirement isn’t the starting point. But when long-term projections show surplus rather than shortfall, the conversation changes. Instead of…
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Can I Retire?
Can I Retire? When You’re Ready to Be Done Working—But Not Quite Ready to Guess It’s something that happens more often than people admit — feeling tired of work, staring at account statements that still don’t give a clear answer, and quietly wondering, “Can I retire?”. It’s a pattern that unfolds quietly for many seasoned…
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Surviving Spouse Retirement Income Planning
Surviving Spouse Retirement Income Planning When One Spouse Continues On: Protecting Retirement Income Travel, family, and the freedom to enjoy the life they’ve earned are beautiful reasons couples create a retirement plan. But there is another chapter few like to imagine — the season when a married couple becomes one. When that day comes, the…
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Is Your Employer’s Retirement Plan Enough?
Is Your Employer’s Retirement Plan Enough? When Workplace Retirement Guidance Isn’t Built for Life After Work After decades with the same employer, many professionals assume their retirement plan is already in place, especially if the company has provided guidance, projections, and resources along the way. But as retirement draws closer, the questions often become more…
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Captaining the Retirement Ship When Waters Turn Dangerous
Captaining the Retirement Ship When Waters Turn Dangerous Why a Financial Planner’s Guidance Matters as Retirement Conditions Shift Calm water has a way of making retirement planning feel simple. When conditions are predictable, adjustments feel optional. But as retirement approaches, conditions change. What works on a quiet lake doesn’t always translate when the horizon starts…
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401(k) Rollover Options: What to Know After Leaving a Job or Retiring
401(k) Rollover Options: What to Know After Leaving a Job or Retiring What Changes Once Your 401(k) is No longer Tied to an Employer Leaving a job or retiring brings new choices for your 401(k). Understanding your rollover options—and the implications of each—is an important step in managing and protecting the retirement account you’ve built….
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Health Insurance Before Medicare
Is Health Insurance Before Medicare Keeping You From Retiring? Overlooked Factors That Shape Retirement Before Medicare Begins After decades with a strong employer health plan, the thought of retiring before Medicare can feel unsettling. If you’ve ever wondered whether leaving the company plan means delaying retirement, you’re in good company. Many long-time employees share the…
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When Everything Seems Fine—Until It’s Not
When Everything Seems Fine—Until It’s Not Our Homecoming Shocker: How Suddenly Things Can Unravel in Life – and in Retirement As professional retirement planners, we’re trained to spot risks before they become disasters. It’s what we do—help uncover problems that might be hidden beneath the surface of someone’s retirement dreams. But recently, we experienced our…
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Are Fee-only Financial Advisors In The Best Interest of Your Retirement?
Are Fee-only Financial Advisors In The Best Interest of Your Retirement? Here’s Why the Way Financial Advisors Get Compensated Matters Many pre-retirees in Bloomington-Normal don’t realize that not all financial advisors are paid the same way—and that difference can matter more than you think. Fee-only financial advisors are paid directly by their clients, not through…
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Why We Plan for Retirement Past 85
The Enigma of Retirement Planning Past 85 Why Plan for Retirement Past 85—Even If You Won’t Live That Long? What if your financial security in retirement wasn’t just about making it to a certain age, but about ensuring that no matter what happens, you’re covered? Imagine reaching your late 80s or 90s and realizing your…
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