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Four Things Women Need to Know about Social Security

Ever since a legal secretary named Ida May Fuller received the first retirement benefit check in 1940, women have been counting on Social Security to provide much-needed retirement income.

Social Security provides other important benefits too, including disability and survivor’s benefits, that can help women of all ages and their family members.

1. How does Social Security protect you and your family?

When you work and pay Social Security taxes, you’re paying for three types of benefits: retirement, disability, and survivor’s benefits.

Retirement benefits

Retirement benefits are the cornerstone of the Social Security program. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), because women are less often covered by retirement plans and live longer on average than men, they are typically more dependent on Social Security retirement benefits.*

Even if other sources of retirement income are exhausted, Social Security retirement benefits can’t be outlived. Many women qualify for benefits based on their own work record, but if you’re married, you may also qualify based on your spouse’s work record.

Disability benefits

During your working years, you may suffer a serious illness or injury that prevents you from earning a living, potentially putting you and your family at financial risk. But if you qualify for Social Security on your earnings record, you may be able to get monthly disability benefits.

You must have worked long enough in recent years, have a disability that is expected to last at least a year or result in death, and meet other requirements. If you’re receiving disability benefits, certain family members (such as your dependent children) may also be able to collect benefits based on your work record.

Because eligibility requirements are strict, Social Security is not a substitute for other types of disability insurance, but it can provide basic income protection.

Survivor’s benefits

You probably know the value of having life insurance to financially protect your family, but did you know that Social Security offers valuable income protection as well?

If you’re qualified for Social Security at your death, your surviving spouse (or ex-spouse), your unmarried dependent children, or your dependent parents may be eligible for benefits based on your earnings record.

You also have survivor protection if you’re married and your covered spouse dies and you’re at least age 60 (or at least age 50 if you’re disabled), or at any age if you’re caring for your covered child who is younger than age 16 or disabled.

2. How do you qualify for benefits?

When you work in a job where you pay Social Security taxes or self-employment taxes, you earn credits (up to four per year, depending on your earnings) that enable you to qualify for Social Security benefits.

In 2017, you earn one credit for each $1,300 of wages or self-employment income. The number of credits you need to qualify depends on your age and the benefit type.

  • For retirement benefits, you generally need to have earned at least 40 credits (10 years of work). However, you may also qualify for spousal benefits based on your spouse’s work history if you haven’t worked long enough to qualify on your own, or if the spousal benefit is greater than the benefit you’ve earned on your own work record.
  • For disability benefits (if you’re disabled at age 31 or older), you must have earned at least 20 credits in the 10 years just before you became disabled (different rules apply if you’re younger).
  • For survivor’s benefits for your family members, you need up to 40 credits (10 years of work), but under a special rule, if you’ve worked for only one and one-half years in the three years just before your death, benefits can be paid to your children and your spouse who is caring for them.

Whether you work full-time, part-time, or are a stay-at-home spouse, parent, or caregiver, it’s important to be aware of these rules and to understand how time spent in and out of the workforce might affect your entitlement to Social Security.

3. What will your retirement benefit be?

Your Social Security retirement benefit is based on the number of years you’ve worked and the amount you’ve earned. Your benefit is calculated using a formula that takes into account your 35 highest earnings years.

If you earned little or nothing in several of those years, it may be to your advantage to work as long as possible, because you may have the opportunity to replace a year of lower earnings with a year of higher earnings, potentially resulting in a higher retirement benefit.


Your benefit will also be affected by your age at the time you begin receiving benefits. If you were born in 1943 or later, full retirement age ranges from 66 to 67, depending on the year you were born. Your full retirement age is the age at which you can apply for an unreduced retirement benefit.


However, you can choose to receive benefits as early as age 62, if you’re willing to receive a reduced benefit. At age 62, your benefit will be 25% to 30% less than at full retirement age (this reduction is permanent).

On the other hand, you can get a higher payout by delaying retirement past your full retirement age, up to age 70. If you were born in 1943 or later, your benefit will increase by 8% for each year you delay retirement.

For example, the following chart shows how much an estimated monthly benefit at a full retirement age (FRA) of 66 would be worth if you started benefits 4 years early at age 62 (your monthly benefit is reduced by 25%), and how much it would be worth if you waited until age 70–4 years past full retirement age (your monthly benefit is increased by 32%).

Benefit at FRA Benefit at age 62 Benefit at age 70
$1,000 $750 $1,320
$1,200 $900 $1,584
$1,400 $1,050 $1,888
$1,600 $1,200 $2,112
$1,800 $1,350 $2,376

What if you’re married and qualify for spousal retirement benefits based on your spouse’s earnings record? In this case, your benefit at full retirement age will generally be equal to 50% of his benefit at full retirement age (subject to adjustments for early and late retirement). If you’re eligible for benefits on both your record and your spouse’s, you’ll generally receive the higher benefit amount.

One easy way to estimate your benefit based on your earnings record is to use the Retirement Estimator available on the SSA website. You can also visit the SSA website to sign up for a my Social Security account so that you can view your personalized Social Security Statement.

This statement gives you access to detailed information about your earnings history and estimates for disability, survivor’s, and retirement benefits.

4. When should you begin receiving retirement benefits?

Should you begin receiving benefits early and receive smaller payments over a longer period of time, or wait until your full retirement age or later and receive larger benefits over a shorter period of time? There’s no “right” answer..

It’s an individual decision that must be based on many factors, including other sources of retirement income, your marital status, whether you plan to continue working, your life expectancy, and your tax picture.


As a woman, you should pay close attention to how much retirement income Social Security will provide, because you may need to make your retirement dollars stretch over a long period of time.


If there’s a large gap between your projected expenses and your anticipated income, waiting a few years to retire and start collecting a larger Social Security benefit may improve your financial outlook. What’s more, the longer you stay in the workforce, the greater the amount of money you will earn and have available to put into your overall retirement savings.

Another plus is that Social Security’s annual cost-of-living increases are calculated using your initial year’s benefits as a base–the higher the base, the greater your annual increase, something that can help you maintain your standard of living throughout many years of retirement.

This is just an overview of Social Security. There’s a lot to learn about this program, and each person’s situation is unique. Contact a Social Security representative if you have questions.

Do you want to learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits?

We can help. Set up a call by clicking here or calling (310) 824-1000.

 

 

Important Disclosure

*Social Security Administration Publication–What Every Woman Should Know, Updated August 2016

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The #1 Concern for Retirees – And Why They’re Getting It Wrong

One of the big eye-openers of adulthood is when roles reverse and the child must care for the parent. It’s one of the toughest problems we face as we get older – especially when our parents don’t have any long-term care plans or money set aside.

A Painful Balancing Act: Long-Term Care Choice and Budget

Finding the balance between securing safe, comfortable care for elderly parents and paying for it can be almost impossible. Many people are surprised to discover that Medicare doesn’t cover long-term care costs, also known as custodial care.

This type of service includes daily living assistance such as:

  • Bathing
  • Eating
  • Chores and housework
  • Going to the bathroom
  • Moving around

If you’re working full-time, raising children and responsible for your parents’ daily needs, this can be an overwhelming load. Now imagine you’re the parent – and your children have to make these decisions for you.

The #1 Concern: What Will Happen When I Can’t Care For Myself?

According to a recent survey by the Society of Actuaries, long-term care is tied for first place as the number one concern of retirees. The other concern is inflation.1

It’s not a big surprise that most people rank this as their chief worry. If you have had to make long-term care plans for a loved one, then you know how expensive it can be. Not to mention, the better facilities cost more money.

This comes with another set of questions: Will my loved one be properly cared for? Will my mother be neglected? Will my dad be happy and stimulated? What will their quality of life be like?

These questions are naturally applied to ourselves, too. We want to receive great care when we can no longer care for ourselves. We recognize that just because our bodies aren’t working optimally, our minds still crave stimulation and engagement. We want to retain as much control over our lives as possible.

The reverse is also true. How will we be cared for if we are unable to make decisions? These are not things we want to think about – especially while we’re young, healthy and active… but that’s precisely when we should be thinking about them.

For Women, Planning Is Particularly Important

Women more than men should consider preparing for long-term care. A gender gap in health means that figuring out how to pay for custodial and medical services is especially important for females. There are three major reasons for this:

➢ Women live, on average, 5 percent longer than men.2
➢ Because women outlive men, widowed women can’t depend on spouses to care for them.
➢ Women suffer from chronic diseases more than men do.3

The Worry Is There, But Not the Preparation

The staggering result of all this worry is that most people do little to nothing to prepare. In addition to not preparing, the Actuary survey showed that pre-retirees underestimate life expectancy. In 2015, the median of pre-retirees stated that they will live until 85, despite the fact that 55 percent of those reported at least one family member living past 90.

As far as a financial strategy for long-term health care, only 33 percent of those surveyed purchased a guaranteed lifetime income product.

“In terms of a planning horizon, 17 percent of pre-retirees plan for five to nine years, and 19 percent plan for ten to 14 years. By comparison, 38 percent of pre-retirees have either not thought about their planning horizon or do not plan ahead.”
– 2015 Risks and Process of Retirement Survey

More Expensive Than a Mortgage

In 2016, the average cost of a private room in a nursing home was $7,698.4 This is almost six times the amount of the average monthly mortgage payment.5

Although assisted living facilities are about half as much as a nursing home, they’re still expensive at $3,628 per month, especially if you’re on a fixed income.

Will You Need Long-Term Care?

There are no guarantees when it comes to health – which means you should plan on needing it and try to live a healthy lifestyle so that you don’t.

The numbers, however, point to the fact that more than half of us will need some form of assistance as we get older.

➢ In 2012, nine million Americans over the age of 65 required long-term care. That number is projected to jump to 12 million by 2020. 6

Considering Your Options

1. Long-term Care Insurance

Long-term Care Insurance is one of the most popular options as it drastically reduces the cost of care if you need it.

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance reports that the average married couple, age 55, would pay $1,816 per year for a policy with $162,000 in coverage for each. A 3-percent inflation protection rider is also available for about $1900 more per year.7

The earlier you lock in a rate, the better. A good time to invest in this insurance is around age 52.

2. Life Insurance With a Long-term Care Rider

This might be a good option as there are a couple more benefits with this option than a traditional long-term care insurance policy. Basically, you will get the death benefits that come with a life insurance policy, you will pay about the same – or less – in monthly payments – and enjoy approximately the same coverage you would receive with long-term care insurance through the rider.

3. Fixed Index Annuity

A fixed index annuity with a single premium is yet another route to take on your way to long-term care preparation. Some annuities offer a long-term care doubler benefit which pays twice as much per month as it would if you were not in long-term care. This is an amazing perk and one that could save you tons of money down the road.

Bottom Line

Don’t wait to get ready for long-term care. Even if you are running marathons in your 60s, the time might come when you need some form of assistance. It’s better to have a plan in place now than to rely on your children or social services to help you later.

If you need help deciding if long term care is for you or your parents, we are here to help. Click here to request a call or call us at 310-824-1000 and ask for Caroline. She’ll be happy to set up a time in our calendar.

 

1https://www.soa.org/press-releases/2016/survey-examines-retirement-concerns/
2http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20151001-why-women-live-longer-than-men
3http://www.cwhn.ca/en/resources/primers/chronicdisease
4https://www.genworth.com/about-us/industry-expertise/cost-of-care.html
5http://themortgagereports.com/20589/freddie-mac-mortgage-payments-homeownership-costs-may-2016
6http://www.forbes.com/sites/jrose/2016/03/22/long-term-care-insurance-alternatives/#1af57501a192
7http://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/15/long-term-care-coverage-peace-of-mind-at-a-price.html

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Getting Divorced Checklist

General information Yes No N/A
1. Has relevant personal information been gathered?
• Each spouse’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number
• Names and birth dates of children
• Date and place of marriage and length of time in present state
• Information about prior marriages and children
• Date of separation and grounds for divorce
• Current occupation of spouses and name/address of employers
• Education and degrees of each spouse
• Name, address, and telephone number of attorney
2. Has financial situation been assessed?
• Each spouse’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number
• Names and birth dates of children
• Date and place of marriage and length of time in present state
• Information about prior marriages and children
• Date of separation and grounds for divorce
• Current occupation of spouses and name/address of employers
• Education and degrees of each spouse
• Name, address, and telephone number of attorney

PROPERTY SETTLEMENTS Yes No N/A
1. Does prenuptial agreement exist?
2. Do spouses reside in a community property state?
3. Have all assets been listed, valued, and classified as joint or
separate?
4. Have the tax bases of all assets been determined?
5. If assets will be transferred or sold, have tax consequences been
calculated and explained to client?
6. Have loans and other liabilities on the properties (or otherwise) been
listed and considered?
7. Is there a family business?

ALIMONY AND CHILD SUPPORT Yes No N/A
1. Have tax consequences of classifying support as alimony or child support been reviewed?
2. Has physical custody of children been determined?
3. Has legal custody of children been determined?
4. Have visitation parameters been established for the noncustodial parent?
5. Will alimony be paid?

MARITAL HOME Yes No N/A
1. Will home be transferred to either spouse as part of settlement?
2. If yes, has cost basis been reviewed for improvements?
3. Has amount of outstanding mortgage been calculated?
4. Will the principal residence be sold to a third party?
5. If yes, has the tax cost (if any) been computed?

RETIREMENT PLANNING Yes No N/A
1. Have retirement plans been listed and interests in retirement plans been reviewed?
2. Will the divorce decree provide a payout from the plan? If so, will a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) be used?
3. Should beneficiary designations be changed?
4. Will any IRS penalties apply?
5. Can retirement money be rolled over to IRA?

TAX PLANNING Yes No N/A
1. If already divorced, was divorce finalized by year-end?
2. If still married at year-end, agree to file jointly?
3. Have joint filing risks been discussed?
4. Has separate maintenance decree been obtained to permit filing as unmarried or head of household?
5. Have head of household conditions been met?
5. Has it been decided which spouse will get dependency exemption?

other Yes No N/A
1. Should will and trust be changed?
2. Should insurance policy beneficiaries be changed?
3. Should banks and other creditors be notified of divorce and signatures changed?
4. Will either spouse’s health insurance plan cover the children post-divorce? Cover spouse?
5. Has budget been revised to account for changes in income and liabilities?
5. Does credit need to be repaired or established?
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Tips for Women Entrepreneurs

According to the National Women’s Business Council, nearly 8 million women-owned businesses exist in the United States. Women-owned firms comprise 28.7% of all nonfarm businesses and generate more than $1.2 trillion in revenue. Interestingly, 88.3% of women-owned businesses have no employees, indicating that many women strike out on their own, perhaps to better balance work and family.¹ If you’re considering the launch of a new venture (or know someone who is), the following information may be helpful.

Tips for Women Entrepreneurs

Facing unique challenges

Although there are no gender differences in the steps involved in starting a business, women may indeed face unique challenges when it comes to implementing those steps.

According to a Babson College study, women entrepreneurs tend to have less confidence than their male peers. Among those who have identified new business opportunities, 34% of women admit to a fear of failure, compared with 29% of men, and less than half of women believe they have the capabilities to start a business, compared with 63% of men.²

Women may also face challenges in securing venture capital (VC) funding. In a different study, Babson researchers found that 85% of all VC-funded companies have no women on the executive team, and only 2.7% of VC-funded companies are led by a woman CEO. However, VC firms with women partners were more than twice as likely to invest in firms with women on the executive team and more than three times as likely to fund a company with a woman at the helm.³

Overcoming the obstacles

So what should a woman with a great business idea do?

First and most important, define what success means to you. Do you want a thriving operation with dozens of employees, or are you looking for self-employment to bring in additional income while allowing more time for family needs? Or maybe it’s something in between? Be sure you have a clear vision of your dream before you launch.

Understand that preparation and knowledge are keys to building confidence. Develop a written business plan that describes your business’s products and/or services, target market, marketing and sales strategy, opportunities and challenges, competition and how you will address it, and other key success factors. This document and the hard work involved in preparing it will be especially important if you plan to seek financing from lenders, angel investors, VC firms, or other outside sources. The required research will help prepare you to answer the tough questions from potential financiers.

Know that successful entrepreneurs are typically willing to take calculated risks. Don’t let fear drive your decision making. Once again, preparation is important, but don’t let your analysis end up in paralysis.

Be sure you have enough funds set aside to survive the start-up phase, which can last as little as a few weeks or as long as several years, depending on your business. Having enough money to live on during this period may further bolster your confidence, reduce fear of failure, and support wise risk taking.

Finally, take heart in knowing help is available. The Small Business Administration,Women’s Business Centers, and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the country provide resources and information especially for women business owners.

 

¹ National Women’s Business Council fact sheet, June 2015
² Babson College, Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, 2013 United States Report
³ Babson College, Women Entrepreneurs 2014: Bridging the Gender Gap in Venture Capital

 

Important Disclosure
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Retirement Planning for Women

Retirement planning for women face special challenges. Because our careers are often interrupted to care for children or elderly parents, we may spend less time in the workforce and earn less money than men in the same age group. As a result, our retirement plan balances (e.g. Social Security benefits, and pension benefits) are often lower. In addition to earning less, we generally live longer than men, and they may face having to stretch limited retirement savings and benefits over many years.

To meet these financial challenges, you’ll need to make retirement planning a priority.

Retirement Planning for Women: Begin saving now

To help improve your chances of achieving a financially comfortable retirement, start with a realistic assessment of how much you’ll need to save. If the figure is substantial, don’t be discouraged–the most important thing is to begin saving now. Although it’s never too late to save for retirement, the sooner you start, the more time your investments have to potentially grow.

The chart below shows how just $2,000 invested annually at a 6% rate of return might grow over time:

If women save for retirement sooner
Note: This is a hypothetical example, and does not reflect the performance of any specific investment. Results assume reinvestment of all earnings and no tax.

Save as much as you can–you have many options

If your employer offers a retirement savings plan, such as a 401(k) or a 403(b), join it as soon as possible and contribute as much as you can. It’s easy to save because your contributions are deducted directly from your pay, and some employers will even match a portion of what you contribute. If your employer offers a pension plan, find out how many years you’ll need to work for the company before you’re vested in, or own, your pension benefits. Women struggling to balance work and family sometimes shortchange their retirement savings by leaving their jobs before they become vested in their pension benefits. Keep in mind, too, that because your pension benefits will be based on your earnings and on your years of service, the longer you stay with one employer, the higher your pension is likely to be.

statistic - how mothers and fathers spend their workweeks

Most employer-sponsored plans allow you to choose from several investment options (typically mutual funds). If you have many years to invest or you’re trying to make up for lost time, you may want to consider growth-oriented investments such as stocks and stock funds. Historically, stocks have outperformed bonds and short-term instruments over the long term, although past performance is no guarantee of future results. However, along with potentially higher returns, stocks carry more risk than less volatile investments. A good way to get detailed information about a mutual fund you’re considering is to read the fund’s prospectus, which can be obtained from the fund company. It includes information about the fund’s objectives, expenses, risks, and past returns. We can also help you evaluate your retirement plan options.

Save for retirement–no matter what

Even if you’re staying at home to raise your family, you can–and should–continue to save for retirement. If you’re married and file your income taxes jointly, and otherwise qualify, you may open and contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA as long as your spouse has enough earned income to cover the contributions. Both types of IRAs allow you to make contributions of up to $5,500 in 2014 (unchanged from 2013), or, if less, 100% of taxable compensation. If you’re age 50 or older, you’re allowed to contribute even more–up to $6,500 in 2014 (unchanged from 2013).

Plan for income in retirement

Retirement Planning for Women - life expectancy of womenDo you worry about outliving your retirement income? Unfortunately, that’s a realistic concern for us women. At age 65, we can expect to live, on average, an additional 20.3 years.¹ In addition, many women will live into their 90s. This means that we should generally plan for a long retirement that will last at least 20 to 30 years. We should also consider the possibility of spending some of those years alone. According to recent statistics, 36% of older women are widowed, 14% are divorced, and almost half of all women age 75 and older live alone.² For married women, the loss of a spouse can mean a significant decrease in retirement income from Social Security or pensions. So what can you do to help ensure you’ll have enough income to last throughout retirement? Here are some tips:

    • Estimate how much income you’ll need. Use your current expenses as a starting point, but note that your expenses may change by the time you retire.
  • Find out how much you can expect to receive from Social Security, pension plans, and other sources. What benefits will you receive should you become widowed or divorced?
  • Set a retirement savings goal that you can work toward, and keep track of your progress.
  • Save regularly, save as much as you can, and then look for ways to save more–dedicate a portion of every raise, bonus, cash gift, or tax refund to your retirement savings.

What’s your excuse for not planning for retirement?

I attribute my success to this- I never gave or took any excuseI’m too busy to plan

Perhaps you’re so wrapped up in balancing your responsibilities that you haven’t given retirement planning much thought. That’s understandable, but if you don’t put retirement planning at the top of your to-do list, you risk shortchanging yourself later on. Staying focused on your goal of saving for a comfortable retirement is difficult, but if you put yourself first it could pay off in the end.

My husband takes care of our finances

Married or not, it’s critical for women to take an active role in planning for retirement. Otherwise, you may be forced to make important financial decisions quickly during a period of crisis. Unfortunately, decisions that are not well thought through often prove costly later. Preparing for retirement with your spouse could help ensure that you’re both provided for, and pave the way to a comfortable retirement.

I’ll save more once my children are through college

Many well-intentioned parents put their own retirement savings on hold while they save for their children’s college education. But if you do so, you’re potentially sacrificing your own financial well-being. Your children have many options when it comes to financing college–loans, grants, and scholarships, for example–but there’s no such thing as a retirement loan! Why not set a good example for your children by getting your own finances in order before contributing to their college fund?

I don’t know enough about investing

Commit to spending just a few minutes a day learning the basics of investing, to help you become knowledgeable. And remember, you don’t have to do it by yourself–we will be happy to work with you to set retirement goals and help you choose appropriate investments.

¹ The National Vital Statistics Report, Volume 61, Number 4, May 2013
² U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging, A Profile of Older Americans: 2013

Important Disclosure

 

 

Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. and Parson Latimer & Judge Financial and Insurance Solutions LLC do not provide investment, tax, or legal advice. The information presented here is not specific to any individual’s personal circumstances. To the extent that this material concerns tax matters, it is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed by law. Each taxpayer should seek independent advice from a tax professional based on his or her individual circumstances. These materials are provided for general information and educational purposes based upon publicly available information from sources believed to be reliable—we cannot assure the accuracy or completeness of these materials. The information in these materials may change at any time and without notice. This communication is strictly intended for individuals residing in the state(s) of CA. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident outside the specific states referenced.