March 7, 2017

Long-term Care on a Boxed-wine Budget

The dangers of isolation in old age, the quest for a nice nursing home on “a boxed-wine wallet” – Annabelle Gurwitch approaches these issues with humor in a PBS NewsHour video that touches on themes previously covered in this blog.

When Gurwitch and her sister started grappling with finding a new home for their parents, one that would provide care for them, the sisters faced some tough decisions – and their parents had to make difficult compromises.

But when their father became very ill, something wonderful happened in their parents’ new community. …Learn More

March 2, 2017

Retirement, Saving and Your Taxes

Just one in four of the low-income workers eligible for the federal tax credit for retirement saving are even aware that it exists.

The IRS, as I said in a previous blog, practically “gives money away” through its Saver’s Tax Credit, which returns as much as half of the amount saved to the tax filer. The credit was designed to encourage the nation’s lowest-paid workers, who largely don’t save.

Yet a survey last year by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies found that people who are not eligible for the credit know more about it than people who are eligible. There was a pervasive lack of awareness in three groups in particular: workers earning under $50,000, women, and people with no more than a high school education.

We’re getting into the thick of the tax season, so we’ve assembled a list of our previous tax-oriented blogs – the first article explains the saver’s credit. The blogs, listed below, explore a variety of issues to consider when you’re doing your taxes: …Learn More