Retirement Planning
401(k), IRA, Roth accounts, pension plans, withdrawal strategies, required minimum distributions, and how much you need to retire.
Latest in Retirement Planning
Interim federal retirement payments typically run 60 to 80 percent of the estimated net annuity, and OPM pays no interest on delayed pensions, a congressional research report says
Federal employees who retire now get a partial paycheck first. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) typically starts interim payments at 60 to 80 percent...
A House-passed bill would pay veterans who receive disability aid and attendance an extra $833.33 a month, but it has sat in a Senate committee since June 2
A bill that passed the House 235 to 179 on May 21 would add a supplemental allowance of $833.33 a month for veterans who already...
Veterans get October’s VA disability payment on Friday, October 30, and November’s payment arrives Tuesday, December 1, a veterans law firm’s 2026 calendar shows
VA disability compensation for October is scheduled to arrive on Friday, October 30, and November’s payment follows on Tuesday, December 1, according to a 2026...
Bank of America’s Personal Retirement Strategy 401(k) advice program passed $100 billion in assets
Bank of America says its Personal Retirement Strategy, an online investment advisory program built into workplace 401(k) plans, has passed $100 billion in total assets....
IRA owners 70 and a half or older can send money straight to charity, and the gift can count toward the year’s required withdrawal
An IRA owner who is 70 and a half (70½) or older can have the account send money directly to a charity, and the Internal...
Vanguard taxable target retirement fund investors still await a $146.41 million SEC fair fund, with the plan decision deadline now February 26, 2027
Investors hurt by misleading tax disclosures in Vanguard’s Target Retirement funds are still waiting on a $146.41 million Securities and Exchange Commission fair fund, and...
Most IRA owners 73 and older have until December 31 to take their 2026 required minimum distribution, though a first one can wait until April 1
Traditional IRA owners who are 73 or older face a December 31 deadline to take their 2026 required minimum distribution, the yearly withdrawal the IRS...
Social Security lets a widow switch from a survivor benefit to her own at 70
A widow who starts on a Social Security survivor benefit can later move to her own retirement benefit, and the Social Security Administration names age...
Fidelity puts the average female IRA investor’s balance at $130,231 in a quarter of record 401(k) and 403(b) savings rates
“Workers continue to prioritize their financial future, saving at record levels,” said Sharon Brovelli, president of Workplace Investing at Fidelity Investments, as the company published...
The federal pension insurer has still posted no 2027 maximum guarantee
The federal pension insurer, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), has still not posted a 2027 maximum guarantee. It publishes a table capping the monthly...
TRICARE open season runs Nov. 9 to Dec. 8, and 2027 coverage adds ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and stem cell transplants for MS
Nov. 9 through Dec. 8 is the window in which eligible TRICARE beneficiaries can enroll, switch plans or change family coverage for 2027, and the...
Federal retirees could see fewer health plan choices as OPM weighs limiting insurer options, with comments due Nov. 16
OPM is asking whether the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program should change how many plan options each insurer may offer, a question that could shrink...
Retirees whose pensions move to an insurer rely on state guaranty funds that cover up to $250,000 in annuity value per person
When a company transfers its pension obligations to an insurer, the federal insurance backing that pension disappears and a different, state-level guarantee takes its place,...
Companies have now handed $339.8 billion in pension obligations to insurers, LIMRA reports
$339.8 billion in pension obligations now sits on insurers’ books rather than employers’, a combined total LIMRA says grew 9 percent from a year earlier...
Fidelity says 401(k) savers are putting away a record 9.6 percent of pay, and over 81 percent get the full employer match
Workers saving in a 401(k) through Fidelity Investments contributed an average of 9.6% of pay in the second quarter, a record high, while employers added...
Fidelity’s average IRA balance hit $144,523, up 10 percent in a year
The average individual retirement account tracked by Fidelity Investments climbed to $144,523 in the second quarter, a gain of 10% from both the first quarter...
Poverty among Americans 65 and older hits 15.4 percent once medical bills and other costs are counted, versus 9.8 percent officially
Two measures of poverty exist for Americans 65 and older, and the gap between them is wider than for any other age group the Census...
Schwab will charge new advisory clients with more than $5 million up to 0.45% from 2027, up from 0.30%
Charles Schwab’s wealth management arm will charge new advisory clients with more than $5 million in assets a marginal rate of up to 0.45 percent...
Americans bought a record $123.9 billion of annuities in the second quarter, LIMRA says
Global market swings and higher interest rates pushed Americans to put a record $123.9 billion into annuities during the second quarter of 2026, according to...
Baby boomers’ 401(k) accounts averaged $283,200 in the second quarter, while Gen Z savers held $20,800, Fidelity data show
Baby boomers with a 401(k) held an average of $283,200 in the second quarter of 2026, while Gen Z savers in the same workplace plans...