Roger Wohlner

​Every year beginning on Oct​. 15 and running through Dec​. 7 those already on Medicare can make changes to their coverage as needed. This is known as the Medicare ​a​nnual ​e​nrollment period.

Changes made during this period become effective as of Jan​. 1 of the following year.

Read: Sticking with your Medicare plan this open enrollment season? You could pay a hefty price.

Changes you can make

During the Medicare ​annual ​e​nrollment period, you can change any aspect of your Medicare coverag...

It's important to see where your investments stand -- especially after a volatile year
Year-end is a time when many people review their financial situation. As you look at your finances this year-end, here are five financial planning issues to consider.
Portfolio review and rebalancing
It’s a good idea to review your investment portfolio at the end of every year, but especially this year thanks to the volatility in the stock market. Is the asset allocation of your portfolio still in line with...

What You Need to Know
Target date funds have the same asset allocation for all investors regardless of their individual circumstances.
A new research paper shows that the allocation to equities in most target date funds is too low from many retirees.
Target date funds and similar funds could be improved by taking a number of external factors into account in their asset allocation.
Are target date funds a good choice for retirement savers? This has been an ongoing discussion over the years. TD...

Harry Dent is a prolific author of investing books and predictor of the direction of the stock market and the economy. ThinkAdvisor has featured a number of interviews with Dent, including a discussion in late November of his negative views on the stock market and the economy for 2022.
We wanted to go back over time and take a look at some of Dent’s predictions and compare them to what actually happened, looking at where Dent’s predictions were on target and where he missed.
Who Is Harry Dent...

A look at the various parts of Medicare
Medicare is a health insurance program run by the Federal government. For most retirees Medicare is the primary vehicle for their health insurance coverage in retirement. Medicare can be a bit complex so it helps to start with the basics.
Parts A and B: also known as ‘original Medicare’
Medicare Part A and Part B are often referred to as original Medicare.
Part A is hospital insurance. Part A covers care such as:
Inpatient hospital care
Care in a skille...

What You Need to Know
There are a number of strategies that can reduce or defer your client’s RMDs.
These strategies should be evaluated in the context of your client’s overall financial planning situation.
Their tax situation and whether or not they need money from the RMDs are key factors to consider.
As we approach the end of 2021, it’s important to be sure that all clients have taken their full required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year. As you are certainly aware, there is a 50% ...

Social Security and working — what you need to know
Many people wonder whether they can continue to work while collecting Social Security benefits. The answer is yes, but there are a few things to be aware of.
Your full retirement age (FRA)
Your FRA is a key part of determining how working can impact your Social Security benefits. Full retirement age is the age at which you are eligible for unreduced benefits. For those born from 1943-1954, their FRA is 66. For those born in 1955 it is 66 yea...

A s​olo 401(k) is a retirement plan that is available for business owners, a spouse who is involved in the business as well as any partners in the business. Nonowner employees are not eligible to participate in the plan. Solo 401(k)​ planss are also known as individual 401(k)s and as a self-employed 401(k).
Read: Small businesses haven’t been this pessimistic about the economy in 48 years
Employee contributions are the same as with a 401(k) offered by an employer, $20,500 plus a catch-up cont...

Outside the Box
As we move toward retirement there are many questions as to how to proceed in different areas. When to claim your Social Security benefits is a key question. Another area that often elicits a number of questions and much confusion is Medicare.
One question that is often asked is, do I need to enroll in Medicare if I am still working at age 65? The answer, like a lot of things in the financial planning realm is, it depends.
The basics
For those who are receiving their Social Se...

To date, 2022 has been a challenging year for investors. The stock market just finished the worst first half of a year in decades, and inflation is at the highest level since 1981. Interest rates are rising as the Federal Reserve tries to combat inflation. Even so, investing is still the key for most people in building wealth and achieving goals like a comfortable retirement.
Against this background, some of the best investment options to consider for 2022 are discussed below. What are actual...

Inflation hurts everyone, but it can be especially harmful to retirees
The news is full of stories about rising inflation. Whether it’s the price of groceries, gasoline or other goods and services that we purchase, inflation is definitely increasing. We saw this reflected in the cost of living increase for Social Security benefits for 2022. The increase was 5.9% which represents the largest increase in almost 40 years.
While inflation impacts everyone, it can have a devastating effect on reti...

Retirement Weekly
The decade leading up to your retirement is one of the most critical periods for retirement planning. There are a number of financial planning issues to consider during this time period to help ensure a financially secure retirement for you.
Prepare a retirement spending plan
This is the time to take a hard look at how you plan to spend your time in retirement and how much your desired retirement lifestyle will cost. This can encompass a lot of things including your housing....

TDFs are a hands-off investment option — but they come with risks.
Target-date funds are a popular investing vehicle for those saving for retirement, and are a staple in many 401(k) plans. They have some advantages, but also have some negatives as well.
What is a target-date fund?
A target-date fund, or TDF, is a lifestyle fund that is invested toward a target retirement date. They are generally a collection of mutual funds of the fund company offering the TDF. There are also some target date...

Have some fun, but don’t forget to save for retirement
Congratulations, you’ve made it, you’re a new college graduate. Now it’s time to head out into the working world. You will be earning money and getting a regular paycheck. Along with earning money comes responsibility.
Here are 8 money lessons for the class of 2022.
Live within your means
Getting your first real paycheck can be exciting. It’s tempting to buy the things you might not have been able to afford as a college student. It’s OK t...

The Federal Reserve raised its federal-funds rate by 0.75%. How will that impact the average investor?
The Federal Reserve recently raised its benchmark federal-funds rate by 0.75%. This is the largest increase in over 30 years and was done as part of their efforts to curb the high inflation the U.S. is experiencing in 2022. This increase is part of a series of rate hikes the Fed had previously announced to help curb inflation.
What are the implications of the Fed’s rate hikes and what should...