Navigating 401(k) Hardship Distributions: Rules, Options, and Considerations

Navigating 401(k) Hardship Distributions: Rules, Options, and Considerations

In your article “I want to access my 401(k) sooner. Is a loan the only way? you wrote that hardship distributions were “…available only if the participant has an “immediate and significant financial need” and that the distribution cannot exceed the amount “necessary to satisfy the financial need.” Cher Kent, There is some definition of … Read more

Financial planning for retired couple with $3.4 million net worth: Are we spending too much?

Financial planning for retired couple with $3.4 million net worth: Are we spending too much?

I am 56 years old and semi-retired. I was a single mother for many years, but managed to find success during over 30 years of working in corporate America. My total net worth is approximately $3.4 million, including my home, investments, and cash. I will write my last tuition check at the end of this … Read more

Should I Pay Off My Mortgages with My Retirement Funds: Expert Advice for Retirees

Should I Pay Off My Mortgages with My Retirement Funds: Expert Advice for Retirees

My wife and I are both retired. Right now we have an IRA worth over $800,000, which is intact, and stocks worth $600,000. We receive pensions and Social Security, which amount to about $9,000 a month, but we have two mortgages that are not being paid off. Our primary mortgage has $42,000 remaining with an … Read more

Expert predicts housing market reawakening as mortgage rates fall below 5%

Expert predicts housing market reawakening as mortgage rates fall below 5%

House prices have reached a new all-time high and mortgage rates have started to fall – but that won’t yet be enough to revive the property market, according to an expert. Even as borrowing costs fall, keeping home buyers away, the “lock-in effect” of homeowners reluctant to sell and give up their current 3% or … Read more

Retired Union Construction Worker Seeking Financial Security – Do We Have Enough Income for a Comfortable Retirement?

Retired Union Construction Worker Seeking Financial Security – Do We Have Enough Income for a Comfortable Retirement?

I am a 59 year old retired union construction worker with a full pension of $80,000 per year with no COLA. I also receive Social Security Disability benefits for $3,400 per month. My wife, age 59, is an executive assistant to the director of operations at a large hospital and her income is $68,000. My … Read more

We are retired with $1.4 million in investments and 2 mortgages worth $200,000. Should we pay them back and risk increasing our Medicare premium? – CNET

We are retired with $1.4 million in investments and 2 mortgages worth $200,000.  Should we pay them back and risk increasing our Medicare premium?  – CNET

My wife and I are both retired. Currently we have an IRA worth over $800,000 that is intact and stocks worth $600,000. We receive pensions and Social Security, which amount to about $9,000 a month, but we have two mortgages that are not being paid off. Our primary mortgage has $42,000 left with 2.5% interest, … Read more

My husband says we will be “homeless” if we continue renting. We are 68 and 74 years old: should we buy a house instead? – CNET

My husband says we will be “homeless” if we continue renting.  We are 68 and 74 years old: should we buy a house instead?  – CNET

My husband is 68 years old and I am 74 years old. He earns $250,000 a year. We rent a townhouse in a very upscale suburb in the Houston area, but our last rent increase was $300 a month! My husband wants to find a house for no more than $300,000 because he doesn’t want … Read more