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Financial Scams: 6 Ways to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones

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wall art protect your heart like from financial scams

More than 1.4 million fraud reports were filed in 2018 according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In those reports, 25% of people said they lost money and the total amount of losses reported was approximately $1.48 billion. 

I recently listened in on the AARP webinar “How to Protect Your Loved Ones from Fraud”. Don’t let the fact that AARP hosted this event lead you to believe that seniors are only people susceptible to financial scams. In the FTC report mentioned above, younger people reported losing money more often than older people. The bottom-line is financial fraud can happen to anyone. 

During the webinar, the speakers shared several practical takeaways about protecting against financial scams that we could all use. 

  1. Stay current with the news. Last year’s scams might not be this year’s scams. A good case in point is the phone call scam that’s supposed to be from the Social Security Administration. This scam is so prevalent that the Social Security Administration is issuing warnings about it. Both the FTC and AARP have fraud alert resources on their website so you can stay informed about the latest tactics from scammers.
  2. Heighten your awareness about financial scammers. During the AARP webinar, they discussed the psyche of a scammer and reminded us that scammers are looking for individuals who are vulnerable, trusting, and are perceived to have wealth or valuable items. This doesn’t mean we can’t be nice. It does mean we need to pay attention to the world around us.  
  3. Screen your phone calls. Protecting ourselves from financial scams would be easy if they identified themselves on our phone’s caller ID. Unfortunately, they do not. It’s sad to say but it could be in our best interests to send calls to voicemail if we don’t recognize the caller. If you choose to do that, let close friends and family know this is your standard operating procedure so they don’t worry if you don’t answer right away. 
  4. Practice good technology usage. Today’s technology advances are wonderful but that doesn’t mean we should abandon the principles of good technology usage. For instance, having strong passwords for our accounts – especially ones where we have financial information stored – is essential. Also, making sure that the software on our devices is up to date. Outdated software could expose devices to malware or security breaches, which can lead to identity theft. 
  5. Research the credentials of financial advisors. It can make a lot of good financial sense to tap into the expertise of bankers, accountants, and financial advisors. Sharing your financial status with others is sensitive and personal. Knowing that your financial advisors are bound by a professional code of ethics is key. Individuals in the financial services industry should be prepared to discuss with you their experience and credentials. 
  6. Monitor your credit report. Don’t forget that the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies to provide you with a FREE copy of your credit report every twelve months. Other organizations use this information to evaluate your credit, insurance, employment, and housing. Even if you’re not planning to make a major purchase, make sure the information is accurate. 

My big takeaway from the AARP webinar was that these activities are things I should be doing anyway. We should stay current with the news. We should use technology, including our phones, in a safe and secure way. And we should check out the credentials of the people we work with. 

Consider this article to be a reminder of the things you should be doing to protect yourself from possible financial scams and fraud. Maybe you want to share this list with a loved one, so they remember to do these things as well. It’s easy to get settled into a routine and not be as diligent with keeping your software up to date. Or you ran the free credit report a few years ago but haven’t done it lately. Well, now’s the time to get back on track. No one wants to be the victim of a financial scam or fraud.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Las Vegas, NV

7 Reasons to Learn About Medicare Early in Your Career

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sunset on the beach in Waikiki thinking about the answer to Medicare problems

Last year, I wrote an article about the importance of understanding Social Security early in life. Social Security is complex and it’s going to take a while to understand all of the nuances of the program. In addition, whether it’s an election year or not, Social Security is a program that is being talked about by both Democrats and Republicans. If you have an opinion about Social Security (and you should) then you will want to pay attention to what the candidates have to say and make sure your legislators know your views. 

A program that is often included in the same sentence with Social Security is Medicare. It’s a national health insurance program started in 1966. Medicare primarily provides Americans over age 65 with health insurance but it does also provide benefits to some younger people with disabilities. 

Medicare has four parts. Here’s a really high level overview: Part A covers hospital services. Part B covers doctors services. Part C is an alternative to Parts A & B called Medicare Advantage. And Part D covers prescription drugs. I’m sure you can already see how this is going to get complicated. 

AARP recently held a webinar series called “Making Sense of Medicare” that I thought was very interesting. In fairness to them, it by no means answered everything you might want to know about Medicare. But it did provide a good foundation that you can build upon. Here are a few of my takeaways from the webinar:

  1. Like Social Security, Medicare is age driven. The enrollment window for Medicare begins three months before you turn age 65 to 3 months after. You can sign up online or at a Social Security office. There are consequences if you don’t sign up within your enrollment window. 
  2. Unlike Social Security, Medicare involves making a decision. When you sign up for Social Security, that’s it…you sign up. Medicare involves making a decision: Do you want the Original plan or the Advantage plan? There are pros and cons to each. Good news though, neither plan has a pre-existing condition clause.
  3. The Original Plan offers more choices. Under the Original plan, you can choose any doctor. For some people, that is a very important consideration. It also means that your costs could be a bit higher. But having the freedom of choice could be worth it. Oh, and there’s no dental or vision. Individuals who choose the Original Plan often make up the difference by purchasing Medicare supplemental coverage.
  4. With the Advantage plan, you could have lower out of pocket costs because you’re working within the Medicare network of doctors, hospitals, etc. This could be frustrating because you have to find doctors and providers who will take your coverage. But the savings might be worth it.  
  5. Obviously, the decision about whether to go with the Original plan or the Advantage plan is entirely yours. Everyone’s medical and financial situation is different. The good news is resources are available. AARP has a Medicare Resource Center on their website. There’s also the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), a network on free, one-on-one counseling and assistance, designed to help people navigate the complexities of Medicare. 
  6. Keep in mind that while Medicare could be years away for you, it’s possible you have a parent or loved one that is close to Medicare age and they might be looking for resources. The AARP Resource page and SHIP could be a way that you can help them. 
  7. You will want to plan on reevaluating your coverages every year. The good news is that once you make a decision, it is possible to change your coverage. Granted, there might be consequences, but it could be worth it. If you’re in the corporate world, then you’re familiar with the term “open enrollment”. Well, guess what? Medicare has open enrollment too. When you sign up for Medicare, plan on participating in open enrollment for the rest of your life. 

Health insurance has never been an easy subject and it doesn’t look like it will get any easier when we retire. That’s why it’s important to spend time learning about Medicare now. So, when it comes time to make health insurance decisions, we can make the best ones possible for ourselves and our families.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby during sunset at the Halekulani Hotel on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, HI

What Is the SECURE Act and Why Should You Pay Attention

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typewriter showing Time to Hustle related to SECURE Act and retirement savings

Last month, the U.S. Congress passed a spending bill that included bipartisan legislation called the SECURE Act (aka Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019). The Act is focused on increasing the number of people saving for retirement and the amount they are able to save. The President signed the spending bill and the SECURE Act into law on December 20, 2019.

Like most new pieces of legislation, there are new things we don’t know and things we will discover over time. To get us familiar with the law, I’ve put together a round-up of articles on the subject.

What is the SECURE Act and How Could it Affect Your Retirement? I’ve become a fan of Investopedia’s daily electronic newsletter. This article from them shares how SECURE could change our individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 401(k)s, and required minimum distributions (RMDs). 

SECURE Act Alters 401(k) Compliance Landscape. You might not be a human resources professional like me but I often find the best way to learn about subjects is from the point-of-view of the person who has to administer programs related to them. This article from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) explains how 401(k) administration will change.

The SECURE Act. Like the SHRM article above, the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) has put together a resource page on the new law. It includes the actual legislation, news articles, etc. NAPA is an affiliate organization of the American Retirement Association, previously known as the American Society of Pension Actuaries. 

A new law is bringing big changes for retirement savers, especially parents. Michelle Singletary writes a nationally syndicated column focused on personal finance for the Washington Post. This article does a nice job of explaining the highlights of the law as well as some of the downsides to the new legislation. 

5 Things Affluent Retirees Should Do Now that the SECURE Act has Passed. Don’t let the word “affluent” in the title deter you from reading this piece from Kiplinger. Like the Washington Post article, the author provides practical suggestions for anyone who is retirement planning.

At times, retirement can seem so far away that it’s easy to push these articles to the bottom of the reading pile. Retirement planning is an important activity. At some point, we have to start carving out time for it. That way, when it’s time to take action, our learning curve won’t be quite as steep.

What do you think of the SECURE Act? What questions do you have about the new law? 

Retirement Planning: 3 Money Moves to Help Everyone

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garden decorations alligators playing in a beach scene created with extra money

I’m not a financial advisor. I don’t like telling people what to do with their money. It’s a very personal decision. Keith would probably tell you that I spend too much money on shoes. But I did run across an article in Real Simple magazine about money and retirement planning that I thought could apply to anyone and at any point in their retirement journey. The three things the article mentioned were:

Set financial goals (and get a second opinion). First things first. One of the ways we reach our financial goals is by having some. Want to save money? Have a goal. Want to invest money? Have a goal. This doesn’t mean that our goals are etched in stone and won’t change. But having a goal staring us in the face can keep us on track. I remember when Keith and I faced the reality of needing a roof on our house. They’re expensive! So, we set a goal to save a certain amount each month. Some months we saved less and others we saved a bit more. In the end, we met our savings goal. 

The other big step we’ve made to help us with our financial planning was getting outside resources (i.e. accountants and certified financial planners). It’s important to build relationships with people you can trust. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything they suggest. Ask questions. Understand the answers. 

Learn more about investments. Accountants and certified financial planners can provide you with some education about the investment market. So can bankers and real estate professionals. Another place you can look for information is educational institutions. Years ago, Keith and I took a university course on financial planning. It wasn’t to become a financial planner. But to learn the basics of how investments work. For example, what’s an annuity and why someone might want to invest in annuities. Or how the stock market and bond market differ. Even if you’re not currently investing in these areas, it does make sense to understand them. Because what happens with the investment market impacts other things.

The next time your employer has a 401(k) meeting, make it a point to attend. Learn more about your options. Ask the representative covering the meeting where you can get some additional information. 

Be mindful about money. My takeaway from this is simple: think about how much money you’re making and how much you’re spending. Keith and I have a monthly financial meeting where we talk about not only our business expenses but our personal spending. We compare our spending habits over time. We talk about conducting experiments to see if we can reduce our expenses, like the time we started grocery shopping at Target versus the local chain and saved ourselves 50% on our food bill. (And that’s not a typo.) Granted, we haven’t totally “cut the cord” yet…but we did get rid of our landline when we moved to Gainesville. Life didn’t come to a screeching halt. I can’t imagine adding it back.

Being mindful about money also includes conversations about credit. How much credit is good to have? What are the best credit cards to hold? What’s our credit rating? It includes pulling our credit report annually – it’s free – and making sure our credit report is accurate. 

You work hard for your money. You want to know that your money is going to work hard for you. That means getting educated about how money can do that over time. All of the little money moves we make can add up to a big result. 

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring Duval Street in Key West, FL

Spend Safely: Stanford Study on Retirement Planning Strategies

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sorry not working out of order sign similar to retirement

If only we had a nickel for every article about financing retirement . . . well, let’s just say our retirement would be complete! Retirement planning strategies can vary widely for one important reason – everyone is different. What works well for you might not work at all for me. So, the best we can do is gather information, examine our own situation, and make educated decisions that will benefit us when we retire.

That’s why I was happy to come across the “Viability of the Spend Safely in Retirement Strategy” report on aging and retirement, published last month by the Society of Actuaries’ Committee on Post Retirement Needs and Risks. Don’t let the name of the report scare you away . . . my takeaway from the 80-page report can be broken down into two key areas:

  1. Optimize your Social Security benefits.
  2. Use the IRS Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) rules to generate a retirement “paycheck”.

First, a little background. The study was conducted by Stanford University, where they analyzed 292 possible retirement planning strategies, using eight different metrics to measure how a particular strategy might meet retirement income goals. The results of the study were published in 2017 with the goal of providing a framework for helping people approaching retirement age make important life decisions.

The first key point about optimizing Social Security benefits is pretty straightforward, and you probably know it already – hold off claiming Social Security payments as long as possible. You can draw payments as early as age 62, but there are financial advantages to waiting until the IRS mandated age of 70. That being said, I have been seeing quite a few articles lately extoling the virtues of claiming as early as possible, so do your research to determine what strategy works best for you.

Once you reach the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) age, that’s when key point number two kicks in and you need to claim your Social Security payment. In addition, the Stanford report suggests that you also start collecting that retirement “paycheck” from your individual retirement account (IRA) or 401(K) account. How much you want to withdraw changes as you age, so make sure you know your IRS requirements. The report recommends at a rate of 3.65% of the total. Remember, you are only required to make the withdrawal – you don’t have to spend it. You have the option to pay income tax on the withdrawal and reinvest all or part of the after-tax proceeds, depending on your financial situation.

My takeaway from this report was that if we plan our financial strategy using this model, then we can use the time between age 62 and 70 to ease into phased retirement. This is what unretirement is all about! Talk with your employer to work out flexible scheduling and develop a plan to transition into a limited work arrangement. Employers are looking for ways to keep senior talent engaged so it could be a win for everyone. Or you could try a limited work arrangement in a field you’ve always loved.

The full report is not a difficult read so check it out if you can. There is a great section that points out the primary advantages and disadvantage of this strategy. And it’s important to remember that most investments are always subject to risks as well as bonuses depending on market fluctuations. I like that the study is the culmination of analyzing 292 retirement planning strategies. That can make it a good foundation for safe spending in your retirement.

Visit the Social Security Administration In Your Community

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lunchbox for retirement fund tips in addition to Social Security benefits at lunch counter

There is an official day for nearly everything and today is no exception – August 14 is Social Security Day. 

As a human resources professional, I attend a few conferences each year. One of them is the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) annual conference. This year’s event was in Las Vegas which is still one of my favorite places to visit! 

Almost every conference has an expo hall of sorts and, before the event, I like to plan out my expo hall strategy. One of the organizations that I try to visit whenever they are present is the Social Security Administration (SSA). 

Now I know what some of you might be thinking. Really? Social Security? They probably have a dinky little booth tucked way back in the expo hall and they’re not giving away any good swag. And all of that would be true. But the reason I visit SSA booth is because it’s like visiting the Social Security offices without an incredibly long wait. And the people working the booth are super nice and accommodating. 

I’m not saying that visiting the local offices are a waste of time, but let’s face it, none of us want to do it. We only go there when we have to. Or, we just take care of everything online. Visiting the Social Security booth at a conference is different because I can have a proactive and helpful conversation with them.

For example, this year, I was able to pick up three small booklets on:

Retirement Benefits

Understanding Social Security Benefits

How Work Affects Your Social Security Benefits

I also received information about my Social Security online account and what I can find online about my benefits.

Would I have driven across town and waited in an office to pick these things up? We all know the answer is “no”. But I quickly and easily got them at a conference. And I was able to review them at my leisure. 

So, the next time you’re at a conference or community event and see a government agency like Social Security exhibiting, go up and chat with them. Take the information they have to offer. Then, read it! This will make you more educated about the benefits you’re going to be eligible for at some point. 

Planning, Goals and The One Question to Ask for Retirement

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Sign I Am Powerful in planning for retirement

Many years ago, I was interviewing for my very first management position. As I remember, the conversation went something like this:

Hiring manager: What would you say is your biggest weakness?

Me: I don’t do very much in the way of goal setting.

Hiring manager: So, what is your process for getting things done?

Me: I sort of think about what needs to get done then work towards accomplishing that.

Me: Oh, I guess I do some goal setting after all.

True story.

In my effort to think like a manager, I had made the mistake of thinking that goal setting was only that thing you did during your annual performance review (or around New Year’s). The hiring manager either took pity on me or was impressed that I had that epiphany, so he immediately asked me how soon I was available.

Fast forward to today. Sharlyn and I are working on an ongoing project when we discover that the company we had contracted with had made a sizeable error. For a few minutes, we discussed a number of different ways to address the matter. Then, at the same time, we both said, “What do we ultimately want to come out of this?”

That’s the question that identifies the goal and helps formulate the plan to accomplish it. Goals come in all shapes and sizes. When you realize that, planning and goal setting becomes much more manageable – regardless of the size  and scope of the project. And that is very powerful!

Once we know the result we’re looking for, is it possible to apply this thinking to something like our unretirement?

The BHAG – Business guru Jim Collins wrote about the Big Hairy Audacious Goal, which is the huge goal that we are planning to accomplish. For Sharlyn and I, it’s probably the same as everyone – having enough money for a comfortable retirement.

Plan Goals – In planning for retirement, there are several goals that help us accomplish the BHAG. Reducing expenses is a great example. So, we identified one of our large annual expenses – groceries – and put together a plan to reduce that expense. The plan goal was to lower grocery spending and we ended up cutting that expense in half.

Micro Goals – Some may call these short-term goals. In our example, there were many ways to cut grocery costs. Especially since, for us at that time, going to the grocery store was just walking up and down the aisles picking up anything we liked. One very effective solution was to plan our meals so all we purchased was what we needed for each meal.

While this was a very effective and helpful (and enlightening!) exercise, it’s no surprise that cutting grocery costs alone didn’t provide enough extra money for our BHAG of a comfortable retirement. But it was an important step in the overall planning process. And every step of the way, we ask ourselves what we want to accomplish because accomplishing all of those micro goals will add up toward the BHAG. 

Oh, did I get the job? No. But that got me started on planning for the next opportunity.