Q: I was downsized in September, 2009 and decided to retire, since I’ll turn 68 this year. In a recent column, you made mention of the old rule–that people need to have 80 percent of their pre-retirement income to make ends meet in retirement. I used 70 percent of net income; I felt this was [...] [...more]
Readers had plenty to say about last week’s column, which described the many benefits contained in the new health reform law for Medicare beneficiaries and people over age 50. I received several notes from people who opposed health care reform, but are beginning to change their minds. Then, of course, several people called me a [...] [...more]
Q: I opened a Roth IRA about 15 years ago before I married my present husband and I’ve contributed a little to it over the years. Now that I’m retired and no longer bringing in any income, can I still contribute to my Roth IRA? If so, are there any special stipulations I should be [...] [...more]
Q: I’m a 79-year-old retiree who naturally reads articles concerning Social Security. I read your recent column about Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), which stated “a year hasn’t gone by since Social Security was created in the 1930s without a COLA.” It’s my understanding that there was no COLA for Social Security until the 1970s. [...] [...more]
Q: My Social Security disability monthly check is $864 and my mobile home space rent is $704 not including any utilities.I share the household with my girlfriend who earns about $45,000 but she has a daily 80-mile commute so the transportation costs to get her there are a real negative regarding gas and car repairs [...] [...more]
