These days, anyone can fall victim to identity theft and servicemembers might be relatively easy targets. Because servicemembers are away from home for long stretches of time and receive a steady source of income, it's easy for scammers to obtain a servicemember's information without being noticed.
A fixed annuity is a contract between you and an annuity issuer, usually an insurance company. In its simplest form, you pay money to the annuity issuer; the issuer invests the funds and pays the principal and its earnings back to you or to your named beneficiary. What's fixed about a fixed annuity? The issuer guarantees (subject to its claims-paying ability) a minimum rate of interest on your investment and a fixed benefit amount if you elect to annuitize.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pension program benefits former servicemembers who have limited incomes and, in some cases, health problems that aren't related to military service. The VA also administers a special pension program for Medal of Honor recipients.
The world of 50 years ago was a lot different than it is today. An individual often worked at the same job all his or her adult life, lived in the same house, and stayed married to the same spouse. In those days, too, one spouse could support a family, paying for college ordinarily didn't require taking out a second mortgage, and people could look forward to retiring on Social Security and possibly a company pension.
In many cases, your first step should be to open an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and contribute as much as allowable each year. Because of the potential for tax-deferred, compounded earnings, IRAs offer similar long-term growth opportunities as employer-sponsored plans.
It's important for you to be involved in the retirement income planning process even if you're married. While you may plan to be married forever, many women end up single at some point in their lives due to divorce or death of a spouse.
If you worry about your retirement investments during market downturns, you're not alone. Unfortunately, emotions are often the enemy of sound investing. Here are some points to help you stay clear-headed during periods of market volatility.