Amount of survivor’s benefits depends on their age and the age of their deceased spouse By Marisa Otto Marisa Otto Losing a spouse is one of the most painful experiences anyone can have. Unfortunately, widows [...]

You don’t have to go it alone during the difficult time of grieving By Marisa Otto Marisa Otto Losing a spouse is one of the most painful experiences anyone can have. Unfortunately, widows and widowers [...]

Don't depend on grown children or other family members in your retirement By Marisa Otto Marisa Otto Here’s a sobering statistic: 72 percent of retirees say one of their biggest fears is becoming a burden [...]

If you need the money, you need the money By Marisa Otto Marisa Otto One of your important sources of retirement income will likely be Social Security — but when should you start taking it? [...]

When you invest, one of your biggest considerations is time — so use it wisely. By Marisa Otto Marisa Otto Who knows where the time goes? We’ve reached the end of another year, so it’s [...]

Once you establish a donor-advised fund, you have the flexibility to contribute as often as you like. By Marisa Otto Marisa Otto Once again, it’s the season of generosity. In addition to considering gifts for [...]

When you take your RMDs, you need to be aware of a key issue: taxes.   By Marisa Otto Marisa Otto You may spend decades contributing to various retirement accounts But for some accounts, such [...]

Avoid a get-rich-quick strategy in your investments   By Marisa Otto Marisa Otto You’ll find some big differences between traditional and speculative investments — and knowing these differences can matter a great deal when you’re [...]

If you have grandchildren, you could contribute to a 529 education savings plan for them. By Marisa Otto Marisa Otto As a Morgan Hill parent, you naturally want to help your children. But is it [...]