News & Updates

Tune in to Sirius XM Channel 111 on Tuesday, May 26 from 2:30PM PT to hear Joe Alfonso, CFP®, founder and principal of Aegis Financial Advisory, discuss Social Security with Professor Kent Smetters, host of “Your Money“. Joe and Kent will also be answering call in questions from listeners. “Your...

Wednesday, March 24, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor There is a long-running debate regarding whether it is possible for an investor to outperform the broader stock market consistently over time. There are those who believe that there are investors who have an inherent ability to outperform, achieve “alpha” is...

Wednesday, February 11, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor The decision as to when to begin taking Social Security retirement benefits is critical and greatly impacts the ultimate size of the benefit received. If you wait until your full retirement age (FRA) to claim a retirement benefit you are guaranteed...

Wednesday, March 04, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor Most of us are aware that Social Security is at its core a retirement program whose purpose is to replace a portion of our career earnings once we are no longer working. In addition to retirement benefits, Social Security also provides...

Wednesday, February 11, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor Here are some more reader questions on Social Security that I am sure many of you share. I hope you find my answers helpful. Q: If my husband works until he’s 70 and I wait until then to file for a...

Wednesday, February 04, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor Social Security is a gender neutral system. Benefits are payable to any worker who qualifies as a result of their work history. In the case of married couples, either spouse can claim a spousal benefit (though not both simultaneously) and either...

Wednesday, January 28, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor As if the Social Security system weren’t complicated enough, additional complications arise for certain retirees receiving government or public sector pensions. These rules, known as the WEP, for Windfall Elimination Provision, and the GPO, for Government Pension Offset, can significantly reduce...

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor I often hold Social Security workshops in my community at which I explain how the system works and discuss various strategies for maximizing one’s benefits. Almost invariably I meet attendees, usually women, who chose to claim early Social Security retirement benefits...

Jan 15, 2015|Cliff Goldstein, MarketWatch If you’re nearing retirement, you’ll likely be faced with a decision: Should you start taking Social Security at the earliest age possible, 62, wait until you reach your full retirement age (65 to 67, depending on the year you were born), or hold out until...

Wednesday, January 14, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor April 15 is rapidly approaching and now is a good time to start getting ready. The following are some suggested steps to take now while there is still time to ensure a less stressful tax season and also save money on...

Wednesday, January 07, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor The stock market, both in the US and abroad, has been turbulent again of late. On Monday, January 5, the Dow Jones Index dropped over 130 points, or 0.75%, and yesterday, January 6, it dropped another 319 points, or 1.8%. Clearly...

Wednesday, December 30, 2014 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor Deciding how spouses should coordinate their Social Security claiming decisions when both are eligible for retirement benefits is a complicated planning challenge. I recently responded to a reader question in this area and tried to highlight the issues and associated pitfalls....

Wednesday, December 17, 2014 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor Morningstar, the Chicago-based mutual fund rating firm, recently reported on the 2014 performance of various funds (“The Winners and Losers of US Equity Funds in 2014”). One of the funds listed, Birmiwal Oasis, caught my eye, not because it lost 22%...

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor I welcome reader questions and will post responses in periodic columns. Here are some recent questions and my answers....

Wednesday, December 3, 2014 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor I recently met with a gentleman, whom I will call Fred, whose situation illustrates the unique Social Security planning opportunities available around Family Benefits. Fred is 68 and remarried later in life. His current wife is in her forties and has...