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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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,...

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...