Money Milestones: A divorce doesn’t have to be the end of your retirement funds

By Suzanne Riss and her ex-husband knew going into their divorce that they needed to consult a financial expert. Divorce, even a simple one, still involves a decent amount of complexity when dividing assets, including retirement savings.

How to split insurance in a divorce

Amid the grief and complicated logistics of breaking up, insurance may not be top of mind. But getting your coverage in order should be high on your to-do list. The right insurance creates a financial safety net for the fresh start ahead. Here’s a breakdown of what to do.

11 Things Divorce Lawyers Say You Should Never Do

When you’re getting divorced, it can be hard to prevent anger, fear, or grief from taking hold. But keeping your cool (at least most of the time) is the best way to ensure that the proceedings go as smoothly as possible. “Divorce should be more of a business transaction than an emotional one,” says Linda A.

Here’s how the tax plan could change divorce in a big way

Congress’ giant tax overhaul is poised to reach virtually every corner of American life – even Splitsville. Republicans delivered their sweeping plan Wednesday to an exultant President Donald Trump to sign. One provision scraps a 75-year-old tax deduction for alimony payments. The new rules won’t affect anyone who divorces or signs a separation agreement before 2019.

“I want a divorce” – 5 Tips to Delivering the News With Respect – Smarter Divorce Solutions

I was on the receiving end of this message in my divorce so I can certainly share what NOT to do! My ex-husband really blew it. He was so afraid of how I would react, knowing he also had to tell me he had been having an affair, that he planned it all out and …

How To Survive Divorce After 50

Shutterstock I was recently talking to a dear friend in her 50s whose husband recently announced that he wanted a divorce. As I talked to her, she reflected not only on the 30+ years of marriage that was coming to an end but also the end of her identity as she […]

What I Wish I Knew Before My Divorce

As a guy who has gone through a divorce, I always feel a special need to help those who are about to go through that process or who have gone through it and are in the process of rebuilding. I joke that prior to my divorce, I was on track […]

The 4 Truths to Go From Surviving to Thriving After Divorce

The Secret of Change Is to Focus All of Your Energy, Not on Fighting the Old, but on Building the New – Socrates The same can be said for divorce. In fact, it is my belief that releasing the old story or hurt or pain is the most vital and self-loving thing you can do.

How to untangle your finances in a divorce

Financial decisions get complicated amid the emotional upheaval of a split. “So many people say, ‘Oh, it’s going to be an amicable divorce,’ and three months later, they are keying each other’s cars,” says Kitty Bressington, a certified divorce financial planner in Rochester, N.Y. Don’t let your emotions derail your economic well-being.

Keeping the House in Divorce Could Bankrupt You – Smarter Divorce Solutions

Divorce feels as though everything you thought you knew about your life and your future is suddenly flipped upside down. It can be a struggle to make sense of the pieces that remain. In an effort to retain some semblance of normalcy, it’s common to want to stay in the house that you are used …

What to Do When Your Ex is Your Business Partner

Kim Leach and her ex-husband were high-school sweethearts. But after 21 years together – 16 of them wedded – a series of rough patches led to their divorce. With two kids, a house that they’d almost paid off and years of accumulated belongings, the split was bound to be painful and time-consuming.

How Spousal or Divorced Spouse Social Security Benefits Work | ThinkAdvisor

While your clients are certainly familiar with Social Security they may know very little about spousal Social Security benefits.

How to Protect Your Retirement Savings During Divorce

It’s a gut-wrenching experience, and that’s before the money issues. Approximately 1.2 million couples file for divorce each year, and the financial side of things can be just as upsetting as ending a relationship — especially when it comes to retirement. Keep these points in mind as you navigate your way back to single life.

Take These Steps to Protect Yourself in a Divorce | Investopedia

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7 Secrets For A Child-Centered Divorce

March, a month that marks the changing of the seasons, more recently has become known as the peak month for couples to change their marital status. According to a University of Washington study, more couples nationwide file for divorce in March than in any other month.

QDRO: Critical Letters in a Divorce Case

A Qualified Domestic Relations Order divides up retirement assets. You may think yours is fair, but a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst could save you a lot of grief, and money. When “I do” becomes “I don’t,” you might think it’s over, but it’s not. Eager to sign and get it over with?

California Community Property FAQs

Frequently asked questions about dealing with California community property at divorce. California law defines community property as any asset acquired or income earned by a married person while living with a spouse. Separate property is defined as anything acquired by a spouse before the marriage, during the marriage by gift, devise, or bequest, and after the parties separate.

A Less Common Income Inequality: When Wives Earn More Than Their Husbands

When Wives Earn More Than Their Husbands As people marry later, and increasingly choose partners from their own educational and economic backgrounds, the nature of marriage is fundamentally changing. Since the fundamentals of marriage are changing, it only follows that divorce is also changing.

4 Things You Must Do to Protect Yourself From Going Bankrupt in a Divorce

Don’t use the legal process as a weapon to try to get even with your spouse. When we’re hurt or betrayed, our natural reaction is to get angry. So if your marriage is ending in divorce, it’s perfectly normal to feel anger, resentment – even hatred for your spouse.

How Life Insurance Works in a Divorce

Among the messy tasks that must be undertaken in a divorce, sorting out life insurance is one that often gets overlooked. In the midst of the custody battles, divvying up assets, searching for a new home, ensuring the children adjust as smoothly as possible and just generally re-acclimating to life as a single person, figuring out what to do with life insurance sometimes falls by the wayside.

12 Things All Men Should Understand About Divorce

For guys going through divorce, there’s no better advice than from those who’ve been there. But when it comes to open, honest talk about splitting up, we don’t often hear from men — and that’s why we launched a new series called When Men Divorce .

Is a Happy, Healthy, and Smooth Divorce Possible?

Divorce is never easy – not for you, your spouse, or your children. However, not every divorce has to be the messy process that you’ve been led to believe. If you and your spouse make it a priority, your divorce can be smooth and healthy for everyone involved.

Divorce And Money Considerations

Divorce and money are ultimately tied together, not just during the divorce, but in surviving afterwards. Make sure that you make smart financial decisions.

5 Important Questions To Ask Your Divorce Attorney – Smarter Divorce Solutions

Continue to own the house jointly for a few years, usually 3-5, at which point you either sell or refinance and split the proceeds. – Continue to own the house jointly for a few years, usually 3-5, but the spouse not living there would receive other assets in lieu of his/her share of the equity.

Divorce Settlement Blunders – Seven Costly Financial Mistakes

How to avoid regretting your divorce settlement There are nearly one million divorces in the United States each year. Unfortunately, many divorcing spouses are financially devastated as a result. One reason is that too often, divorcing spouses accept unfair settlements, and find that a few years later they’re experiencing serious financial challenges.