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Category: Retirement Planning

Amazon Employee Benefits: The Complete 2026 Guide

Author: Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® Table of Contents Amazon employee benefits look generous on paper, and they are….

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The 401(k) Catch-Up Rule That Quietly Changed for High-Net-Worth Women

Earned over $150,000 in 2025? Your 2026 401(k) catch-up contributions must now be Roth. What the SECURE 2.0…
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Pension Lump Sum or Annuity: How a Woman Executive With $2M Should Decide

Pension lump sum or annuity? How a woman executive with $2M should compare the payout rate, survivor option,…
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Does NJ Tax Your Pension? How the Retirement Income Exclusion Works With $2 Million Saved

The NJ retirement income exclusion explained for 2026: the $75,000 and $100,000 limits, the two income steps, what…
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Retirement Planning for Single Women: The 5 Decisions That Are Different

Retirement planning for single women runs on one income, one Social Security check, and single-filer brackets. The five…
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Retiring With $2 Million vs $5 Million: What Women Actually Keep After Tax

$2 million nets about $12,377 a month and $5 million about $21,414, 2.5 times the portfolio for 1.7…
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Merck Employee Benefits: The Complete 2026 Guide

Merck 401(k) match, the two-formula pension, RSU vesting and pro-rata rules, and the U.S. Separation Benefits Plan, from…
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If You Have $3 Million and All of It Is Pre-Tax, Here Is the Tax Bill Waiting at 75

A $3M pre-tax 401(k) means an RMD near $183,000 at 75, taxed Social Security, and a Medicare surcharge…
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You Have Two Social Security Checks. Only One Should Wait Until 70

For married couples, the higher earner’s Social Security check becomes the survivor’s income and should wait until 70….
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Sequence of Returns Risk: What a Bad First Five Years Does to a $3 Million Retirement, and the Four Defenses That Work

Sequence of returns risk replayed on $3M with real 2000 to 2025 returns: same average, a $6.2M gap…
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