The following checklist will help you get started on planning the financial aspects of retirement.

Planning for Retirement:

• What do I want my retirement to look like? What will I do with my time
• How much money do I need to retire?  
• How long will my retirement savings last me?  
• At what age can I afford to retire? Do I want to ease into retirement by working part-time, on a freelance basis, or from home?  
• How can I save money in retirement?
• What should I do to prepare for my retirement?

Social Security:

• How do I check my Social Security earnings and benefits? How are my Social Security benefit amounts calculated?
• When do I file for Social Security benefits? When do I file for Medicare benefits?
• When can I start collecting Social Security retirement benefits? If I delay retirement, will my checks be bigger? Can I keep a job even after I start collecting retirement, dependents’, or survivors’ benefits?  

Retirement Plans:

• Can I take money out of my retirement plan early?  
• Can I borrow from my retirement plan to buy a house?
• What happens to my retirement plan when I die?  
• When do I stop contributing to the plan and start withdrawing from it? Depending on the type of plan, you may not have to take mandatory withdrawals.

There are a lot of different ways to plan for retirement.  This list can hopefully start you out in the right direction.   At the Law Offices of Guidos & Associates Ltd., we help clients determine their retirement goals and identify specific strategies for the client to go about achieving that goal.  Please call today for a free consultation at (847) 397-6906.

The importance of superior legal advice for executors of estates and trustees of trusts cannot be overstated.   At the Law Offices of Guidos & Associates Ltd. our attorneys handle a range of legal matters of interest to private clients involving estate planning, estate administration, trust administration, charitable gift planning, advice for charitable organizations and related planning and litigation matters. Clients served by our firm include individuals, closely-held businesses, charitable organizations, and private client service group of financial institutions.

Our firm offers strategic and insightful counsel for estate and tax planning, areas related to estate planning such as wealth management and preservation and administration of estates and trusts.

For further information or questions about the Guidos & Associates Ltd. trusts and estates practice, please contact us at 847-397-6906.

At the Chicagoland Law Offices of Guidos & Associates Ltd., we take pride in helping U.S. Military Veterans with all of their legal needs.  Our attorneys make sure the men and women of our great Armed Forces have the necessary legal resources after they are discharged from service.

Many of our clients need help sorting out legal issues once returning to civilian life.  This can often be a stressful time, and our attorneys specialize in making this transition as smooth as possible.

At your convenience, I would be happy to discuss how the Law Offices of Guidos & Associates Ltd. can help.  Please feel free to call me at (847) 397-6906 or e-mail me at jguidos@seniorlawchicago.com.

I look forward to speaking with you in the near future.

Everybody Loves Raymond actress Doris Roberts spoke out against the problem of elder abuse during a visit to a Stanislaus County retirement home (please click on the picture to be redirected to the video).

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court reinforced the right to public criminal trials.  The ruling held jury voir dire proceedings should be open to defendants and to the public.

The Presley v. Georgia ruling (unsigned 7-2) also said that a trial judge has a duty to seek alternatives to preserve an open courtroom even when there do not appear to be enough seats for the public.

The Court returned to its decisions based on both the First and Sixth Amendments that have declared open courts, as well as the Constitution.  The Court majority stated “trial courts are obligated to take every reasonable measure to accommodate public attendance at criminal trials.”

The Supreme Court reiterated it’s holding that a judge cannot throw the public out of a criminal trial due to an inconvenience.