This article was originally published in [Month Year] and has been updated in [Month Year] to reflect current information.

In the more than 90 years since the Social Security Act established a new means for Americans to prepare for life after their working days, the retirement landscape has changed significantly. There has been a dramatic reduction in defined-benefit pension plans and a migration toward defined-contribution plans like the 401(k). Life expectancies are longer and the full retirement age has crept higher.

What services are offered by wealth management companies, and how can they help you reach your financial goals? How do these firms address current and future needs for you and your family?

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are tax-advantaged savings plans designed to assist people in funding their retirement. Created by an act of Congress in 1974, these accounts became significantly more popular following another government act in 1981 that allowed all working taxpayers to establish IRAs.

How It Happened: My Personal Parkinson’s Story as originally published in the Parkinson’s Journal 

As you approach retirement, organizing your finances will be one of the most critical steps you take when beginning your transition out of the workplace. There are plenty of retirement planning tips and philosophies out there, but many people in their 50s with $500k or more saved don’t yet know how to simplify their finances before retirement.

Sadly, tax season is a prime time for scammers to target senior citizens. Here are eight common scams making the rounds this year. Please share them with older relatives, friends and everyone else: Awareness is a primary component of stopping these threats.

Our feelings and finances are often intertwined. As advisors, when we meet with clients, most of the time we spend more time discussing the personal side of finance than the dollars and cents.

Here are our thoughts on a few factors that may impact your wealth. 

So many people ask, “how much should I have saved for retirement?” Well, there are many retirement savings “rules of thumb” out there. In this article, we will share some of the common recommendations and even debunk a few.

NOTE: Be sure to read to the end where we share our real answer for the question of how much retirement savings you should have at age 30, 40, 50 and beyond. 

How to choose the best financial advisor for you

Looking for a female financial advisor? At Carnegie Investment Counsel, we asked three of our female financial advisors for tips about how to find the best investment advisor for you. They emphasized that team members at Carnegie, male or female, focus on providing a customized and hands-on approach to services from financial planning to portfolio management. The point is to assess any advisor for the best fit when choosing a long-term financial partner.