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A Year-End Retirement Checklist
Tweet Share on Facebook December 8, 2011 CommentAs 2011 comes to a close, we need to take this opportunity to wrap up some retirement planning loose ends. Here are some retirement planning tasks to complete before the holidays.
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Why Bonds are Grossly Misunderstood
Tweet Share on Facebook December 8, 2011 CommentMany investors don’t understand bonds. The primary misconception is that bonds should be used to generate income. Especially in this low yield environment, you may be tempted by the higher yields offered by bonds with increased credit risk or longer duration.
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A Year-End Checklist for Retirement Planning
Tweet Share on Facebook December 7, 2011 Comment (2)The holiday season is a time for celebration. It’s when most people enjoy the company of their loved ones and spend time having fun. And this is as it should be. After all, we work hard all year and life is the most fulfilling when we find the right work-life balance. But the end of the year isn’t just a time to relax. Take a tiny bit of time out of your day to complete these five year-end tasks for aspiring retirees.
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Are You Smarter Than a 60-Year-Old?
Tweet Share on Facebook December 6, 2011 Comment (1)If you think you’re smarter than your parents, go ahead, take this quiz. If you score nine or better, consider yourself smarter than the typical 60-year-old. If you don’t know the answers to at least eight of the questions, perhaps you can still learn a few things from your elders.
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The Most Tax-Friendly Places to Retire Abroad
Tweet Share on Facebook December 5, 2011 Comment (9)You don’t want to organize a new life overseas around the tax code, but sometimes lower taxes can converge with a pleasant retirement locale. It is possible to relocate to the overseas Shangri-la of your fondest daydreams while, at the same time, reducing your tax burden, maybe to zero.
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Baby Boomers Make Old the New Young
Tweet Share on Facebook December 2, 2011 Comment (3)When I was a teenager, I viewed anyone over 30 as old. These days 30-year-olds are just kids in my book. And I venture to say that before long that ripe old age of 80 will not seem quite as ancient as I once thought. Perceptions of what constitutes old age tend to change in our individual lives as we approach those ages.
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How to Choose Between a 401(k) and a Roth IRA
Tweet Share on Facebook December 1, 2011 Comment (1)Retirement savers must decide whether to invest in a 401(k) or Roth IRA. If a 401(k) plan offers a company match, then an investor should definitely take advantage of it. But once you get the maximum possible match (or if your company doesn’t offer one) you must choose whether to allocate additional savings to a 401(k) or Roth IRA. The main difference between the two accounts is how your contributions are taxed. Here’s how to decide which tax treatment is right for you.
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Market Predictions Can be Harmful to Your Wealth
Tweet Share on Facebook December 1, 2011 Comment (1)This is the time of the year when self-appointed investment gurus make predictions about the direction of the stock market and tell us which stocks to buy or sell in the coming year. Many investors follow these recommendations and often pay the price for doing so.
