-
5 Doable Resolutions for Retirement in 2012
Tweet Share on Facebook January 11, 2012 Comment (1)It’s the time of year when many people make New Year’s resolutions. But it’s likely that most individuals will fail to meet their goals by December of this year. And it's not only because people don't try or that the goals aren't good enough. World peace, while a noble goal we should all support, just isn't very attainable by any one person. Instead, try these five doable resolutions for 2012 that will help improve your retirement prospects. Making a realistic goal and meeting it is better than failing to meet any goals.
-
Money Advice for My Son
Tweet Share on Facebook January 10, 2012 CommentMy 20-something son recently came into an inheritance from a relative. It's not a huge amount —about $30,000 or so. That’s enough to buy a car, but not much more than that. But he’s lucky, it's more than most kids start out with.
-
From San Francisco Bay to Ambergris Caye
Tweet Share on Facebook January 9, 2012 Comment (2)Ann Kuffner and her husband Bill had thriving, high-power careers in San Francisco. They were on the fast track, making good money, and living well. In June 2008, they decided to walk away from it all—the careers, the money, the condo, and the lifestyle. In the three-and-a-half years since, they have completely reinvented their lives—on the Caribbean island of Ambergris Caye, Belize.
-
6 Ways to Improve the Quality of Your Retirement
Tweet Share on Facebook January 6, 2012 CommentAs senior citizens pursue a satisfying retirement, one truth inevitably becomes apparent. Filling the day with many activities is not the best focus of our efforts. We soon learn that the quantity of our activities is less important than the quality of what we do. What is the purpose of a frenetic-paced collection of random accomplishments if at the end of the day I feel no real satisfaction and have no sense of a day well spent?
-
Do You Need an Annuity?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 6, 2012 Comment (2)For most of us, our 401(k) plan in conjunction with some savvy savings is what we are depending on to fund our golden years. A few lucky individuals also have a traditional pension, but fewer and fewer people will have this benefit to rely on. So, how do you go about replacing the steady income a pension used to provide? The answer may lie in annuities.
-
The Best and Worst Sources of Financial Advice
Tweet Share on Facebook January 5, 2012 Comment (2)As the New Year starts, you may be considering a change in your investing strategy. There are so many purveyors of financial advice that it can be confusing to separate fact from fiction. Here are my choices for sources of good advice, based on solid data. Unfortunately, these sources are often overwhelmed by the far more abundant bad and downright ugly advice, so I will designate those as well.
-
Give Your Retirement Fund a Raise
Tweet Share on Facebook January 5, 2012 CommentNow that economy is improving, we may see some raises again in 2012. Any increase will be welcome after the long drought for the past few years. This is also the perfect time to give your future self a raise by increasing your retirement fund contributions. It has been a tough few years, but the positive side effect is that we all should have learned how to live frugally and to spend less. Here are some painless ways to boost your savings rate:
-
How Food Choices Affect Your Retirement
Tweet Share on Facebook January 4, 2012 Comment (1)Not that many people consider how their evening meal impacts their retirement, but perhaps they should. Our daily consumption dramatically affects our finances, and changing our food choices can alter our chances of a solid retirement. Here are several ways your food selection matters for your golden years.
-
10 Ways to Make Money in 2012
Tweet Share on Facebook January 3, 2012 Comment (2)The strategy is nothing new, but it has proved to be a relatively safe way to invest, and produces more current income than most portfolios. It’s the “Dogs of the Dow,” a strategy credited to Michael O’Higgins as outlined in his 1992 book Beating the Dow.
-
How to Choose an Overseas Retirement Haven
Tweet Share on Facebook January 3, 2012 CommentMost people approach the idea of retiring overseas in the context of their retirement budget. They have a certain amount of money to retire on and need to search around the world for places where that nest egg could buy them a comfortable retirement life.
