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How to Maximize the Benefits of Your 401(k)
Tweet Share on Facebook May 9, 2012 CommentWith pension plans falling out of favor in the corporate world, the burden to provide for a secure retirement is increasingly falling on our own shoulders. For Americans, this means trying to figure out a way to maximize the benefit of retirement accounts such as 401(k)s. Here are a few ways to take personal responsibility for funding your retirement years:
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Should Retirees Move Everything to Fixed-Income?
Tweet Share on Facebook May 8, 2012 Comment (3)Many people think that once they reach retirement, they are set. Retirement triggers the idea of switching everything to fixed-income investments. This is understandable because most retirees want the security that comes with fixed-income. Bonds and money market investments seem like the safest options when it comes to protecting a retirement account from market drops. These investments are considered “safer,” and less likely to result in capital losses.
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The Most Romantic Place to Retire in Mexico
Tweet Share on Facebook May 7, 2012 Comment (3)The silver mines in Mexico's central highlands provided the incredible wealth that propelled Spain to world prominence in the 16th century. It also created Guanajuato, the crown jewel of Mexico's colonial cities.
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5 Tips for Reflecting on Your Career
Tweet Share on Facebook May 4, 2012 CommentAs we enter the retirement years, we have the opportunity to look back on the life we have lived to this point. We are the sum total of those years lived and all that we have accomplished during that time. We cannot change the past any more than we can change the person who looks back at us in the mirror each morning. As we reflect on the last forty or fifty years, did we grow up to be the person we wanted to be?
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Lessons from Proprietary Mutual Fund Returns
Tweet Share on Facebook May 3, 2012 CommentI am fascinated by the success of the securities industry. They are able to convince you to part with your money by touting their expertise in managing it. They claim to have skills that don’t exist, like stock picking, fund manager selection, and market timing. No matter how often they are wrong, and no matter how much you lose by following their flawed advice, investors persist in the belief that someone has these skills. Investors go from one broker to the other, in search of an investment guru who can predict the unpredictable and add “alpha” (returns above a designated benchmark index) to your portfolio.
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Why You Need a Post-Retirement Plan
Tweet Share on Facebook May 3, 2012 Comment (2)Most of us will spend decades getting our finances ready for retirement. But as we get closer to retirement, we also need a plan for what we will do in retirement.
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5 Expenses You Won’t Have in Retirement
Tweet Share on Facebook May 2, 2012 CommentMany retirement experts have determined that you are likely to need between 70 percent and over 100 percent of your current salary to finance your retirement years. But most people will never need close to their peak income once they stop working because there are some costs that you simply won’t have any more in retirement. Here are a few expenses that you can reduce or eliminate in retirement:
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How to Play the Election Year Stock Market
Tweet Share on Facebook May 1, 2012 Comment (4)Research has shown that the stock market tends to go up during a presidential election year.
