-
A Retirement Plan Beyond the Financials
Tweet Share on Facebook August 31, 2012 CommentWhen I used to contemplate retirement, I pictured a world beyond work where I would be free to do whatever I wanted or even nothing at all. Retirement was not about what I would be doing, but what I would no longer be forced to do: the daily grind, heavy commuter traffic, stressful meetings, and the constant battle to rise higher in the ranks. My retirement would include none of this and good riddance.
-
The Phony Debate About Active and Index Funds
Tweet Share on Facebook August 30, 2012 CommentA great deal has been written regarding the purported “debate” about active versus passive mutual funds. A recent blog by Morningstar Advisor is representative. Unfortunately, it sheds more heat than light on the subject by reaching a conclusion that is very difficult to support: Morningstar advises investors to consider using both active and passive funds in their portfolios.
-
7 Ways to Prepare for Retirement in Your 20s
Tweet Share on Facebook August 30, 2012 CommentThe year you get your first full time job is the best time to start saving for your retirement. The power of compound interest will have much more time to work in your favor if you start investing as soon as you start making some money. However, most people in their 20s are way too busy to think about retirement.
-
5 Reasons to Delay Collecting Social Security
Tweet Share on Facebook August 29, 2012 CommentMost workers will one day be eligible for multiple entitlement programs. One of the most critical retirement decisions a soon-to-be-retired worker needs to make is when to collect Social Security benefits. Having dependable income as early as possible certainly relieves a lot of the anxiety about suddenly losing a regular paycheck, but you can't ignore the huge increase in benefits if you delay collecting Social Security by eight years.
-
10 Questions to Ask About a Retirement Home Overseas
Tweet Share on Facebook August 28, 2012 CommentWhen shopping for a new home for your retirement overseas, the most important thing is to follow your instincts. Allow yourself to be led by your heart and your gut. Choose a new home for your new retirement life in another country because you like it and it feels right to you.
-
5 Reasons to Consider a Roth IRA
Tweet Share on Facebook August 28, 2012 CommentIn order to make the most of your retirement savings, you should consider using various tax-advantaged retirement accounts. The 401(k) heads the list for most people due to the fact that many employers match at least a portion of contributions. But once the match has been fully captured, many financial experts suggest that the next retirement dollar go into another investment vehicle with a whole host of advantages—the Roth IRA. Here are five factors that make a Roth IRA a winner:
-
Have Seniors Recovered From the Recession?
Tweet Share on Facebook August 24, 2012 CommentA little more than 10 years ago, many seniors were diligently planning for a retirement where they could do what they wanted to do when they wanted for as long as they wanted. Based upon the world as they knew it, factoring in a bit of uncertainty and a dose of optimism, each hoped to save enough and preserve an amount that would give them flexibility and peace of mind beyond their working life.
What exactly retirement would look like to each--whether work would play a part or travel was to be the central plan, if relaxing was to be the core or doing all you always wanted to do was the focus--once age 65 was reached, some course of action would typically be undertaken. Then came the recession, and many best-laid plans were shot to pieces.
-
What Does Retirement Really Look Like?
Tweet Share on Facebook August 23, 2012 CommentWhat does retirement mean to you? When I was in my 20s, this is what I thought a typical day for a retiree would be like.
-
3 Words You Won't Hear From Your Broker
Tweet Share on Facebook August 23, 2012 CommentShortly before Facebook’s IPO on May 18, 2012, I received a call from a reader of my books. Her broker had just called her with great news. He was able to get her a small allocation of Facebook stock. She wanted to know if she should buy and then could “flip it and make a profit.”
In response to my questions, she told me she was a struggling single mom, who lived paycheck to paycheck. She had a small 401(k) account and modest savings. She was hoping I would say “yes,” because “the profits would be really meaningful to me and my kids.”
-
Building a Solid Retirement Portfolio
Tweet Share on Facebook August 22, 2012 CommentInvesting for the golden years isn't terribly difficult, though there are many details that need to be addressed before one can rely on their portfolio to fund a comfortable retirement. As you approach the big day, make sure you understand and deal with how each of the following affect the dependability of your income throughout retirement.
