Articles Tagged ‘retirement planning’
It is Never to Early to Start Planning for Retirement
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
Saving for retirement is one of those things that most people know is important, but many people find reasons not to do. Competing expenses and other financial obligations (both real and perceived) are common reasons why people are not saving enough for retirement.
Another reason that some people have for not saving enough is that since retirement is so far away, they don’t need to worry about it now because there will be plenty of time to save later. Unfortunately, the only surefire way to make sure you have enough for retirement is to start the process early. In fact,...
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Tags: retirement advice, retirement planning, saving for retirement
Posted in Planning | No Comments »
Watch Out for 401(k) Fees
Tuesday, May 1st, 2012
As a well-informed investor, you are probably already taking steps to make sure that you’re not paying too much in fees within your investment brokerage accounts. You may already invest in no-load mutual funds that have low annual expenses, and if you trade stocks then you probably make sure that your commissions are not too high. Too many fees (or fees that are too high) can significantly hamper investment performance.
But are you also looking out for fees that would affect the returns within your retirement accounts? In particular, you should also be paying attention to the various types of...
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Tags: 401k fees, retirement advice, retirement planning, rising 401k fees
Posted in 401K | 1 Comment »
The Danger of Over Diversifying Retirement Savings
Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
For years we’ve heard the traditional financial advice that diversifying our investment portfolios is a good idea. The thinking was that if we have a number of different investment types and risk exposures, then a downturn in any particular market segment or asset type would only affect a portion of our portfolio.
But over the past few years we’ve seen that the relative degree of “safety” that can be gained from broad diversification may not be as much as we thought. In fact, according to some financial commentators, over diversification might actually be a negative in that it prevents us...
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Tags: over diversification, retirement advice, retirement planning
Posted in Planning | No Comments »
Retirement Advice on the Tax Advantages of an Annuity
Thursday, April 5th, 2012
Many people have likely heard of annuities when they’ve done research about their retirement planning. But there’s a good chance that not everyone fully understands what annuities are and how they can play a significant role in an individual’s retirement planning.
In essence, an annuity is a financial contract between you and an insurance company. In exchange for a single payment or a pre-determined series of payments, the insurance company agrees to provide you with certain benefits once you reach retirement. There are some choices you must make regarding how you want your annuity to be paid out once you...
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Tags: Annuities, retirement advice, retirement planning, tax-deferred
Posted in Annuities | No Comments »
Advice on Rethinking Retirement in Difficult Financial Times
Tuesday, March 27th, 2012
In difficult financial times, individuals are often forced to reevaluate and rethink many of the plans they’ve made for themselves. Vacations and major purchases can be delayed, downsized or perhaps even eliminated altogether.
Another thing that can require rethinking in a difficult financial environment is retirement. Because retirement is such a significant decision (both in terms of the purely financial aspects as well as the emotional component), some people are reluctant to re-examine retirement plans that they may have had in place for a number of years. But a significant change in one’s financial situation, or in the overall economy...
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Tags: delay retirement, retirement advice, retirement planning
Posted in Planning | 2 Comments »
Advice on Paying Off A Mortgage Before Retirement
Monday, March 12th, 2012
There are many different ideas and philosophies on how best to save for retirement. You’ll hear lots of retirement advice about how much of your retirement savings should be invested in stocks, how much in fixed income products like bonds or CDs, and how this balance between equity investments and non-equity investments should change as you get closer to your target retirement age.
But another form of retirement savings – one that doesn’t get the same degree of attention as those traditional investments – is paying off the mortgage on your home before you retire. Paying off your mortgage before...
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Tags: payoff mortgage, refinance mortgage, retirement advice, retirement planning
Posted in Planning | 1 Comment »
How Much Should You Take From Your Retirement Account Each Month
Friday, February 10th, 2012
There are a lot of online calculators to help you figure out how much you should be saving for retirement. While it’s certainly important to come up with a plan to reach that goal, the total amount you accumulate in your 401(k), IRA and other retirement accounts is only one side of the equation.
In order to make sure that you’re able to live a comfortable and healthy retirement, you also need to determine how much you should be taking out of your retirement accounts each month. Ultimately, you’ll have to balance your living expenses with not depleting your resources...
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Tags: IRA withdrawal, retirement advice, retirement planning
Posted in Planning | No Comments »
Advice on Getting Your Retirement Plan Back on Track in 2012
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
During the stock market turmoil of the past few years, some individuals were reluctant to continue with their retirement investing. The thinking was that because the stock market is so volatile and risky (the downturns of 2008 and 2009 are still fresh in many people’s memories), it might be preferable not to invest at all.
But successful retirement planning relies upon consistent contributions over time. Not saving for retirement at all will certainly lead to problems later. For some people, the recent downturns mean that their retirement account balances are still lower than they were before the significant market declines...
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Tags: retirement advice, retirement planning
Posted in Featured Article | 2 Comments »
Mistakes That Can Derail Your Retirement
Thursday, November 17th, 2011
As too many people have learned in recent years, a faltering economy can wreak havoc on your retirement plan. But starting early and investing wisely provides assurance that while you may not end up with as large a nest egg as you had hoped, you will have enough money to sustain you when you retire. More often than not, retirement plans are derailed by our own mistakes rather than economic disaster.
You don’t have to be an investment guru to ensure a comfortable retirement. Some basic financial knowledge and a little common sense go a long way toward keeping your...
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Tags: retirement advice, retirement mistakes, retirement planning
Posted in Planning | No Comments »
5 Tips to Prepare for Retirement
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
The face of retirement is changing. People are working longer. The future of social security is being questioned. And the present economy may be adversely impacting your investments and savings. According to the United States Department of Labor; Less than half of Americans have calculated how much they need to save for retirement. In 2009, 13 percent of private industry workers with access to a defined contribution plan (such as a 401(k) plan) did not participate. The average American spends 20 years in retirement.
These are shocking statistics to be sure. Whether you’re facing impending retirement or you have decades...
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Tags: retirement advice, retirement planning, saving money
Posted in Planning | No Comments »
The Changing Trends in Retirement
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
Retirement is a relatively new concept. It was all but unheard of prior to the 20th century, and it didn’t become common in the United States until the advent of Social Security in 1935. Since then, retirement has changed and evolved in a number of ways.
Up until a few years ago, most workers expected to retire by age 65 and enjoy a life of leisure. But the economic turmoil of recent years has led to numerous changes in retirement trends.
Here is some retirement advice to consider about the changing trends of planning your retirement.
People are waiting longer to...Read More »
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Tags: retirement advice, retirement planning, social security
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