Ah, retirement. Could there be a bigger financial goal out there than this? We all talk about it, think about it, read about it, and plan for it. But how many of us do what it takes to get ourselves into a position to retire how we want when we want? How many of us […]
Online Retirement Calculators: More Harm Than Help?
People often ask me to point them to a decent online retirement planning calculator. I never do. You see, I don’t trust such calculators. It’s not that their math is wrong. (At least, not usually.) The problem is that their calculations are often based on shoddy assumptions and unknowable variables. You Know What They Say […]
Roth IRA Withdrawal Rules
The Roth IRA is a wonderful investment option that many people take advantage of every year mainly because of it’s tax free growth and because it allows you to diversify your tax situation at retirement if you also invest in some pre-tax investment types like a 401k or IRA. While the ideal situation is to […]
Important Inheritance Tips For Your 401(k)
Most people are busy learning about a 401(k), taking steps to set it up and choose the right investments. But how often do you think about what will happen to your retirement savings if something were to happen to you? To be honest, such thinking has been off my radar screen, but after getting a […]
3 Reasons Not To Save Into A Roth IRA For Retirement
Everyone should be saving into a Roth IRA for retirement! Have you heard those words before? I’ve seen them strewn about the web here ‘n there on various blogs or in comments on other personal finance sites. Is that true? – Should everyone be saving into a Roth IRA? Not exactly. Although Roth IRA’s have […]
What You Need To Know About Mutual Fund Sales Fees And Expenses
If you’ve read about mutual fund investing, or perhaps discussed it with someone knowledgeable on the subject, the topic of fees and expenses most likely came up in the conversation. For someone who isn’t a financial advisor or broker, mutual fund fees and expenses can be quite a confusing subject. How do you know when […]
How Do I Choose A Mutual Fund?
How do you choose a mutual fund? But first, is it time for you to start investing? You may be asking the question – should invest while you’re still in debt? Or, perhaps – what is enough emergency savings before investing? These can be challenging questions to answer, but in general, you should invest as […]
Are You Making These 5 Retirement Planning Mistakes?
Retirement is certainly a hot topic. Most people are concerned about how much they need for retirement, when they can retire, which discount broker to use or whether they should open up a Roth IRA or contribute to Traditional IRAs. What’s amazing, however, is that although there are many folks preparing for retirement, there are […]
Finding Your Retirement Sweet Spot!
Do you remember playing baseball while you were growing up? One of the best feelings in the world was finding your groove with your swing and hitting the ball with the bat’s sweet spot. The ball seemed to jump off the bat with little effort! If you’re a golfer you know that feeling too. Getting […]
Early Retirement: Important Rules To Remember
Many people I talk to would love to take early retirement. What they typically mean is that they would love to retire early from their current occupation, live off retirement savings and find a hobby or passion to pursue and maybe make some income from in their later years! Early retirement is definitely possible, and […]
Ten Things You Should Know About Taking Early Distributions From Your Retirement Plan
During tough times like these a lot of people are running into situations where they may h ave to take an early distribution from their retirement plan to help pay for bills, a home mortgage or some other expense. While it’s not typically something you should probably do, in some cases it’s unavoidable. Today I […]
How To Mitigate Retirement Investment Risk
I recently received a financial advertisement in the mail that mentioned some retirement investment risks I thought were pretty good to keep in mind. Along with each were some practical tips in mitigating the risks, or ways to make them less severe. Before discussing a few of these risks, lets first look at the nature […]
Should You Use A Roth IRA For College Savings?
Most of us have heard of 529 plans, but have you thought about using your Roth IRA for college funding? Here are the pros and cons.
Should You Convert Non-Deductible IRA Contributions To A Roth IRA?
Oh what a great year for debate on Roth IRA’s and Roth IRA Conversions! Roth IRAs are a great tool for building up retirement savings, but some things have changed for conversions. 2010 has ushered in some new Roth IRA rules -here’s what you need to know about the 2010 Roth conversions. I recently received […]
