Is a Non-Matched 401k Worthwhile?
Economic slowdowns are always quick to hurt business spending, whether it is on new production components or human resources. Employees are feeling the economic pinch, faced with potential job loss and certain benefit cuts. The quickest and easiest solution for most businesses is to suspend or cut out indefinitely the 401k matching programs that [...]
Protecting yourself from retirement tax burdens
In as little time as 30 years, tax brackets in the United States have changed completely. During the early 1980s, the top tax bracket was paying 70% federal tax on every dollar earned – which was two for the government and one for you. Today, the top tax bracket pays just half that rate, or [...]
Have a short retirement time frame? Blue chips might not be the answer
Photo Credit: Greek Shares
The traditional retirement think-tank would say that bluechips should make up your short term retirement holdings. Investing your cash in a blue chip stock for a few years is like placing your money in a money market account; the dividends bring the returns, and the capital gains are the bread winners. But [...]
Are your retirement accounts FDIC insured?
Photo Credit: LA Times
As more banking institutions become insolvent, it is important to know which accounts are insured against bank failure – and which ones are not. In fact, the “name” of your account may determine whether or not it is insured. Money market accounts or money market funds: one of those two accounts is [...]
Spending behavior overshadows savings in retirement
Photo Credit: Analytical Thoughts
It’s not how much you save, but how much you spend that truly makes a difference – especially when it comes to your retirement.
Many people struggle day to day on payments, even though they make comfortable salaries. Unfortunately, many people have strong consumer habits, and then they are burdened with “unexpected” [...]
It’s not easy being a retiree in an unsettled market
Photo Source: Citizen Tom
For retirees, the current market events present an unfortunate circumstance, where many retirement portfolios are stuck between a rock and a hard place, whether in fixed income, equity or the trusted stock market. With a huge rally in commodities, combined with the dropping stock market and money market accounts that pay half [...]
What is an Annuity?
Annuities are generally reserved for the most modest of investors – those that plan retirement, but would rather have the fixed income payments post retirement than to manage their own wealth when they reach retirement age.
While annuities are not the first investment choice of most active investors, they do make up a large portion [...]
How to Invest for Retirement Overseas
Photo Credit to Amanita
The problem arises for many retirees that domestic slowdowns put their own retirement jeopardy. It has long been the advice that future retirees should invest more of their own money in domestic stock funds rather than chase the foreign markets of the world. But is this advice really sound? Or are [...]
Choosing short-term commitments in your retirement investments
The Federal reserve rate cuts have hurt the retired, with lower CD and money market rates making it difficult for retirees to earn the magic 4%. The 4% interest level is a number used widely by financial planners and investors for a “sustainable’’ retirement nest egg. Now that rates are less than optimal, retirees should [...]
Long-term care insurance: a great retirement investment
Retirement planning focuses on a portfolio that can sustain the cost of living once work-related income has ceased. Many retirement portfolios are healthy enough to carry your standard of living well into retirement, but not large enough to protect against any huge costs – especially the rising cost of health care.
Rising costs of health care
Unfortunately [...]
