The author of today’s article argues that retirees should be viewing higher interest rates favorably. This, however, is not how many retirees are reacting to higher rates – and the author suggests that this negative reaction “betrays a fundamental misunderstanding about investing in bonds.” What, in the author’s view, are many retirees getting wrong about investing in bonds, specifically when…
The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF, which seeks to track companies that have consistently increased their dividends for ten consecutive years, may seem like a great pick for retirees looking for reliable income. As today’s article points out, however, there is a problem: despite holding companies that have a track record of raising their dividends for ten consecutive years, the ETF…
A large chunk of people around the globe are not prepared for – and do not understand some of the key concepts related to – retirement. This is one of the conclusions that can be drawn from the Aegon Retirement Readiness Survey – and a financial literacy test given as part of it, which many participants failed. For more –…
The author of today’s article outlines how retirees – or any bond investor – “can construct a portfolio of bonds whose total return will almost certainly be higher than the average of those individual bonds’ yields.” How does one accomplish this? By bond laddering – and while you are probably familiar with the concept of bond laddering, you may not…
Today’s article highlights how, in the search for stable and predictable retirement income, some people are choosing to “be the bank”: “As an alternative to a 401(k) account or investing in the stock market, they become private lenders for people who are investing in real estate. And just as borrowers send monthly payments to a bank or mortgage company to…
“It’s important for traders of all skill levels to understand the risk and reward dynamics of every trade they put on,” advises the author of today’s article – who proceeds to outline a simple way for traders to ensure that their reward-to-risk ratio is where it should be in order to profit in the long run: the profit factor. For…
The average monthly Social Security benefit this year is just $1,404. Needless to say, most retirees will need to supplement their Social Security payments – significantly – in order to generate enough income to live comfortably in their golden years. And the three stocks highlighted in today’s article – with their consistently increasing dividend payouts – can play a part…
The good news? American workers’ confidence in their ability to retire is growing. The bad news? As today’s article observes, “the same forces that are fueling retirement confidence have the potential to work against new retirees in the years ahead–especially higher stock-market valuations.” While retirees have no control over the type of market environment that will prevail over their early…
When it comes to your retirement account, if you just set it and forget it, you could well lose it…to escheatment. As today’s article explains, escheatment is the process whereby firms that manage retirement accounts are required to turn over to the states any accounts that are seemingly not being actively managed. What happens to your retirement account (and related…
Retirees have been told that, especially given the increasing number of years spent in retirement, they need to maintain a sizable position in equities. It turns out, however, that maintaining a healthy equity allocation in retirement may not be as beneficial for retirees as believed: The author of today’s article analyzed a number of different retirement funding scenarios and came…