In this case a race to the bottom is a good thing: In an effort to attract new customers and increase market share in an extremely competitive business, mutual fund companies are battling it out for who can offer the lowest-cost ETF – and the resultant rock-bottom fees are great news for retirement savers. The author of today’s article highlights…
With high-dividend-yielding stocks feeling the pain as interest rates rise, the author of today’s article argues that, while older investors should not scale back on their dividend holdings, “the challenge is to pick the right dividend stocks and funds” – and the right dividend stocks and funds right now might not be the usual suspects! As such, she proceeds to…
In some (rare) positive retirement news, Wells Fargo’s 2016 retirement study found that the average 401(k) balance is at a new high – $92,000. So, with Americans looking to improve their financial futures and steering more dollars into their retirement accounts, how should they be investing these additional funds? In aggressive stock plans? Conservative bond funds? Low-cost index funds? To…
2016 was a banner year for 401(k)-related lawsuits, as employees felt the need to take legal action in order to have issues with sub-par retirement plans rectified – and, as the author of today’s article acknowledges, the issues that prompted these lawsuits are unlikely to improve under the current regime in Washington. As such, he outlines three things to look…
The author of today’s article notes that Individual Retirement Accounts have become a lot more complicated in a number of critical ways since their introduction in the 1970s. As such, he provides a comprehensive overview of the internal workings of IRAs – including the various types of IRA accounts, funding options and distribution of funds. He then proceeds to outline…
While many financial firms recommend that U.S. investors have some exposure to foreign stocks, that entails exposure to the currencies of the countries in question, and the author of today’s article notes “that means in addition to the stock’s performance, your total return will include the performance of the foreign currency translated into U.S. dollars.” With a strong dollar, this…
When it comes to accumulating that $1 million figure often cited as the recommended amount for a retirement nest egg, the author of today’s article states there are two choices: “Either we can wait nearly half a century…or we can become millionaires faster if we can get a better return.” He proceeds to outline a basket of five funds which…
When it comes to target-date funds, today’s article states that the popular retirement investment vehicles may become more interesting and less expensive this year. Specifically, the article examines how some fund sponsors are going about trying to reduce volatility, boost returns, lower fees, and even select more socially conscious investments, all in an effort to attract more investors. To read…
When it comes to a year-end bonus (or any newfound cash for that matter) you undoubtedly have a number of ideas for what you would like to do with it. But what should you do with it? Today’s article lays out five responsible options for what to do with such funds. First and foremost? Replenishing (or establishing) your emergency fund.…
Based on the findings of a recent analysis conducted by human resources consultancy firm Aon Hewitt, half of 401(k) investors using target-date funds may be using them wrong. What exactly are people getting wrong when it comes to target-date funds? They “spread their dollars across other investments available to them in their plans” rather than using the target-date fund –…