Earlier this summer, a Barron’s cover story advanced the claim that this is “the worst time to retire since just before the dot-com bubble burst”, pointing to the nearly decade-long stock bull market (and even older bond bull market) – and the “rising market volatility, rising inflation, rising interest rates and an uncertain economic outlook” expected to result – as…
When it comes to 401(k)s and IRAs, the author of today’s article argues that “Gambling away your retirement funds in a government-sponsored game of chance is a game you have little hope of winning.” Instead, he asserts that if you want to retire for real (and early), the key is attaining financial freedom – which requires focusing on cash flow…
There’s an investment retirees can make that could provide them with a guaranteed return of over 17% – an investment that the author of today’s article notes is “simple, straightforward and right under our noses—and yet way too often overlooked or ignored.” What is this investment, why do so many not take advantage of it – and why do many…
The foundation of any retirement plan is the age at which we plan to retire. Unfortunately, as today’s article highlights, “that foundation isn’t nearly as solid as we think. We often systematically misjudge when we’ll actually retire, and that can wreak havoc on our finances.” What does a new study – which found that roughly half of Americans retire earlier…
With paltry bond yields on one hand and the risks associated with high-yielding funds and stocks on the other, generating enough income in a low interest rate environment can be challenging for retirees. However, today’s article highlights two “innovative” ETFs that the author sees as offering slightly higher yields while mitigating risks. The first of these two funds seeks out…
What does it take to have accumulated $1 million by retirement age (65)? The author of today’s article outlines how this seemingly Herculean task is “actually much easier–especially if you start saving early–to let your investments do as much heavy lifting as possible.” How can you have $1 million saved by age 65 – and is $1 million even an…
Noting that the two most important factors for those on the verge of retirement are income and stability, the author of today’s article states that “a soon-to-be-retiring person can maintain a perfect stock portfolio with the help of strong organizations that pay substantial dividends” – and he proceeds to highlight nine companies that fit this profile. For these nine dividend…
Homeowners’ equity has climbed to its highest level ever – and yet few retirees are actually tapping their home equity in retirement. The author of today’s article notes that “maintaining home equity throughout retirement isn’t ideal in many situations, especially for older adults with significant housing wealth but dwindling portfolio values. For them, tapping home equity in some fashion…can be…
With almost half of retirement savers having their entire account invested in a single target-date fund last year, the author of today’s article acknowledges that “Target-date funds are taking over retirement accounts” – and this may not be a good thing. He proceeds to explain how a combination of issues with target-date funds “could easily add up to 1 percent…
Retirement investments are different – or, as the author of today’s article puts it, “Picking safe investments for retirement is a skill separate from making money in stocks, real estate, and other investment vehicles.” Given this, he proceeds to outline a number of options available when it comes to picking safe investments for retirement. For more – including a list…