For both those in the accumulation phase of their investment careers and those nearing retirement or in retirement, dividend growth stocks have great appeal – even though, as the author of today’s article notes, these two groups may be looking for slightly different things from these stocks (total returns in the case of accumulators and reliable, inflation-beating income in the…
Are you trying to play catch up with your retirement savings? Looking to retire early? Whatever position you currently find yourself in relative to retirement, today’s article outlines ten “commandments” that may be worth following in the aim of ultimately achieving a comfortable retirement. For these ten commandments – relating to Social Security, estate plans, taxes, health care, pre-retirement lifestyle…
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…
While there are some general rules of thumb for retirement income-replacement rates (e.g. 75% to 80% of working income), pinning down your individualized retirement cash flow needs can be difficult. As the author of today’s article notes, “higher-income, higher-saving households may well need just 60% (or even less) of their pre-retirement income during retirement, while lower-earning, lower-saving households may need…
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…
Having an employee stock option plan is a fortunate position to be in as, if well-managed, these plans can fund major financial goals, including retirement. However, the author of today’s article cautions that “Stock option plans are often misunderstood and choices are often made that leave people paying substantially more taxes on this employee benefit than is absolutely necessary. Small…
Today’s article outlines how an initial investment of $300,000 in six specific funds (from “an obscure corner of the market”) can create a significant, reliable income stream for retirement. Specifically, “this portfolio has a 7.9% yield, meaning our $305,000 initial investment is going to give us $24,000 in annual income—that’s $2,000 per month!” Moreover, these six funds offer growth in…
Amid the low interest rate environment of recent years, many income-seeking investors have turned to high-yield bond funds and dividend mutual funds in the search for higher income. However, with interest rates now rising, these funds are becoming riskier – leading the author of today’s article to suggest an alternate strategy to generate income: investing in pass-through securities, which “are…
The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement has been gaining traction – but, as today’s article seeks to make clear, as wonderful as the prospect may seem, extra-early retirement isn’t for everyone. Specifically, the author outlines some of the financial and emotional consequences of early retirement – as well as some questions to ask yourself if you are still considering…
The author of today’s article is no fan of 401(k) plans, asserting that they don’t work. On the other hand, traditional pensions are largely obsolete. However, he notes that “There is one widely overlooked option that combines the best of the two retirement savings plans.” That option? Cash-balance plans, which are hybrids of traditional defined-benefit pensions plans and 401(k)s –…