The author of today’s article acknowledges that – if such a strategy existed – it would represent “the Holy Grail of retirement investing”: a strategy that would appreciate regardless of market conditions. And one fund – the Permanent Portfolio Fund – purports to do just that. So is this fund something that retirees and those nearing retirement should consider? The…
When it comes to withholding taxes in retirement, the author of today’s article advises that you want to withhold just the right amount: over-withhold and you miss out on earned interest; under-withhold and you risk getting hit with a penalty tax by the IRS. However, despite the importance of getting your withholding as close as possible to your actual tax…
It’s one of the most important numbers when it comes to devising your retirement plan – but also one of the most difficult to pinpoint: how many years will your retirement last? The author of today’s article notes that “for many people this number is basically a wild guess, if it’s considered at all. That’s a problem because getting this…
Achieving alpha in the financial markets is no easy feat. As such, the author of today’s article advocates that, in seeking alpha, “all of us need to look in our backyards, where all our personal financial decisions are waiting to be optimized.” How? He outlines a number of strategies pertaining to Social Security benefits, retirement accounts and taxes which, combined,…
“There are factors threatening your plans for lifetime income security,” cautions the author of today’s article, who further observes that, while some of these factors are nothing new, “others are relatively new, or are becoming more significant.” He proceeds to detail the five trends and factors that he sees as the “paramount threats” to the income security of those in…
Once only an option for the very wealthy, Self-Directed Individual Retirement Accounts (SDIRAs) – where the account holder controls the account’s investments (and those investments can include a wide array of choices beyond just stocks and bonds) – are now entering the mainstream as more people look to alternative assets to help secure their golden years. Could an SDIRA be…
In regards to the likes of Amazon, the author of today’s article suggests that “the off-the-charts outperformance by its stock – and others like it – may be coming to an end” as a new market reality – wherein the tide shifts in favor of value stocks and away from growth stocks (which have outperformed for quite some time) –…
Stocks that pay a monthly dividend can be an attractive option – especially for retirees. As the author of today’s article notes, not only do monthly dividend payers provide income on a schedule that matches up with monthly bills, but monthly payouts can be a sign of a company’s stability and they allow for faster gains if those dividends are…
Retirement calculators are a dime a dozen. Which calculators are worth your time and effort and actually provide useful – and actionable – feedback? The author of today’s article recommends checking out one particular retirement calculator, which he assesses to be one of the best of the bunch and which provides you with two assessments, gauging your “chances of a…
While the years right before – and just after – retirement can play an especially critical role in one’s financial security in retirement, the author of today’s article points out that “a number of planning steps and strategies arise in the decade or so before retirement—that is, in one’s 50s usually—that can have a big impact before the start of…