With a few exceptions (e.g. collectibles, life insurance), you can own pretty much anything in an individual retirement account, from real estate and precious metals to farming interests and church bonds. And with concerns that the stock market is overvalued (and rising interest rates affecting bond prices), nontraditional assets – with their juicy return potential and diversification benefits – may…
A new “unretirement” life stage. A “cyclical” (rather than linear) lifeline. Much of what we pay for today (including auto insurance) being free. New “healthopia” communities for affluent boomers. These are some of the predictions so-called “futurists” are making in regards to the personal finances of Americans over age 50 over the next five and 10 years – as well…
After being delayed, the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule – which requires that all financial professionals put the best interests of their clients first when it comes to retirement accounts – is set to be implemented (for now) on June 9. But beyond eliminating conflicts of interest, will the rule make it less expensive to invest for retirement? Today’s article…
“There are many fees that eat into your retirement nest egg,” notes the author of today’s article. As such, he proceeds to outline several tips to help minimize just how big of a bite fees can take out of your retirement savings. To find out what these tips are – including why he recommends that you should require that all…
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, there are approximately 25 million orphaned retirement accounts – i.e. accounts left with former employers – in existence today. If one (or more) of these accounts belongs to you, what’s the best way of handling these abandoned funds? Today’s article looks at the pros and cons of three options – keeping the 401(k) with…
Retirement is a time for spending. However, as today’s article highlights, it appears that affluent American retirees are not doing so. Rather, despite having accumulated an unprecedented amount in assets, studies find they are hoarding money. And while some may be doing so for rational reasons (e.g. wanting to leave a sizable inheritance), the primary motivator appears to be an…
There was a time when a million dollars would have seemed like a mythical amount of money. Today, however, despite the fact that many retirement savers have arbitrarily set $1 million as the amount they need to amass for a secure retirement, many financial advisors caution that a nest egg of this size could still leave people short in retirement.…
Talk about a double-edged sword: the very mental habits that are advantageous when it comes to saving for retirement and building a nest egg can be harmful once in retirement and spending down that nest egg. The implication of this reversal, according to the author of today’s article? “It can lead to a much less satisfying retirement – one in…
When it comes to the assumptions your retirement is riding on, the author of today’s article warns that “abject optimism can be dangerous.” But not only do many retirement planners have overly optimistic expectations about rates of return in the coming years, many are also overly optimistic with their plans to work longer in order to help fund their retirements:…
“The savings decisions you are making today have far more implications than you might be seeing,” warns the author of today’s article, who points out that many people decide to save the maximum allowable in their 401(k)s because “that’s what everyone does.” The problem with following the herd in this regard, according to the author? 401(k)s were not designed to…