What happens if you have the bad luck to retire at a market peak, right before a brutal bear market (a scenario that many approaching retirement right now may be especially concerned about)? The author of today’s article runs the numbers to determine what effect this has on a portfolio’s value over the course of a retirement – and his…
He’s been called the Sam Spade of money management, the financial watchdog, and the pension detective. And now he’s warning that “We are on the precipice of the greatest retirement crisis in the history of the world”, with millions of elderly in the United States alone at risk of falling into poverty in the coming decades as a result of…
If you’re in your 30s, 40s or even 50s and, like many Americans, have little-to-nothing saved for retirement, the author of today’s article has some words of encouragement: “You are not screwed. The only way you are screwed is if you are at retirement age already. Then it is kind of too late. But if there is any time on…
Despite having been the recipients of many advantages when it came to saving for retirement, a new study focused on the retirement preparedness of baby boomers finds they are shockingly unprepared overall. Among its findings? Barely one in 10 boomers has a sufficient amount saved for retirement – and nearly half have no retirement savings at all. Today’s article proceeds…
The author of today’s article has his entire life savings and net worth invested in his recession-proofed “real money retirement portfolio” and is highlighting his latest purchase – a low-risk, high-yield dividend blue chip that is currently significantly undervalued despite “its strong quality score, good long-term growth prospects, and solid management team”, creating the potential for it to deliver total…
With most financial experts advising that primary wage earners delay taking Social Security until age 70 (as delaying can result in payments that are 70% higher), the author of today’s article acknowledges that “for those who do want to maximize their benefits, that means utilizing other assets in the meantime which requires some strategizing.” He proceeds to outline one potential…
“While the market has long periods of high returns, it has even more long period of low returns. Investors have seen entire decades delivering nothing but losses,” notes the author of today’s article – and this reality is critical for retirement planners to be cognizant of, given that financial advisors often use overly optimistic return assumptions when creating retirement plans…
When it comes to determining how much money you need to retire, there is no lack of opinions out there. Today’s article, however, highlights “an elegant solution to the problem” devised by one financial advisor that the author describes as a “divergent thinker”: a simple formula based on the market value of your house. For this formula – and why…
As part of its 2019 Guide to Retirement, J.P. Morgan Chase includes a simple chart that presents a “sound plan for retirement.” The chart depicts six different factors (two that retirement planners have total control over, two they have some control over, and two that are out of their control), with the investment bank advising to “Make the most of…
When it comes to de-risking your retirement portfolio, the author of today’s article suggests thinking of it as being akin to de-icing your car, noting that “de-risking is important. It helps insulate your future retirement income from a market plunge that could occur near, or soon after, your retirement date.” In terms of how to de-risk, however, she advocates taking…