When it comes to assessing risk, the author of today’s article argues that “most people don’t really understand what their true risks are.” He proceeds to identify what he believes is the greatest risk most retirees face – one that is not getting the attention from retired (and retiring) baby boomers that it warrants. The risk in question is associated…
Health savings accounts. More employers offering a Roth option in their retirement plans – and reducing the overall number of investment options employees have to choose from. The growth of index funds – and workplace financial wellness programs. These trends – as well as some additional developments – have the author of today’s article declaring that “it’s a brave new…
How far a $1 million nest egg will get you in retirement depends on where that retirement takes place. Today’s article highlights the findings of a new report which assessed how many years $1 million would last for retirees 65 and older for each state, with numbers ranging from 26.3 years in one state to 11.9 years in another. Where…
“Though some people end up spending less in retirement than they estimated, odds are you won’t be in this group,” cautions the author of today’s article. In order to avoid spending more in retirement than estimated – and thus drawing down your nest egg more quickly than planned – the author recommends beginning to live the retirement life well before…
There are over 8,000 mutual funds and the average participant in a workplace retirement plan has 28 investment options to choose from. However, the author of today’s article advises that “you can create a smart, diversified portfolio with just a handful of mutual funds” – and she proceeds to highlight some model “lazy portfolios” to do just that. To learn…
While the primary casualty of the fiduciary rule – which began to take effect in June – is intended to be conflicts of interest on the part of financial advisers when it comes to their clients’ retirement accounts, today’s article identifies another potential casualty of the rule: the number of mutual funds offered by brokerage firms as they seek to…
In the wake of their failure on health care reform, Republicans in Washington are determined to pass tax reform – and as today’s article notes, “among the tax reform proposals currently being discussed is one that would convert part or all of workers’ tax-deferred 401(k) contributions to Roth 401(k) contributions, which are made after taxes have been removed.” What would…
That baby boomers face a retirement crisis is a widely accepted fact. But what caused it? It may seem that the answer to this question must be complicated, but the author of today’s article has a relatively simple explanation, stating that “If I had to point to one variable that could explain why so many are so ill-prepared for retirement…
When it comes to saving for retirement, the author of today’s article states that “although there are no shortcuts to saving – you just need to get on an automatic program and save as much as possible – there are some quick routes to finding out the right numbers.” Among those “quick routes” are retirement calculators which, while not perfect,…
A significant percentage of Americans are not saving enough (or at all) for retirement – and the U.S. government seems to be doing everything it can to exacerbate this problem. The latest example of this is the Treasury Department’s canceling of the Obama-era myRA program for individuals who did not have access to a 401(k) or other retirement plan at…