Believe it or not, Democrats and Republicans in Congress might actually get something done on a bipartisan basis in the coming weeks, and as today’s article notes, that something “has the potential to be a big win for individual investors”. More specifically, there’s a real chance that Congress could pass bipartisan retirement savings legislation that would be signed into law…
In a new survey conducted by Fidelity Investments, 75% of respondents reported feeling only somewhat confident to not confident at all about their retirement finances. Ultimately, those that lacked a financial plan for retirement lacked confidence, while those that had a plan also had confidence. As such, today’s article lays out “five small, practical steps you can take to boost…
When it comes to periods of extended market weakness, the author of today’s article notes that “Retirees…tend to experience [them] differently, and more viscerally, than their still-working counterparts” as they are living off the finite balances of their portfolios. So while those who are still working may be able to ride out – or even take advantage of – market…
“Social Security is what it is — and it isn’t what it isn’t,” states the author of today’s article who argues that, while Social Security is an asset, it is not a bond – and thus investors are ill-served by considering Social Security part of their retirement portfolio’s bond allocation. What is Social Security, what isn’t Social Security – and…
“The bottom line is that generating secure income to meet our retirement goals for an uncertain period of time is extremely challenging,” acknowledges the author of today’s article, who likens this task to “trying to hit a moving target in the wind.” He proceeds to outline one approach to doing so – the so-called flooring approach. How does the flooring…
Strategies for accumulating wealth receive much more attention than strategies for decumulating wealth despite the fact that, as the author of today’s article points out, nowadays the decumulation phase of one’s life can be just as long as the accumulation phase. He also acknowledges problems with safe withdrawal strategies, including the fact that there’s a good chance you’ll end up…
An encore career in retirement can provide many advantages, financial and otherwise. On the financial front, for example, income from an encore career can help retirees delay claiming Social Security benefits – and thus increase the benefit amount they ultimately receive. However, the author of today’s article cautions that, when considering embarking on a postretirement career, “there are some important…
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…
“Money and rationality don’t always mix…That’s especially true with retirement,” notes the author of today’s article. Just one example of many: The fact that nearly half of Americans claim Social Security benefits as soon as possible (age 62), foregoing a significantly larger benefit had they waited. Fortunately, insights from behavioral finance can help “nudge” individuals towards making more rational decisions…
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…