“The challenging task of getting decades’ worth of savings to last a lifetime can be made more manageable with a single product: an income annuity,” notes the author of today’s article. However, despite this, income annuities have yet to really catch on with investors. Given this, the author proceeds to outline who may benefit from an income annuity (and who…
When it comes to retirement planning, the author of today’s article notes that “What’s been missing for most people is a simple way to calculate the level of spending that can be generated from a given savings amount, that takes into account realistic assumptions about a retiree’s longevity as well as a forecast for market returns.” However, there is a…
If, like many Americans, you find yourself behind when it comes to having enough saved for a financially secure retirement, one potential way to increase your retirement savings is by taking advantage of catch-up contributions. The author of today’s article cautions “Don’t fall into the trap of underestimating how much these extra contributions can potentially benefit your upcoming retirement” –…
Americans on the whole are not contributing enough to their 401(k)s to fund retirements that will not require a reduction in their standard of living. As such, the author of today’s article looks at “how you can meaningfully begin saving more today for your retirement”. For his insights – including what he identifies as “the simplest and most effective way…
When it comes to your retirement account, if you just set it and forget it, you could well lose it…to escheatment. As today’s article explains, escheatment is the process whereby firms that manage retirement accounts are required to turn over to the states any accounts that are seemingly not being actively managed. What happens to your retirement account (and related…
How can you get control of your spending without having to devote precious time to tracking every expense? Today’s article outlines one spending system that can be employed to accomplish this: bucket budgeting. This is the system the author’s husband uses, and she notes that it “allows him to prefund his expenses, keep his spending in check and avoid having…
Can you afford to lose 30% (or more) of your retirement savings in the event of a market crash? If your answer is no, the author of today’s article – who believes a recession is coming within the next year – urges you to add gold to your portfolio, pointing out that, while “stocks and bonds have been in a…
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…
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 social security benefits, employer pensions and personal savings are the three traditional streams of retirement income, the author of today’s article points out that “there are…other potential sources of retirement income that are not mentioned often enough” – and he proceeds to outline three such nontraditional sources. For a discussion of these unconventional income sources and why they may…