“When it comes to important life transitions like retirement, perspective, judgment and objectivity are vital to prevent mistakes that can lead to disaster,” asserts the author of today’s article. The problem? Too many people forego the aforementioned in favor of overly simplistic (and overly optimistic) “back-of-the-envelope” planning. What are some critical steps many people fail to take – and important…
According to a recent report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, almost half of retirees end up leaving the workforce earlier than they had planned – and while this is often involuntary (the result of a layoff or illness), in a third of cases individuals make an early exit by choice, having achieved financial independence. Achieving early retirement is not…
In this case a race to the bottom is a good thing: In an effort to attract new customers and increase market share in an extremely competitive business, mutual fund companies are battling it out for who can offer the lowest-cost ETF – and the resultant rock-bottom fees are great news for retirement savers. The author of today’s article highlights…
“Women over 50 are likely to enjoy decades in retirement,” notes the author of today’s article. That’s the good news for this group. The bad news? “Few have any idea how much medical expenses will eat into their savings.” Studies show that women aged 50 and over are largely unsure of what their health-care and long-term care costs will be…
New Year’s resolutions are made to be broken (today’s article notes that only 8% of people actually follow through on their resolutions). But breaking some resolutions has greater consequences than breaking others. When it comes to resolutions pertaining to retirement goals, procrastination can have serious ramifications. As such, the author of today’s article outlines “some steps to set the right…
“If and when the economy bursts, it will take the retirement dreams of millions of Americans with it,” declares the author of today’s article, who examines how the Federal Reserve’s monetary policies since 2008 have reflected a fundamental error that he argues will end up affecting tens of millions of U.S. boomers. That error? Ignoring the demographics of the country,…
While many investors will not begin to think about taxes for several more months, today’s article argues that “anytime is a good time for tax planning” and that this time in particular – the fourth quarter of the year – is a particularly good time for this, stating that “planning before the end of the year increases the number of…
The three stocks highlighted in today’s article are all dividend growers that – due to what the author views as short-term factors – currently find themselves in the bargain bin, which might make them great income stream picks for retirees and soon-to-be retirees. To see what these three stocks are – including a pharmaceutical company that hurt itself by being…
$400,000. This is the amount the typical 65-year-old couple will need to save in order to pay for out-of-pocket medical and long-term care costs in old age, according to new estimates from Fidelity Benefits Consulting. As per today’s article, that amount is “$60,000 more than the typical couple’s entire savings at retirement, including equity in their home.” To read more…
Of the retirement savings of American retirees and soon-to-be retirees the author of today’s article cites that “over half (54%) of “Boomers & Seniors” report savings and investments that fall far short of the typical yardsticks for their age group.” While the usual recommendations for individuals in this position are well-known (e.g. work longer), the author suggests a more “unusual”…