Despite an awful lot of prognostications, nobody knows for sure when the next bear market will be. What is known, however, is that the five major stock bear markets of the past 45 years wiped out 40% of the stock market’s value on average – and, as today’s article notes, “in the two most recent bear markets, you would have…
The author of today’s article argues that the investments in your retirement account are likely not as diversified as they should be. Rather than the traditional approach to diversification (a mix of stocks, bonds and mutual funds), the author advocates “extended diversification”, which “requires a different set of resources than the traditional investment approach.” For more on how you can…
The Federal Reserve just raised interest rates once again and another two rate hikes are now likely before the end of the year. Against this backdrop, the author of today’s article acknowledges that “many market participants, especially retirees with fixed-income-heavy investment mixes, are reasonably concerned about what a period of rising interest rates could mean for their portfolios and for…
Whether one is in the pre-retirement accumulation stage or the retirement decumulation stage, retirement planning seems to be getting increasingly complicated. At a recent investment conference, research and innovations related to the challenges posed by the evolving retirement planning landscape were discussed. For some key takeaways from this discussion – pertaining to target-date funds, Social Security, safe withdrawal rates, annuities…
A firm with a cult-like following, a “beloved ‘industrial’ firm” with a seemingly attractive dividend, and a group of high-growth names make up the seven stocks highlighted in today’s article as being ones that those in – or those going into – retirement may be wise to avoid, according to experts. For these seven stocks – including “one dividend payer…
The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF, which seeks to track companies that have consistently increased their dividends for ten consecutive years, may seem like a great pick for retirees looking for reliable income. As today’s article points out, however, there is a problem: despite holding companies that have a track record of raising their dividends for ten consecutive years, the ETF…
A large chunk of people around the globe are not prepared for – and do not understand some of the key concepts related to – retirement. This is one of the conclusions that can be drawn from the Aegon Retirement Readiness Survey – and a financial literacy test given as part of it, which many participants failed. For more –…
Today’s article highlights how, in the search for stable and predictable retirement income, some people are choosing to “be the bank”: “As an alternative to a 401(k) account or investing in the stock market, they become private lenders for people who are investing in real estate. And just as borrowers send monthly payments to a bank or mortgage company to…
“It’s important for traders of all skill levels to understand the risk and reward dynamics of every trade they put on,” advises the author of today’s article – who proceeds to outline a simple way for traders to ensure that their reward-to-risk ratio is where it should be in order to profit in the long run: the profit factor. For…
The average monthly Social Security benefit this year is just $1,404. Needless to say, most retirees will need to supplement their Social Security payments – significantly – in order to generate enough income to live comfortably in their golden years. And the three stocks highlighted in today’s article – with their consistently increasing dividend payouts – can play a part…