Nearly 40% of U.S. consumers (and nearly 60% of millennials) see winning the lottery as a reasonable way to fund retirement, leading the author of today’s article to scoff that “You might as well bet on the tooth fairy paying off your credit card balance every month.” However, he also outlines how Americans’ lotto habit can actually help fund their…
A critical part of retirement planning is figuring out how much you will need to have accumulated to fund your golden years – and one common approach to calculating this figure is to use a multiple of your ending salary. Fidelity, for example, recommends retirement savers have 10 times their ending salary saved by age 67. And while different entities…
The retirement expert cited in today’s article calls them “the single biggest risk you face in outliving your money”: out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and costs for long-term care. These expenses can now total over half a million dollars, “almost four times more than the typical couple nearing retirement has saved in their combined retirement accounts”. Given this, the author outlines several…
The widely referenced 4% rule suggests that retirees can safely withdraw that amount from their retirement accounts each year. However, the author of today’s article notes that the “wisdom” of the 4% rule collapses when it slams into the reality of a market slump. Instead, he advocates for another strategy for funding your golden years: “investments paying outsized cash dividends…
The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement has been gaining traction – but, as today’s article seeks to make clear, as wonderful as the prospect may seem, extra-early retirement isn’t for everyone. Specifically, the author outlines some of the financial and emotional consequences of early retirement – as well as some questions to ask yourself if you are still considering…
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…
Once only an option for the very wealthy, Self-Directed Individual Retirement Accounts (SDIRAs) – where the account holder controls the account’s investments (and those investments can include a wide array of choices beyond just stocks and bonds) – are now entering the mainstream as more people look to alternative assets to help secure their golden years. Could an SDIRA be…
Can a little gold help secure your golden years? The author of today’s article notes that “regardless of the cause, inflation can wipe out seniors and savers buying power very quickly” – and believes that one of the best ways for individuals to protect themselves against inflation is by owning precious metals. But what’s the best way to go about…
“While the post-work years can truly be golden for those who plan for them, many retirees are caught off guard by the facts of their new life,” warns the author of today’s article. He proceeds to outline several facts about retirement that, while not necessarily fun facts, are things that he believes those approaching retirement should be cognizant of before…
When it comes to all the interconnected pieces of successful retirement planning (taxes, Social Security, health care, etcetera), the author of today’s article points out that, ultimately, everything goes back to one fundamental question: How much money do I need to retire? Unfortunately, when it comes to answering this question, there are a number of misconceptions that people are prone…