A recent study found that three in five Americans are very likely to work longer than desired – an additional two years on average – to meet their retirement goals. Having to work longer than expected is just one of the many surprises that those approaching (and those in) retirement encounter. In today’s article, a number of financial planners reveal what many people don’t realize about retirement – including the “biggest thing that [they] see keeping people from retiring prior to 65”. CLICK HERE.
The Annuity Piece Of Your Retirement Puzzle
“Annuities often get a bad rap,” states the author of today’s article, who acknowledges some of the drawbacks associated with these products. However, he notes that all investments have drawbacks – and that annuities can be “the hedge against the emotion of fear that you will run out of funds before you die.” He proceeds to outline the numerous ways in which annuities – especially fixed annuities – can reduce the risk associated with your retirement plan. For more – including how you can make an annuity do double duty – CLICK HERE.
The Investment Issues Retirees Most Commonly Fail To Understand
In today’s article, the author shares some of the investment-related issues that he sees being most commonly misunderstood by those in – or approaching – retirement. Which “all-time classic” retirement funding strategy does he state “unfortunately…has never really worked, at least over any substantial period of time”? Why does he argue that dividends are not income, even if they feel like income? For more on these common misconceptions – and others – CLICK HERE.
What Does The Chinese Bear Mean For Retirees In The U.S.?
With the stock market of the world’s second-largest economy – China – having dropped by more than 20%, what does this mean for retirees in the U.S., who often hold significant positions in non-U.S. stocks? The author of today’s article notes that such a divergence between the U.S. stock market and a leading foreign market is increasingly rare – and outlines some important investment implications. Do retirees in the U.S. have reason to worry that U.S. stocks will soon converge with Chinese stocks and enter a bear market? CLICK HERE.
Where Does Your Home Equity Fit Into Your Retirement Strategy?
Homeowners’ equity has climbed to its highest level ever – and yet few retirees are actually tapping their home equity in retirement. The author of today’s article notes that “maintaining home equity throughout retirement isn’t ideal in many situations, especially for older adults with significant housing wealth but dwindling portfolio values. For them, tapping home equity in some fashion…can be a sensible move.” She proceeds to outline the three main strategies when it comes to home equity and retirement – and the pros and cons of each. CLICK HERE.
This Retirement Saving Strategy For High-Income Earners Has Gotten The Okay. Is It For You?
If you’re a high-income earner, you might think that one popular retirement-saving vehicle – the Roth IRA – is not available to you due to IRS-imposed restrictions on who can contribute to these accounts. One strategy for high-income earners to get around these restrictions is the “backdoor Roth” – and while there has been concern about this strategy, the new tax legislation appears to give it the green light. So does a backdoor Roth make sense for you? CLICK HERE for some considerations.
Achieve A Dividend-Funded Retirement In 10 Years With This Process
“The goal of every dividend investor is to generate a sufficient stream of passive dividend income, that would adequately cover their expenses,” notes the author of today’s article –who proceeds to outline a process by which someone looking to retire in 10 years could attain this goal “even if you picked average companies.” For the five guidelines to follow in this process – and how they can be implemented to retire in 10 years – CLICK HERE.
These 3 Small Steps Can Make A Dramatic Difference In The Ultimate Size Of Your Nest Egg
Today’s article highlights three small steps you can take that can make a dramatic difference (or giant leaps) in the ultimate size of your retirement nest egg. Among these steps is one the author states “is often the epitome of small-step-but-big-leap planning, as it can have almost no impact on your current financial situation, but may have dramatic impacts on long-term tax-efficiency.” For these three steps – and examples depicting just how much of a big leap they can create for your retirement savings – CLICK HERE.
A Simple New Tool To Generate Retirement Spending Estimates
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 new tool available that seeks to fill that need – and it only requires two simple inputs to generate spending estimates. For more, CLICK HERE.
The Trouble With Target-Date Funds
With almost half of retirement savers having their entire account invested in a single target-date fund last year, the author of today’s article acknowledges that “Target-date funds are taking over retirement accounts” – and this may not be a good thing. He proceeds to explain how a combination of issues with target-date funds “could easily add up to 1 percent to 2 percent a year in lower returns, costing retirement savers hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of a career.” CLICK HERE.
