With a few exceptions (e.g. collectibles, life insurance), you can own pretty much anything in an individual retirement account, from real estate and precious metals to farming interests and church bonds. And with concerns that the stock market is overvalued (and rising interest rates affecting bond prices), nontraditional assets – with their juicy return potential and diversification benefits – may…
The number one rule of saving for retirement is to max out your 401(k) contributions …right? The adviser cited in today’s article has a different take on this widely-accepted piece of financial wisdom, arguing that, for many, there might be better options. For whom does he believe maxing out 401(k)s contributions is not the best option, what does he recommend…
A new “unretirement” life stage. A “cyclical” (rather than linear) lifeline. Much of what we pay for today (including auto insurance) being free. New “healthopia” communities for affluent boomers. These are some of the predictions so-called “futurists” are making in regards to the personal finances of Americans over age 50 over the next five and 10 years – as well…
One of the macro-level changes in the investment landscape has been the large-scale shift by investors into indexes and ETFs (and away from stocks and mutual funds) – a shift that the author of today’s article sees as being based on misplaced beliefs, and one that he warns will cost those investors – especially younger investors – in the long…
After being delayed, the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule – which requires that all financial professionals put the best interests of their clients first when it comes to retirement accounts – is set to be implemented (for now) on June 9. But beyond eliminating conflicts of interest, will the rule make it less expensive to invest for retirement? Today’s article…
“There are many fees that eat into your retirement nest egg,” notes the author of today’s article. As such, he proceeds to outline several tips to help minimize just how big of a bite fees can take out of your retirement savings. To find out what these tips are – including why he recommends that you should require that all…
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, there are approximately 25 million orphaned retirement accounts – i.e. accounts left with former employers – in existence today. If one (or more) of these accounts belongs to you, what’s the best way of handling these abandoned funds? Today’s article looks at the pros and cons of three options – keeping the 401(k) with…
For diligent retirement savers, the author of today’s article doesn’t see investing in large-cap stocks – with their maturity and predictable cash flows – as being a bad plan. However, for the large segment of Americans who are either behind on saving for retirement (or have no retirement savings at all), he points to small-cap stocks as being “the best…
Retirement is a time for spending. However, as today’s article highlights, it appears that affluent American retirees are not doing so. Rather, despite having accumulated an unprecedented amount in assets, studies find they are hoarding money. And while some may be doing so for rational reasons (e.g. wanting to leave a sizable inheritance), the primary motivator appears to be an…
Of all the stocks currently listed on the U.S. market, is a simple basket of just five of them all that is needed for a lucrative retirement? Yes… or at least that is the case the author of today’s article makes. But doesn’t holding just five stocks mean that a portfolio would not be sufficiently diversified? To the contrary, the…